All Blacks 2025
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life I think you need to lose a back.
Hmmm, you're right, Havili, Tavatavanawai and Tupaea are probably vying for two spots. One of them will likely miss out.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Is this based on Silverfern rumours?
No Blackadder?
see above
@chchfanatic said in All Blacks 2025:
All I’ve heard is that Big Jim looks to be in. Holland in. No blackadder.
Fusitua in. Proctor in. Reiko as a wing/centre.
Either Christian Lio Willie or Hoskins. Still have made the final call.
Forgot Kirifi too -
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Is this based on Silverfern rumours?
No Blackadder?
Yep, rumours are he's missing out. But nothing set in stone yet.
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I can't picture a situation where a fit Blackadder misses out on selection. With three 12 options and two 13 options available even with ALB injured, I don't see why Tavatavanawai would be needed as injury cover either. Unless it was coming straight from the top, I'm not sure how someone would learn that Ioane was being considered as a wing either. Would love to know how close to the team your source is @chchfanatic.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I can't picture a situation where a fit Blackadder misses out on selection. With three 12 options and two 13 options available even with ALB injured, I don't see why Tavatavanawai would be needed as injury cover either. Unless it was coming straight from the top, I'm not sure how someone would learn that Ioane was being considered as a wing either. Would love to know how close to the team your source is @chchfanatic.
Very close if @chchfanatic is telling me I am believing it.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I can't picture a situation where a fit Blackadder misses out on selection. With three 12 options and two 13 options available even with ALB injured, I don't see why Tavatavanawai would be needed as injury cover either. Unless it was coming straight from the top, I'm not sure how someone would learn that Ioane was being considered as a wing either. Would love to know how close to the team your source is @chchfanatic.
Very close if @chchfanatic is telling me I am believing it.
Yeah he's usually bang on when he posts runours.
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I know chchfanatic is normally right on the money but three weeks ago he said Hoskins Sotutu was never in the selection frame and now he's on the cusp despite not exactly having a glorious last few games.
Will absolutely graciously take the L if it's all proven correct in a week! Just hard to envisage.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I know chchfanatic is normally right on the money but three weeks ago he said Hoskins Sotutu was never in the selection frame and now he's on the cusp despite not exactly having a glorious last few games.
Will absolutely graciously take the L if it's all proven correct in a week! Just hard to envisage.
One bad game. The week before he was bloody MOTM.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I know chchfanatic is normally right on the money but three weeks ago he said Hoskins Sotutu was never in the selection frame and now he's on the cusp despite not exactly having a glorious last few games.
Will absolutely graciously take the L if it's all proven correct in a week! Just hard to envisage.
One bad game. The week before he was bloody MOTM.
I don't think Sotutu was anywhere near MOTM in the quarter-final to be honest but regardless, one good game doesn't jump you from never in contention to 50/50.
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@brodean alternatively, Blues fans are biased towards Hoskins because they think he doesn't get a fair crack. Evidently we just saw the game differently.
He only got one single vote for MOTM in the other two games played since chchfanatic's previous comments so I don't think it matters hugely either way.
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With the potential selection of both Kirifi and Lakai, I hope stronger consideration of a 6:2 bench is taken this season. They were close a couple of times last year but I think with where the game is at and where we have depth, what happens in the last 20 minutes it is far more critical to have fresh forwards.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I know chchfanatic is normally right on the money but three weeks ago he said Hoskins Sotutu was never in the selection frame and now he's on the cusp despite not exactly having a glorious last few games.
Will absolutely graciously take the L if it's all proven correct in a week! Just hard to envisage.
One bad game. The week before he was bloody MOTM.
I don't think Sotutu was anywhere near MOTM in the quarter-final to be honest but regardless, one good game doesn't jump you from never in contention to 50/50.
Never? He's been an AB! This year coming back from injury!
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I know chchfanatic is normally right on the money but three weeks ago he said Hoskins Sotutu was never in the selection frame and now he's on the cusp despite not exactly having a glorious last few games.
Will absolutely graciously take the L if it's all proven correct in a week! Just hard to envisage.
One bad game. The week before he was bloody MOTM.
I don't think Sotutu was anywhere near MOTM in the quarter-final to be honest but regardless, one good game doesn't jump you from never in contention to 50/50.
Sotutu's form was building the second half of the season once he came back from suspension.
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I think if they are seriously considering Hos then they see Ardie as 7 and Wallace as 6/8, wonder who they would have on bench. And maybe Wallace at 6 or sharing with Finau given Parker is injured but who is backup 7? Maybe Jacobson on bench?
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I think the bench is going to be a major consideration this year. Potentially they are ability to fashion Sotutu into a finisher? I wouldn’t have him in my squad but I think he’d offer more as a bench option than Jacobson even if the latter can play multiple positions.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
With the potential selection of both Kirifi and Lakai, I hope stronger consideration of a 6:2 bench is taken this season. They were close a couple of times last year but I think with where the game is at and where we have depth, what happens in the last 20 minutes it is far more critical to have fresh forwards.
I'm concerned about a loose forward selection stacked with relatively small bodies - Sititi, Lakai, Kirifi, Savea - that reads like an injury away from being belted against teams that like to muscle up.
