All Blacks 2025
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Any AB wing who gets smoked by a lock shouldn't play for the ABs again
He just does not have the gas for test level and really limits ABs on attack Out wide and on defense against other flyers. You just have to look at the other test wings out there and it seems obvious to me picking him limits us. Every year he has a good Super season and come test matches so underwhelming. Defo don’t hate him any more than any other underwhelming ABs and there are a lot of them.
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Some thoughts on the backs after another pretty dire game last night:
It's always good to see a young player being composed in a big game, and his kicking was good, but I really haven't seen anything from Reihana other than what Plummer delivered last year. McKenzie didn't do anything special either last night of course, but if you swapped the two players I don't think anyone really thinks the result changes? Love remains ahead of Reihana (and Barrett) for me.
Our supposed halfback depth looks like a bit of bullshit to me. Ratima's kicking was terrible last night, and Hotham did some good stuff but his errors were a big part of what kept a dominated Chiefs team in the contest. Roe and Preston were poor. Roigard didn't fire a shot against the Brumbies when the Canes got knocked out, and Fakatava not even invited to training camp.
Midfield is interesting. there's players with potential there, but our performance with Barrett and Ioane there were mediocre last year, so if they get picked again can we really expect anything different? Or will Robertson reward form and pick Tupaea and Proctor? Is Tavatavanawai being considered as a bench option or more than that?
Reece was good last night, unfortunately. I don't see small slow pick and go wingers being effective at test level, no matter how good the work rate etc: I want pace and strength. The Chiefs back 3 were pretty poor positionally. Jordan was very good. Still pissed about Tangitau's injury. -
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@KiwiMurph It ain't pretty, but he can do a job there.
Quinn Tupaea Vs Jordie Barrett for the 12 jersey is a very tight call.
Razor prolly still loves DH...
Super Rugby winning Captain.
Id say Razor will be all over him unfortunately.
Winning captain who received a needless yellow that could have been red.
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Love, Reihana and Plummer are all more direct in their running compared to crabbers Mckenzie and BB.
Every 10 to win a SR title has been an All Black. Maybe not this season but I think Reihana will get there if injuries are kind.
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I'd like to see Reihana get another year at Super level before getting tossed into the ABs. I have this awful feeling that he is one AB shocker away from losing confidence again. He still has little cracks in his game that need ironing out (eg passing). Remember, it's only been about half a super season in which he has looked consistently handy for the Saders.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@jamsb Hotham did okay against Fiji and in the All Blacks XV games next year.
When did you get a Delorean?
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@Wurzel said in All Blacks 2025:
Razor picking on Super form was all well and good until the bloody Crusaders went and won the thing. Now we gotta move the goalposts so he can’t select big-game, champion players.
Like George Bridge?
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The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
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Super Rugby just isn't the same standard as what it used to be but back in the day there were always players like Adam Thomson who were Super Rugby stars that never converted Super Rugby form into Test form.
Super Rugby just isn't a reliable indicator of how well players will go in test rugby. Especially now when our premier competition is at its weakest.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
He split open the Waratahs defence a few times he has been strong taking the ball to the line he certainly has the ability.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
He has vision and a reasonably big, accurate boot. Passing is a skill that can be quickly improved.
For all the awesome fast 10s with sniper's passing, that doesn't translate well into Test rugby as we've seen in the last decade. Especially where your forwards are well matched and each metre is hard earned in lung busting efforts where you're likely to drop the ball or be beaten to the ruck. Then everything becomes about who can apply pressure through territory, who can effectively place the ball so there's a contest for possession.
Players running sideways looking for gaps achieve fuck all against willing, accurate defences. Our top two have a bloke whose pact with the devil has run its course with an inaccurate boot and another who can't stamp authority on the game when he's on the back foot.
So why not invest in the bloke that brings something worthwhile to the table and see how he develops?
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
He split open the Waratahs defence a few times he has been strong taking the ball to the line he certainly has the ability.
And as an outcome of that ability he can hold defences honest, creating space for people outside him rather than trying to take that space for himself, or popping the ball to an unexpecting static attacker.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
He has vision and a reasonably big, accurate boot. Passing is a skill that can be quickly improved.
For all the awesome fast 10s with sniper's passing, that doesn't translate well into Test rugby as we've seen in the last decade. Especially where your forwards are well matched and each metre is hard earned in lung busting efforts where you're likely to drop the ball or be beaten to the ruck. Then everything becomes about who can apply pressure through territory, who can effectively place the ball so there's a contest for possession.
Players running sideways looking for gaps achieve fuck all against willing, accurate defences. Our top two have a bloke whose pact with the devil has run its course with an inaccurate boot and another who can't stamp authority on the game when he's on the back foot.
So why not invest in the bloke that brings something worthwhile to the table and see how he develops?
We had Plummer last year, similar skillset, albeit older. He got about 2 minutes in black and just tackled. We have been in love with shifty ball running 10s that lack an Orthodox kicking game and distribution skills since we lost DC. This kid wears a different jersey of course, so maybe he'll actually get a fair go
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
I don't think his passing is as bad as made out. Both Barrett and Mckenzie hamper their teams by more often than not running sideways before passing.
It's not dire, it's not even poor, but it is lagging behind other parts of his game.
