The Silver Fern

For the second test, though Tupaea did very well when he came in, Robertson should try something different with Big Jim on the bench. How many turnovers did the ABs win on saturday ? They need someone who is a menace at the breakdown. There are none in the forwards selected as Kirifi is not solid enough in that kind of phase against big forwards. Remember his game against the Brumbies in the quarter final. The problem with the NZ best jackalers is that none of them is AB material (Christie, Withy, Choat).

@Mauss
The other halfbacks we saw during this tournament did not throw so many bad passes to their 1st Fives, so the weather conditions are not an excuse. But I agree with you, he is very young and can improve this aspect. Hotham's passing was a different problem : it was incredibly slow.

It's not a question of peaking, it's a question of low level of skills, lack of tactical cleverness, bad scrummaging, stupid indiscipline and very bad situation reading, particularly in the rucks, where many players stayed out wide when their commitment was needed. Positives : lineout and maul functioned pretty well.

This is the poorest NZ team I have ever seen.

Unable to put three passes in a row.

Pledger's passing is very poor.

I don't know why Wallace was subbed. NZ scrum is very poor since then.

Stupid from Solomon. Could have been a straight red.

It seemed to me there was a forward pass in a phase which led to the first Lions try. Otherwise, I feel the Force are their own worst enemy.

@nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Overall there seems to be some height and weight in the locks/backrow.

The backs don't seem particularly big.

There are not too many very young players. There are a lot of players in their mid twenties which should be hitting their peak.

Actually I thought the flankers look on paper tall but light and apart from locks and some props that looks like a very light team. Probably very fast though

Woki could be used as a loose forward to add some beef in the backrow.

Considering the players who have been selected, I would like a backline like this one :

Roigard
Love
Ioane
Tupaea
Proctor
Jordan
J. Barrett

Ratima
DMac
Tavatavanawai

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.

@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:

The irony is - picked as a 10 - what runs on the board does Ruben Love have? Half a dozen Super Rugby starts?

Little more at 10 than Rivez. And no trophy to show either. Unless they pick him as a 10/15

A Roigard - Love combo would be logical ...

The Argentinians were playing without the likes of Chocobares, Mallia, Isa, Bruni, Bosch and Lucas Paulos who were/will play the Top 14 semi-finals. They weren't missed from what I saw from the game.

Williams is demolishing the Chiefs scrum.

Williams, Taylor and Shalfoon have been the Saders best forwards.

Tupaea's work at the restarts is pretty good.

DMac having a mare.

Newell doing better after a bad start.

Ollie Norris is a gun.