A
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@KiwiMurph said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
The word is Lynagh is going to play 10 on Saturday
I like it. Exciting.
First game in six weeks and first ever start in a Test match?
I really like Lynagh, but I don't think this is the time to be giving him that 10 jersey.
It's him or Donaldson. Edmed would have to be the world's best salesman to convince Schmidt that NPC rugby is the same as the Lions.
@WoodysRFC said in Super Rugby - The Future:
@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby - The Future:
@SBW1 yeah, the Jags (or equivalent) re-entering was a very strong rumour thats not eventuated
Probably not helped by the Argentinian economy completely tanking.
Under Javier Milei SR could have a new bankroll.
We need to be enticing them back.
I finally got around to reading Ben Macintyre's brilliant book about Oleg Gordievsky,The Spy and the Traitor.
So well written it transforms what could be a rather dry tale into a best of genre spy thriller.
So good I watched Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy again.
@Windows97 said in All Blacks v France III:
I just hope our midfield actually does something, though if Tupaea and ALB rips the French to shreds it will probably rasie more questions than answers.
The problem is I see it is the last time the French were down here, mentally they were already on the plane for the third test.
But Fabien Galthié has intimated that the third test will be their most experienced 23 on tour.
So if they kill it - typical French already packed their bags - and if they don't...
@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France III:
Here you go. Very early this week which is nice. Backline for week 3.
- Ratima
- Dmac
- Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
Bench
21. Hotham
22. Tavatavanawai
23. B.Barrett
Bit of a redemption opportunity for the Chiefs lads. Hopefully the small numbers give them front door ball.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
And you replace him with ... ?
Parker when fit
Dalton Papali'i Try him at 6 he has the size
Ah Kuoi he is big enough
Howden looks promising
All have more grunt imo.
Practically everyone agrees Parker when fit needs to be offered an opportunity.
Dalton has been tried at 6 and that wasn't a resounding success. He's also short for a blindside when what we're looking for his height. Especially if we're going to continue selecting midgets who either won't hit rucks or are ineffective when they do.
Ah Kuoi is reflective of New Zealand's dearth of proper lock sized individuals and in SA for example would just be a loose forward. But his stats don't show he has more grunt and as a lock he's well down the pecking order.
TK Howden is young with potential upside, but his standard of play doesn't justify AB selection.
@antipodean you didn't look hard enough.
Yeah I'm going to go trawling through the thread for your shit takes. Just link it next time instead of being a bitch.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
He's played 10 tests (5 starts) ...
Yeah that’s enough
Like we should have dropped Vaa'i in 2022...
different beast lets jut keep Finau he might come good in 10 years.
We have other options.Name the currently fit and available ones.
Except for Parker all the other ones I mentioned.
Where? I followed the quote train back to https://www.forum.thesilverfern.com/post/1061987 and don't see a list.
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v France III:
Love might get a start at fullback.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa'i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday's Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
If Tuipolotu is down as well, that likely means Ah Koui starts and Finau comes into the reserves.
If Ah Kuoi is starting at lock I'd rather see Finau start at 6. At this stage they should bring another lock into the squad as cover.
Laughable that Ah Kuoi can be considered a replacement for what Tuipolotu brings.
These selections are fucking retarded.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
He's played 10 tests (5 starts) ...
Yeah that’s enough
Like we should have dropped Vaa'i in 2022...
different beast lets jut keep Finau he might come good in 10 years.
We have other options.
Name the currently fit and available ones.
@Bovidae said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Farrell will obviously select the Irish team and fill in a few gaps. Choosing so many Irish replacement players (a third choice TH Prop FFS) is not a good look.
If he does that, he could lose the unloseable tour.
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Yeah back row and centres too close to call. With the former I think (hope) that balance is the deciding factor. Happy with Conan at 7 but the not quite the same need for a big munter at 6. So I’d Conan is at 8 I’d be tempted to go with Curry at 6 and Morgan at 7. If he goes with Earl at 8 then Chessum at 6. Bierne has shown he’s a lock, not a 6. Either way Pollock on the bench.
Midfield could be any combination of the Irish and Scottish guys. Two Scots probably in better form and have the combo with Russell but Farrell might favour his players. Also somehow a Prendergast, Aki, Ringrose combo just sounds better than a Russell, Tuipulotu, Jones combo, and we know that Russell is better than Prendergast so not sure how the maths works...
On displayed form I can't see how Aki is in contention.
@sparky said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:
Thinking ahead to 2029 and the B & I Lions tour to New Zealand, this game was a big of a wake-up for NZ Rugby.
If we put up thrown together line-ups that are marketing constructs or poorly prepared teams against the Lions, the results will be predictable. Hopefully, alongside the Super Franchises and the All Blacks, we will see proud, historic New Zealand provincial teams given a chance to down the Lions.
Provincial teams would get beaten like a red headed step child.
In fact I'd go so far as to say it could be an insurance issue such would be the disparity.
@Windows97 said in All Blacks v France II:
Forward pack was fantastic, Patty T had a great game, impressive. Holland the Lio-Willie looking like natural players in the test match arena, Vaa'i surprisingly mobile and looking good at 6. Savea looking good at 7 and the forward pack is a lot more balenced I feel. Reiko looking good on the wing. Credit where credit is due the selctins have been on point.
Ourbackline however not overly brilliant, ball still gets stuck in midfield, we seemed to have lost the ability for the backline to make space or to effectivly manipulate the defence for players to hit gaps.
Perhaps we need to find a player that can distribute and see how they go.
Well that was embarrassing. Pleased about two issues:
@Kirwan said in All Blacks v France 2:
So what's the consenus on this team? I'm surprised at the apathy here at us nearly getting tipped up by the French B team.
I don't think this a strong All Black squad, I think four years of Ryan as forwards coach and the same problems in the loosies (if anything we've gone backwards there) is pretty damning.
I can see us relying on individual brilliance, from newish players like Roigard, to paper over these cracks.
The typical first game issues, compounded by three tries going begging suggests we'll be better second time around.
If we're not, alarm bells should start clanging.
@sparky said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
It finished 69-22 to New Zealand Under 29s so they advance to the Semi Finals.
Talk about a mismatch.
I don't think anyone is upset with that lineup. If we click this weekend then they will look like a second string opposition.
@sparky said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:
Only seen highlights but the Marcus Smith try looked like it was off a forward pass.
I thought so too at the ground, but given some odd refereeing decisions around "held up" I thought it evened the ledger somewhat for the Lions.
