2025 All Blacks v France series
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I read it because I hate myself.
He writes the same article every week just with a slightly different target. Really leaning in to his Aussie audience.
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Not that I really want to rehash the above discussion but for what little that it’s worth, in my view Jordie is most at home as a 12 and Will Jordan is (becoming) a 14/15.
Blaming Jordie for getting smashed behind the gainline is like blaming a Barrett for having a shit haircut: it’s the shape that matters. France didn’t simply launch a guy like Jonathan Danty (110 kg+) into the Bok defensive line in the RWC quarter final, they used short kicks over the top, they used wide passes off of turnover ball, they used box kicks, switch plays to the blindside, quick taps, pick-and-go’s, all to misdirect and overload the Bok defensive line speed.
In the entire first half, Danty carried the ball in first phase just three times: in the first one, he was stopped dead in his tracks and nearly turned over. In the second, he ran a hard line off a lineout, targeting Libbok in the defensive line. And in the third, he was manhandled by De Allende. For the majority, France manipulated the Bok defence in order to get Danty to run at single defenders in broken field play.
Jordie got smashed because the AB attack in the opening 20 minutes was too slow, too conservative and didn’t attack the space that was available with enough conviction. Put any other 12 in world rugby on the attacking backfoot against Du Toit, Etzebeth and Vermeulen and it’s easy to predict what will happen (putting Tupaea or Tavatavanawai in the same situation will change very little). Jordie Barrett has both the tools (passing off left and right, kicking game, offload, defensive prowess, breakdown threat) and the instincts (decision-making in tight spaces, communication, scanning, physicality) to be a very good midfielder. What he needs around him is an AB attack shape which is ambitious and clever, and is able to properly showcase his particular skillset.
As far as Will Jordan is concerned, he, as mentioned before, has taken considerable steps as a fullback, improving his decision-making, distribution, playmaking and kicking. But there are also signs that he could be more effective on the wing at Test level as well, as he looks to have considerably improved his work in close quarter contact, whether it be in defence, at the breakdown or on the attacking edge.
The basis of this seems to be some mass added to his frame as well the way he engages contact with a set defensive line. While he always excelled at running towards weak shoulders in broken play, he struggled with ready defenders and double tackles, often losing the ball by going too upright or hesitating before going into contact. On the basis of this season, and the SR finals series especially, he seems to have worked hard on this. He scored two tries against the Blues in the semi-final by running into crowded defensive spaces and in the final, he again displayed his increased comfort in close contact:
Jordan running into contact
Jordan uses footwork to fix his defender, gets into a lower body position and accelerates into contact. While these clips might seem innocuous enough, Jordan’s increased comfort in contact makes him, in my view, more of a genuine option on the wing against aggressive defences, the latter often seeking to dominate the contact on the edge in order to push teams back towards the middle. It means Jordan can be used for attacking the opposition in multiple ways and spaces, whether it’s as a scanner and organizer at the back or whether it’s at the end of an attacking chain, where he can use his footwork and increased comfort in contact to finish a strike.
He is, in other words, slowly turning into a version of Ben Smith which, obviously, is a very good thing. Smith’s value was both his attacking vision as well as his ability to be used in different ways, giving an attack coach a unique weapon to unlock opposition defences. For me, at least, it is looking like Jordan is becoming such a multifaceted option in his own right, his ability to attack multiple spaces throughout a game something which needs to be further cultivated at Test level.
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Ridiculous
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@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
He had the same issues with turnovers against SA last year too.
Yeah, he clearly was rushed back too early and had little confidence.
Still can have very poor games though.
I think we will see him play a lot better rrom fullback this year
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Kinda depends on what sort of support Jordan gets from his wings. Clarke has been out of form and Reece sh*ts the bed every other test.
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@The-Docter said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Ridiculous
This could relate to any number of my posts.
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@Mauss said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Not that I really want to rehash the above discussion but for what little that it’s worth, in my view Jordie is most at home as a 12 and Will Jordan is (becoming) a 14/15.
Blaming Jordie for getting smashed behind the gainline is like blaming a Barrett for having a shit haircut: it’s the shape that matters. France didn’t simply launch a guy like Jonathan Danty (110 kg+) into the Bok defensive line in the RWC quarter final, they used short kicks over the top, they used wide passes off of turnover ball, they used box kicks, switch plays to the blindside, quick taps, pick-and-go’s, all to misdirect and overload the Bok defensive line speed.
In the entire first half, Danty carried the ball in first phase just three times: in the first one, he was stopped dead in his tracks and nearly turned over. In the second, he ran a hard line off a lineout, targeting Libbok in the defensive line. And in the third, he was manhandled by De Allende. For the majority, France manipulated the Bok defence in order to get Danty to run at single defenders in broken field play.
