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2025 All Blacks v France series

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2025 All Blacks v France series
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  • antipodeanA Online
    antipodeanA Online
    antipodean
    replied to sparky last edited by
    #467

    @sparky said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @antipodean Finau will feature in the series for sure, but not necessarily at 6 in Test One.

    What position do you think he'd play instead? He's a blindside flanker who would only move to lock in an emergency.

    It's unfathomable that a blindside flanker (the only genuine one in the squad) would make way for a player out of position in the first Test if he's fit.

    sparkyS 1 Reply Last reply
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  • mariner4lifeM Offline
    mariner4lifeM Offline
    mariner4life
    wrote last edited by
    #468

    If they were set on starting a lock at 6 they would have selected more than 4 of them.

    Both Barrett and Vaai are proven failures at 6 at test level as well

    gt12G 1 Reply Last reply
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  • Chris B.C Online
    Chris B.C Online
    Chris B.
    replied to reprobate last edited by
    #469

    @reprobate As Razor himself said, Ethan's likely to be in and around the squad later in the year. I'll be surprised if that's not true.

    I'm waiting with interest to see how they deploy their loose forwards and what the results are.

    B KiwiMurphK 2 Replies Last reply
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  • B Offline
    B Offline
    brodean
    replied to Chris B. last edited by
    #470

    @Chris-B said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @reprobate As Razor himself said, Ethan's likely to be in and around the squad later in the year. I'll be surprised if that's not true.

    I'm waiting with interest to see how they deploy their loose forwards and what the results are.

    Seems unlikely that he will remain fit after his recent injury free streak

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  • boobooB Offline
    boobooB Offline
    booboo
    replied to booboo last edited by
    #471

    @booboo said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @gt12 said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    Vaaii getting some time at 6, I feel like they may have missed a trick by skipping over Ah Kuoi, but hard to complain.

    All 4 of my preferred 6s are Chiefs ...

    Actually 6 ...

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  • B Offline
    B Offline
    brodean
    replied to ploughboy last edited by
    #472

    @ploughboy said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @brodean said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    It's concerning that the Chiefs have the most forwards with 6 after they failed to do a job against the Blues and Crusaders.

    wasn't the starting 8 that was the prob was replacement probs and lock

    The Crusaders got the lead early in the 2nd quarter and kept it for the remainder of the game.

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  • Landers92L Offline
    Landers92L Offline
    Landers92
    replied to KiwiMurph last edited by Landers92
    #473

    @KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @1kiwi said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @SouthernMann said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    George Bell. Canterbury's third string hooker. Boys needs to go aomewhere that he won't be stuck on the bench.

    Bell will be duking it out with Moananu in a couple years time I believe as it wouldn't surprise me if Codie Taylor either hangs up his boots or heads overseas after the next world cup.

    Moananu really should leave. He can't even crack the Crusaders 23 where he looks to have an AB level ceiling.

    Have posted in another thread. He is in chats with the Blues, not a signed and sealed thing though. One to keep an eye on with how it could unfold. Makes zero sense to stay in red and black if George Bell is sticking around(and also now that the bias seems to be gone)

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • M Offline
    M Offline
    Mattasaurus
    wrote last edited by Mattasaurus
    #474

    Will be interesting to see the match day 23.....

    Front row is good - well earned Norris
    Locks I am happy - plenty of grunt in there - pleased with Holland selection
    I am still mildly concerned about the balance of the loosies, it does depend where they play Ardie I guess--- but very happy Du’Plessis is in there.

    Halfbacks I am happy with those 3

    10s no surprises but an injury could open up the door for opportunities for some of the young fellas on the edge of the squad.

    Midfield looks good, Rieko is surely a wing now.

    Outsides - happy enough, CC pretty lucky I feel. And nice to see Love in there

    anyway bring on the first test - lets see how they go.

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamus
    wrote last edited by
    #475

    Rieko Ioane.

