All Blacks 2024
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I am sure we will see all the things you want and also the things you don’t want!
We won’t have things all our own way and we have virtually all of our bigger test are away from home this year.
One thing that Razor has done is to have a smart game plan and bring innovation to it. He also improves players who play for him. The Crusaders side he took over was full of new players and future test stars and he created a dynasty from that,l.
It is an exciting proposition and we have a group of players that can become a very strong All Black squad in time.
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I am sure we will see all the things you want and also the things you don’t want!
We won’t have things all our own way and we have virtually all of our bigger test are away from home this year.
One thing that Razor has done is to have a smart game plan and bring innovation to it. He also improves players who play for him. The Crusaders side he took over was full of new players and future test stars and he created a dynasty from that,l.
It is an exciting proposition and we have a group of players that can become a very strong All Black squad in time.
Like Craig Bellamy, Razor seemed to have a knack of getting the best out of his individual players over a long period of time
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Leon MacDonald confirmed on the Breakdown that it will be a 32 man squad with 18 forwards and 14 backs.
Any more info on the breakdown of the forwards? In a smaller squad there will be a squeeze on one of the positions
3 Hookers, 6 Props, 4 Locks, 6 Loosies = 19. One too many
I've seen a few in media suggest only 3 locks. But that would be one rolled ankle in warmup away from having Finau cover lock
5 loosies. Maybe? I think they'll want to look at more than that
5 Props might make the most sense? 2 LH, 2 TH & Ofa?
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@Duluth highly likely that it will be 5 props. They can always bring someone in pretty quickly if needed. I think they'll go 6 loosies so they have 2 players covering each loose forward position.
I'm picking the below.
Forwards:
3 Hookers = C Taylor, A Aumua, R Riccitelli
5 Props = F Newell, E De Groot, T Williams, T Lomax, O Tu'ungafasi
4 Locks = S Barrett, T Vaa'i, S Darry, P Tuipolotu
6 Loose forwards = A Savea, H Sotutu, D Papali'i, S Finau, P Lakai, E BlackadderBacks:
3 Halfbacks = T Perenara, C Ratima, F Christie
2 First fives = D McKenzie, B Barrett
4 Centres = J Barrett, R Ioane, B Proctor, A Leinert Brown
5 Outside backs = C Clarke, M Telea, S Reece, E Narawa, R LoveInjured: W Jordan, S Taukei'aho, C Roigard, J Lord
Blues = 11
Chiefs = 6
Hurricanes = 8
Crusaders = 6
Highlanders = 1 -
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Depends on the nature of the losses, but 10-4 would be a low bar for many people.
To quote Marcellus Wallace: "You see, this profession is filled to the brim with unrealistic motherfuckers."
I guess everyone has their own expectations. I'm reading what Grubster is writing and thinking I'm on the same page.
One thing I haven't really taken into account is to what extent these other teams are rebuilding.
England for instance seem to have pretty much the same forward pack they used at the RWC, but the backs are markedly different. The couple of preview articles I've read suggest they're playing more expansively and the English have some optimism that they might catch us undercooked. Considering Razor's got two weeks to unfold his gameplan (and sprinkle his magic dust around) that wouldn't surprise me.
If we go down to the poms the sharks will be taking chunks out of the sufboard before he's paddled past the breakers.
Given I didn't watch the Six Nations - what should we expect from England? Is this basically the team they used - or did they have Farrell etc?
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@Duluth Hard to know how they'll break it down.
For me - the logical way to do it is to pick the starting XV plus the bench - and then have one spare in each specialist position.
One loosehead
One tighthead
One hooker
One lock
One loosie
One halfback
One first five
One midfielder
One wing
One fullbackThat's one too many, but I'm expecting Beauden will be a first five and fullback.
As you say, they could have Ofa covering both sides to allow themselves an extra loose forward.
I hope they pick three first fives and not four wings.
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hmmmm....
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@Darren said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
If we just look same old, might as well have kept the fat guy.
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@Kiwiwomble He is most likely in AB camp today then
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
hmmmm....
If true, that's such a backwards selection. I thought Razor was all about innovation and picking the 'best' players? Cane hasn't played for ages and is 'E Blackadder' level injury prone these days.
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Sorry, i just went to buy microwave popcorn in bulk for when Cane gets picked and Lakai doesn't.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
If true, that's such a backwards selection. I thought Razor was all about innovation and picking the 'best' players? Cane hasn't played for ages and is 'E Blackadder' level injury prone these days.
A little surprised if he is fit already, but I kind off expected him in the Championship squad.
It seemed like a negotiated exit.. he cuts his (expensive) contract short in return he gets nursed to 100 caps
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
If true, that's such a backwards selection. I thought Razor was all about innovation and picking the 'best' players? Cane hasn't played for ages and is 'E Blackadder' level injury prone these days.
A little surprised if he is fit already, but I kind off expected him in the Championship squad.
It seemed like a negotiated exit.. he cuts his (expensive) contract short in return he gets nursed to 100 caps
Since when did we hand out the AB jersey to players that haven’t earned the right? If he went back to NPC and put his hand up again then so be it but he hasn’t played in ages. So disappointing if true.
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
If true, that's such a backwards selection. I thought Razor was all about innovation and picking the 'best' players? Cane hasn't played for ages and is 'E Blackadder' level injury prone these days.
A little surprised if he is fit already, but I kind off expected him in the Championship squad.
It seemed like a negotiated exit.. he cuts his (expensive) contract short in return he gets nursed to 100 caps
sounds plausible....but by fuck thats a depressing reality to accept
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Given I didn't watch the Six Nations - what should we expect from England? Is this basically the team they used - or did they have Farrell etc?
Farrel was unavailable fro 6n, so the now injured Ford started all the games. Their tens are much worse than ours, DMAC> than them and obvs Beaudy heaps of experience and Plummer at a level similar to the two Smiths
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@Machpants Cheers.
What about their other backs - any new guns?
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
hmmmm....
so that and Scott Barrett captain..
should be fun
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Yeah both the wings have been on fire in club, and their midfield looks very good - Slade is on form. It's a very flash harry bunch for england, not a huge amount of caps the backs vs Japan about 150 - 60 are Slade's and 30 each for Smith and Lawrence