Jordie got smashed because the AB attack in the opening 20 minutes was too slow, too conservative and didn’t attack the space that was available with enough conviction. Put any other 12 in world rugby on the attacking backfoot against Du Toit, Etzebeth and Vermeulen and it’s easy to predict what will happen (putting Tupaea or Tavatavanawai in the same situation will change very little). Jordie Barrett has both the tools (passing off left and right, kicking game, offload, defensive prowess, breakdown threat) and the instincts (decision-making in tight spaces, communication, scanning, physicality) to be a very good midfielder. What he needs around him is an AB attack shape which is ambitious and clever, and is able to properly showcase his particular skillset.
As far as Will Jordan is concerned, he, as mentioned before, has taken considerable steps as a fullback, improving his decision-making, distribution, playmaking and kicking. But there are also signs that he could be more effective on the wing at Test level as well, as he looks to have considerably improved his work in close quarter contact, whether it be in defence, at the breakdown or on the attacking edge.
The basis of this seems to be some mass added to his frame as well the way he engages contact with a set defensive line. While he always excelled at running towards weak shoulders in broken play, he struggled with ready defenders and double tackles, often losing the ball by going too upright or hesitating before going into contact. On the basis of this season, and the SR finals series especially, he seems to have worked hard on this. He scored two tries against the Blues in the semi-final by running into crowded defensive spaces and in the final, he again displayed his increased comfort in close contact:
Jordan running into contact
Jordan uses footwork to fix his defender, gets into a lower body position and accelerates into contact. While these clips might seem innocuous enough, Jordan’s increased comfort in contact makes him, in my view, more of a genuine option on the wing against aggressive defences, the latter often seeking to dominate the contact on the edge in order to push teams back towards the middle. It means Jordan can be used for attacking the opposition in multiple ways and spaces, whether it’s as a scanner and organizer at the back or whether it’s at the end of an attacking chain, where he can use his footwork and increased comfort in contact to finish a strike.
He is, in other words, slowly turning into a version of Ben Smith which, obviously, is a very good thing. Smith’s value was both his attacking vision as well as his ability to be used in different ways, giving an attack coach a unique weapon to unlock opposition defences. For me, at least, it is looking like Jordan is becoming such a multifaceted option in his own right, his ability to attack multiple spaces throughout a game something which needs to be further cultivated at Test level.
Jeez @Mauss , you write like I've got time to
a. Read
b. Understand
What you've written.Love your stuff, but will try and comprehend it all in the morning!
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@booboo said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Mauss said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Not that I really want to rehash the above discussion but for what little that it’s worth, in my view Jordie is most at home as a 12 and Will Jordan is (becoming) a 14/15.
Blaming Jordie for getting smashed behind the gainline is like blaming a Barrett for having a shit haircut: it’s the shape that matters. France didn’t simply launch a guy like Jonathan Danty (110 kg+) into the Bok defensive line in the RWC quarter final, they used short kicks over the top, they used wide passes off of turnover ball, they used box kicks, switch plays to the blindside, quick taps, pick-and-go’s, all to misdirect and overload the Bok defensive line speed.
In the entire first half, Danty carried the ball in first phase just three times: in the first one, he was stopped dead in his tracks and nearly turned over. In the second, he ran a hard line off a lineout, targeting Libbok in the defensive line. And in the third, he was manhandled by De Allende. For the majority, France manipulated the Bok defence in order to get Danty to run at single defenders in broken field play.
Jordie got smashed because the AB attack in the opening 20 minutes was too slow, too conservative and didn’t attack the space that was available with enough conviction. Put any other 12 in world rugby on the attacking backfoot against Du Toit, Etzebeth and Vermeulen and it’s easy to predict what will happen (putting Tupaea or Tavatavanawai in the same situation will change very little). Jordie Barrett has both the tools (passing off left and right, kicking game, offload, defensive prowess, breakdown threat) and the instincts (decision-making in tight spaces, communication, scanning, physicality) to be a very good midfielder. What he needs around him is an AB attack shape which is ambitious and clever, and is able to properly showcase his particular skillset.
As far as Will Jordan is concerned, he, as mentioned before, has taken considerable steps as a fullback, improving his decision-making, distribution, playmaking and kicking. But there are also signs that he could be more effective on the wing at Test level as well, as he looks to have considerably improved his work in close quarter contact, whether it be in defence, at the breakdown or on the attacking edge.