    MN5M M 2 Replies Last reply
    2
  • MN5M Online
    MN5M Online
    MN5
    replied to nostrildamus last edited by
    #476

    @nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    Rieko Ioane.

    first AND second name spelt correctly. Well done.

    nostrildamusN 1 Reply Last reply
    6
  • KiwiMurphK Online
    KiwiMurphK Online
    KiwiMurph
    replied to Chris B. last edited by
    #477

    @Chris-B said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @reprobate As Razor himself said, Ethan's likely to be in and around the squad later in the year. I'll be surprised if that's not true.

    I'm waiting with interest to see how they deploy their loose forwards and what the results are.

    Ethan will have a fair bit of competition

    CLW has been chosen as injury cover - Lakai and Parker will return from injury later this year....

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • MaussM Offline
    MaussM Offline
    Mauss
    wrote last edited by
    #478

    I like the squad selection, mostly because it seems like a turn away from ‘how do we not lose games?’ to ‘how can we actually win them?’. When you want to play a high-speed, movement-based game, you need to have the ball, and having Savea, Kirifi and Tavatavanawai in your squad (top 3 breakdown steals in Super Rugby) at least gives you an opportunity at consistently playing that game.

    If I were to hazard a guess on how this will impact the game plan, I suspect they’ll want to start with a possession game, using big carriers through the middle. That means starting Taukei’aho, Williams, Sititi and Savea. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Vaa’i in the 6-jersey and Finau wearing 20. I would also guess they want to control possession by having experienced kickers at 10 and 15, which would mean Barrett and McKenzie both starting with Jordan on the right wing. (FYI, I am not saying good kickers, the emphasis is on experienced)

    A bench of Taylor, Norris, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Kirifi, Ratima and Tavatavanawai/Tupaea would mean mobility, breakdown prowess and counter-attacking ability in the final 30 minutes. McKenzie thrives directing attack in broken play so he could shift to 10 while Jordan would move to 15.

    Again, not saying that this is how they’ll play or line up, of course, but at least there’s some clear outlines of how they could attack the game, rather than just pick players who’ll work hard and hope that they produce some magic somehow.

    ACT CrusaderA 1 Reply Last reply
    1
  • M Offline
    M Offline
    Mattasaurus
    replied to nostrildamus last edited by
    #479

    @nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    Rieko Ioane.

    Corrected thanks 😉

    1 Reply Last reply
    1
  • nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamus
    replied to MN5 last edited by
    #480

    @MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    @nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    Rieko Ioane.

    first AND second name spelt correctly. Well done.

    Baby steps. Baby steps.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
  • C Offline
    C Offline
    cgrant
    wrote last edited by
    #481

    Blues best player (AJ Lam) is the most unlucky. With LF probably coming in for the RC, I guess he won't be selected this year.

    nostrildamusN sparkyS 2 Replies Last reply
    3
  • nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamus
    replied to cgrant last edited by
    #482

    @cgrant said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    Blues best player (AJ Lam) is the most unlucky. With LF probably coming in for the RC, I guess he won't be selected this year.

    Isn't AJ more a 12 and LF more a 13?

    B 1 Reply Last reply
    0
  • nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamusN Online
    nostrildamus
    wrote last edited by
    #483

    Christian Lio-Willie

    Christian Lio-Willie
    Are these stats correct? If so as big as Sititi, and CLW can play 6?
    I mean, he hits hard and gets around a bit. Auckland, Otago, Canterbury...

    MN5M 1 Reply Last reply
    1
  • B Offline
    B Offline
    brodean
    replied to nostrildamus last edited by
    #484

    @nostrildamus

    Lam is probably a better 13 than 12.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
  • J Away
    J Away
    Jet
    wrote last edited by
    #485

    If you had of told me they would select 6 midfielders and both of Havili (favouritism) and Lam (ability) would miss out id have been surprised.

    GrooterG 1 Reply Last reply
    1
  • MN5M Online
    MN5M Online
    MN5
    replied to nostrildamus last edited by
    #486

    @nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

    Christian Lio-Willie

    Christian Lio-Willie
    Are these stats correct? If so as big as Sititi, and CLW can play 6?
    I mean, he hits hard and gets around a bit. Auckland, Otago, Canterbury...

    They should do weigh ins before each game like combat sports. Some of them sound extremely made up.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0

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