All Blacks 2025
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Don’t think they’ll go both Proctor and Tupaea on the bench. But I like your thinking around starting them together. I think they would compliment each other nicely.
Hopefully in one of the French games.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
The pot belly is key to the low centre of gravity for turnovers. You just flop it up there on the tackled player and it provides great stability while still looking like you are supporting your body weight.
<- me listening to the words of experience.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
My starting backline:
Roigard
McKenzie
Clark
Barrett
Proctor
Ioane
Jordan.For the 1st Test, think Robertson will stick with last years lineup and have Proctor and Love in the 23. If we win the first 2 Tests, then Proctor & QT to start
Roigard
DMac
Clark
Barrett
Ioane
Reece
JordanProctor
Tupeau
RatimaDon’t think they’ll go both Proctor and Tupaea on the bench. But I like your thinking around starting them together. I think they would compliment each other nicely.
They have to make room for Havili....
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
The pot belly is key to the low centre of gravity for turnovers. You just flop it up there on the tackled player and it provides great stability while still looking like you are supporting your body weight.
You have a nice spot to balance the remote too
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
And actual fitness test results.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
And actual fitness test results.
Yeah I could understand pointing it out if the player actually had a pot belly, especially if they were playing fuck all minutes and/or not doing much apart from one or two decent carries.... but this is out there eh.
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Razor: "Yeah he leads the stats, is ferocious in attack and defence, a much-admired leader of men, plays several positions very well indeed, is unpredictable tough and uncompromising, and has a bit of an x-factor, but he's no David Havili."
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
Razor: "Yeah he leads the stats, is ferocious in attack and defence, a much-admired leader of men, plays several positions very well indeed, is unpredictable tough and uncompromising, and has a bit of an x-factor, but he's no David Havili."
It would be funnier if it wasn't true
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I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
It's a good point though, I can't for the life of me think what Havili adds to any squad above Jim (goalkicking and fullback already being covered a million times over).
i.e. there's exactly zero risk to selecting Tavatavanawai over Havili.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
It's a good point though, I can't for the life of me think what Havili adds to any squad above Jim (goalkicking and fullback already being covered a million times over).
i.e. there's exactly zero risk to selecting Tavatavanawai over Havili.
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai. I think Tavatavanawai probably excels in a less dominant backline where he's given plenty of flexibility to play to his strengths but wouldn't necessarily thrive in a more rigid system.
That doesn't mean I want to see Havili selected.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew Jordie covering ten? No
Sorry. My BB Havili bias overcame my logic.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai
Yeah I'm not convinced. I think Jim's playmaking ability probably gets overlooked because he can knock people on their arse.
If there was decent proof of Havili being this talented playmaker and Jim being terrible, I'd be happy to be swayed.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai
Yeah I'm not convinced. I think Jim's playmaking ability probably gets overlooked because he can knock people on their arse.
If there was decent proof of Havili being this talented playmaker and Jim being terrible, I'd be happy to be swayed.
I'd consider a guy who can consistently knock the opposition on their arses. David has not shown that skill at test level
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Razor has to stop thinking in the past and focus on the talent he has right in front of him. There is no one playing overseas that deserves an automatic spot in the team (Jordie doesn't count because he's on sabbatical)
I'm no Razor defender, but in the interview he was asked if you would like to see xyz come back, and he just said - you want to see all your best players available.
I think it is more of a more of a media thing harping on about it than Razor. What is he supposed to say, no door is closed, don't come back.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Tim leaving "too much playing time" undefined and still at the discretion of the clubs? 🤦♂️
I think they must have had fewer than 2,000 minutes of action this season - which largely rules out all the top guys from those two finalists, bar a few who've been injured this year.