The basis of this seems to be some mass added to his frame as well the way he engages contact with a set defensive line. While he always excelled at running towards weak shoulders in broken play, he struggled with ready defenders and double tackles, often losing the ball by going too upright or hesitating before going into contact. On the basis of this season, and the SR finals series especially, he seems to have worked hard on this. He scored two tries against the Blues in the semi-final by running into crowded defensive spaces and in the final, he again displayed his increased comfort in close contact:
Jordan running into contact
Jordan uses footwork to fix his defender, gets into a lower body position and accelerates into contact. While these clips might seem innocuous enough, Jordan’s increased comfort in contact makes him, in my view, more of a genuine option on the wing against aggressive defences, the latter often seeking to dominate the contact on the edge in order to push teams back towards the middle. It means Jordan can be used for attacking the opposition in multiple ways and spaces, whether it’s as a scanner and organizer at the back or whether it’s at the end of an attacking chain, where he can use his footwork and increased comfort in contact to finish a strike.
He is, in other words, slowly turning into a version of Ben Smith which, obviously, is a very good thing. Smith’s value was both his attacking vision as well as his ability to be used in different ways, giving an attack coach a unique weapon to unlock opposition defences. For me, at least, it is looking like Jordan is becoming such a multifaceted option in his own right, his ability to attack multiple spaces throughout a game something which needs to be further cultivated at Test level.
Jeez @Mauss , you write like I've got time to
a. Read
b. Understand
What you've written.Love your stuff, but will try and comprehend it all in the morning!
I've given Mauss' last post the CGPT treatment
Jordie Barrett thrives at second five-eighth (12), with strong passing, defence, and decision-making. His recent struggles were due to a slow, conservative All Blacks attack, not individual flaws. France showed how to break down the Springboks with smart, varied play. Will Jordan, meanwhile, has improved both as a fullback and a wing. Added strength and better contact technique now make him more effective in tight spaces. His footwork and versatility allow him to attack from deep or finish wide plays. Like Ben Smith, Jordan is becoming a dynamic, multi-role weapon who should be further developed at Test level.
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@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
I've given Mauss' last post the CGPT treatment
Jordie Barrett thrives at second five-eighth (12), with strong passing, defence, and decision-making. His recent struggles were due to a slow, conservative All Blacks attack, not individual flaws. France showed how to break down the Springboks with smart, varied play. Will Jordan, meanwhile, has improved both as a fullback and a wing. Added strength and better contact technique now make him more effective in tight spaces. His footwork and versatility allow him to attack from deep or finish wide plays. Like Ben Smith, Jordan is becoming a dynamic, multi-role weapon who should be further developed at Test level.
Can't say I've had a lot of experience with AI, apart from trying to deduce what's written by a real person and what's not.
The Jordan summary is all right, I suppose, if a bit reductionist. Less enthused about the Jordie-stuff, my point was very specific to the RWC final and the AB attack performance there in the first 20 minutes. And it doesn't even mention the Barrett hair-joke, which I thought was the best bit.
I'm going to start including tl;dr's.
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@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@booboo said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Mauss said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Not that I really want to rehash the above discussion but for what little that it’s worth, in my view Jordie is most at home as a 12 and Will Jordan is (becoming) a 14/15.
Blaming Jordie for getting smashed behind the gainline is like blaming a Barrett for having a shit haircut: it’s the shape that matters. France didn’t simply launch a guy like Jonathan Danty (110 kg+) into the Bok defensive line in the RWC quarter final, they used short kicks over the top, they used wide passes off of turnover ball, they used box kicks, switch plays to the blindside, quick taps, pick-and-go’s, all to misdirect and overload the Bok defensive line speed.
In the entire first half, Danty carried the ball in first phase just three times: in the first one, he was stopped dead in his tracks and nearly turned over. In the second, he ran a hard line off a lineout, targeting Libbok in the defensive line. And in the third, he was manhandled by De Allende. For the majority, France manipulated the Bok defence in order to get Danty to run at single defenders in broken field play.
Jordie got smashed because the AB attack in the opening 20 minutes was too slow, too conservative and didn’t attack the space that was available with enough conviction. Put any other 12 in world rugby on the attacking backfoot against Du Toit, Etzebeth and Vermeulen and it’s easy to predict what will happen (putting Tupaea or Tavatavanawai in the same situation will change very little). Jordie Barrett has both the tools (passing off left and right, kicking game, offload, defensive prowess, breakdown threat) and the instincts (decision-making in tight spaces, communication, scanning, physicality) to be a very good midfielder. What he needs around him is an AB attack shape which is ambitious and clever, and is able to properly showcase his particular skillset.
