Party at Josh Ioane's tonight then.

Guinness has retired for the evening.

@sparky said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:

Sparky's All Black RWC squad

Props: Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Atu Moli, Angus Ta'avao, Ofa Tu'ungafasi

Hooker: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Codie Taylor.

Locks: Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuitupolou, Sam Whitelock

Back Row: Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd

Half Backs: TJ Perenera, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber

First Fives: Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga

Midfield: Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Leinert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams

Back Three: Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Reiko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Ben Smith

Some very tough decisions ahead for the selectors to get it down to 31..

Proof that a stopped clock is right sometimes.

Big problem for me is how slow the game has become. Too many breaks and stoppages. Too much emphasis on power, not enough on fitness and agility.

His name is spelt "Ma'a Nonu" but it can be pronounced as "Living Legend".

This is a guy who made his NPC debut in 2002 and his Super Rugby debut in 2003. In his distinguished international career he donned the famous Black Jersey for 104 Tests, contributing to two World Cup wins with tries in the 2011 Semi Final and the 2015 Final.

Tonight he set up Tom Robinson for the first try with a superb pass, he set up Caleb Clarke for the second with another superb pass and had the instincts honed by nearly two decades playing and training at an elite level to be in the right place to take the offloaded from Reiko Ioane to run in and score a try himself.

A great signing for the Blues. Their young players must be learning so much from playing with perhaps the greatest ever 12 to play the game.

New Zealand have won the Netball World Cup!!!!

Thinking about the great Martin Crowe and how much he would be enjoying this.

Classic Ted:

Sevu Reece gooooooooooooooonnnnneeeeeeeee.

Not going to play again this year.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/131631356/all-blacks-wing-sevu-reece-to-miss-world-cup-after-seasonending-knee-injury

@Machpants Gone probably from Leinster rugby which is why I posted it in this thread.

Johnny Sexton goooooooooooonnnnnnneeeeeeee

Sexton 'likely' to miss remainder of season

Ireland's Johnny Sexton is "likely" to miss the rest of the season after suffering a groin injury.

@Crucial said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:

@sparky said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:

Owen Franks still knows how to push.

Does he know how to do anything else though?

Win World Cups. He's won two of them which is two more than anyone in the Ireland Squad.

Owen Franks still knows how to push.

"Carnival Sunday?"

It looked and sounded like there were a few hundred people max in Eden Park for this. French D2 Rugby or English National League 1 attract bigger crowds than that. How can it be Super Rugby if the crowd has the atmosphere of a morgue? What about holding games against the Force out in the smaller provinces? Can't the marketing department do better than this?

By contrast, Saracens Vs Harlequins pulled in more than 55,000 paying spectators to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium yesterday.

Richie Mo'unga. Great in Super Rugby, but not a Test Match Animal.
Sevu Reece. Too small for RWC.

@mariner4life said in It’s Razor. Robertson New All Blacks coach.:

Wracking my brain trying to think of another professional sports coach who has the job for a full season knowing he's not wanted?

The German soccer team do this sort of thing regularly.

@antipodean said in It’s Razor. Robertson New All Blacks coach.:

What constitutes success for the new regime? Keep Bledisloe. Win all home series, ranking?

Number 1 in the world. Then thumping all the available opposition again and again and again until they're sick of us.

Great news. Delighted for Razor and the Men In Black.