As far as Will Jordan is concerned, he, as mentioned before, has taken considerable steps as a fullback, improving his decision-making, distribution, playmaking and kicking. But there are also signs that he could be more effective on the wing at Test level as well, as he looks to have considerably improved his work in close quarter contact, whether it be in defence, at the breakdown or on the attacking edge.
The basis of this seems to be some mass added to his frame as well the way he engages contact with a set defensive line. While he always excelled at running towards weak shoulders in broken play, he struggled with ready defenders and double tackles, often losing the ball by going too upright or hesitating before going into contact. On the basis of this season, and the SR finals series especially, he seems to have worked hard on this. He scored two tries against the Blues in the semi-final by running into crowded defensive spaces and in the final, he again displayed his increased comfort in close contact:
Jordan running into contact
Jordan uses footwork to fix his defender, gets into a lower body position and accelerates into contact. While these clips might seem innocuous enough, Jordan’s increased comfort in contact makes him, in my view, more of a genuine option on the wing against aggressive defences, the latter often seeking to dominate the contact on the edge in order to push teams back towards the middle. It means Jordan can be used for attacking the opposition in multiple ways and spaces, whether it’s as a scanner and organizer at the back or whether it’s at the end of an attacking chain, where he can use his footwork and increased comfort in contact to finish a strike.
He is, in other words, slowly turning into a version of Ben Smith which, obviously, is a very good thing. Smith’s value was both his attacking vision as well as his ability to be used in different ways, giving an attack coach a unique weapon to unlock opposition defences. For me, at least, it is looking like Jordan is becoming such a multifaceted option in his own right, his ability to attack multiple spaces throughout a game something which needs to be further cultivated at Test level.
Jeez @Mauss , you write like I've got time to
a. Read
b. Understand
What you've written.Love your stuff, but will try and comprehend it all in the morning!
I've given Mauss' last post the CGPT treatment
Jordie Barrett thrives at second five-eighth (12), with strong passing, defence, and decision-making. His recent struggles were due to a slow, conservative All Blacks attack, not individual flaws. France showed how to break down the Springboks with smart, varied play. Will Jordan, meanwhile, has improved both as a fullback and a wing. Added strength and better contact technique now make him more effective in tight spaces. His footwork and versatility allow him to attack from deep or finish wide plays. Like Ben Smith, Jordan is becoming a dynamic, multi-role weapon who should be further developed at Test level.
@Grok is this true?
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@Mauss said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
I've given Mauss' last post the CGPT treatment
Jordie Barrett thrives at second five-eighth (12), with strong passing, defence, and decision-making. His recent struggles were due to a slow, conservative All Blacks attack, not individual flaws. France showed how to break down the Springboks with smart, varied play. Will Jordan, meanwhile, has improved both as a fullback and a wing. Added strength and better contact technique now make him more effective in tight spaces. His footwork and versatility allow him to attack from deep or finish wide plays. Like Ben Smith, Jordan is becoming a dynamic, multi-role weapon who should be further developed at Test level.
Can't say I've had a lot of experience with AI, apart from trying to deduce what's written by a real person and what's not.
The Jordan summary is all right, I suppose, if a bit reductionist. Less enthused about the Jordie-stuff, my point was very specific to the RWC final and the AB attack performance there in the first 20 minutes. And it doesn't even mention the Barrett hair-joke, which I thought was the best bit.
I'm going to start including tl;dr's.
That's what you get with a 100 word limit! Probably needed to ask CGPT to add some context re-JB and the RWC
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@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
I guess these guys seeing themselves as pro level analysts of the game might find it a bit of failing when they get it so wrong.
Mirror....reflection time......
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@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@booboo said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Mauss said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Not that I really want to rehash the above discussion but for what little that it’s worth, in my view Jordie is most at home as a 12 and Will Jordan is (becoming) a 14/15.
Blaming Jordie for getting smashed behind the gainline is like blaming a Barrett for having a shit haircut: it’s the shape that matters. France didn’t simply launch a guy like Jonathan Danty (110 kg+) into the Bok defensive line in the RWC quarter final, they used short kicks over the top, they used wide passes off of turnover ball, they used box kicks, switch plays to the blindside, quick taps, pick-and-go’s, all to misdirect and overload the Bok defensive line speed.
In the entire first half, Danty carried the ball in first phase just three times: in the first one, he was stopped dead in his tracks and nearly turned over. In the second, he ran a hard line off a lineout, targeting Libbok in the defensive line. And in the third, he was manhandled by De Allende. For the majority, France manipulated the Bok defence in order to get Danty to run at single defenders in broken field play.
Jordie got smashed because the AB attack in the opening 20 minutes was too slow, too conservative and didn’t attack the space that was available with enough conviction. Put any other 12 in world rugby on the attacking backfoot against Du Toit, Etzebeth and Vermeulen and it’s easy to predict what will happen (putting Tupaea or Tavatavanawai in the same situation will change very little). Jordie Barrett has both the tools (passing off left and right, kicking game, offload, defensive prowess, breakdown threat) and the instincts (decision-making in tight spaces, communication, scanning, physicality) to be a very good midfielder. What he needs around him is an AB attack shape which is ambitious and clever, and is able to properly showcase his particular skillset.
As far as Will Jordan is concerned, he, as mentioned before, has taken considerable steps as a fullback, improving his decision-making, distribution, playmaking and kicking. But there are also signs that he could be more effective on the wing at Test level as well, as he looks to have considerably improved his work in close quarter contact, whether it be in defence, at the breakdown or on the attacking edge.
The basis of this seems to be some mass added to his frame as well the way he engages contact with a set defensive line. While he always excelled at running towards weak shoulders in broken play, he struggled with ready defenders and double tackles, often losing the ball by going too upright or hesitating before going into contact. On the basis of this season, and the SR finals series especially, he seems to have worked hard on this. He scored two tries against the Blues in the semi-final by running into crowded defensive spaces and in the final, he again displayed his increased comfort in close contact:
Jordan running into contact
Jordan uses footwork to fix his defender, gets into a lower body position and accelerates into contact. While these clips might seem innocuous enough, Jordan’s increased comfort in contact makes him, in my view, more of a genuine option on the wing against aggressive defences, the latter often seeking to dominate the contact on the edge in order to push teams back towards the middle. It means Jordan can be used for attacking the opposition in multiple ways and spaces, whether it’s as a scanner and organizer at the back or whether it’s at the end of an attacking chain, where he can use his footwork and increased comfort in contact to finish a strike.
He is, in other words, slowly turning into a version of Ben Smith which, obviously, is a very good thing. Smith’s value was both his attacking vision as well as his ability to be used in different ways, giving an attack coach a unique weapon to unlock opposition defences. For me, at least, it is looking like Jordan is becoming such a multifaceted option in his own right, his ability to attack multiple spaces throughout a game something which needs to be further cultivated at Test level.
Jeez @Mauss , you write like I've got time to
a. Read
b. Understand
What you've written.Love your stuff, but will try and comprehend it all in the morning!
I've given Mauss' last post the CGPT treatment
Jordie Barrett thrives at second five-eighth (12), with strong passing, defence, and decision-making. His recent struggles were due to a slow, conservative All Blacks attack, not individual flaws. France showed how to break down the Springboks with smart, varied play. Will Jordan, meanwhile, has improved both as a fullback and a wing. Added strength and better contact technique now make him more effective in tight spaces. His footwork and versatility allow him to attack from deep or finish wide plays. Like Ben Smith, Jordan is becoming a dynamic, multi-role weapon who should be further developed at Test level.
I generally love your analysis @Mauss , but why bother going back to the WC final (which we nearly won)?
I would have thought we'd analyse how Jordie went last year under these coaches and this attacking system when we lost in Johannesburg with Jordie at 12 and lost in Cape town with Jordie at 12?
BTW, I'm not trying to put any of those results on Jordie himself (Ofa's YC was the turning point in the first game, arguably Lomax's YC in the latter) but if we are going to talk about Jordie at 12, we should be talking about how this coaching group uses him.
Edit: Apologies, looks like I replied to the wrong post, I'm referring to here.
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@gt12 said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
I generally love your analysis @Mauss , but why bother going back to the WC final (which we nearly won)?
That's fair but I was mostly just referring to the RWC final because it was part of the above discussion on whether Jordie should be at 12 or 15.
Like here:
@MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Has never stood out vs De Allende or Esterhuizen and PSDT hit him so hard and often in the WC final I can only assume he owed him some money.
My point is pretty general, I suppose, and can also be applied to the current coaching set-up: that it doesn't really matter how big your 12 is - whether it's Jonathan Danty or Bundee Aki or Timoci Tavatavanawai - if you don't have a particularly effective attacking shape, there's very little those players can do on their own, especially in the face of such a well-organized defence as that of the Boks.
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Very interesting talk from Ryan on the Rugbypod noting that Super rugby at the finals is a completely different beast to Super rugby in February.
He pointed to the team who won the scrum battle, and more importantly the penalties at the scrum battle; he cites 34 scrum penalties and the teams that were on the right side of that won.
You can feel that focus on the set piece as well with him noting that Finau is there because he is proper line out option. He talked about two locks who can play 6 - so one assumes them to be Vaai and Barrett.
