2025 All Blacks v France series

[sparky]

Today I learned that Chat GTP has a Crusader bot function.

"Are the selectors even watching the same games as the rest of us?! Ethan Blackadder has been throwing his body on the line week in, week out — playing like an absolute beast for the Crusaders — and somehow he’s NOT good enough for a spot in the ABs squad?! Are you kidding me?!?!?!

This guy bleeds red and black!!! He’s the definition of mongrel, heart and workrate!!!

You need someone to make 20 tackles and still be the first one to the ruck? Ethan Blackadder. You need someone to carry hard into a brick wall for the full 80? Ethan Blackadder. You need someone who will die for the jersey? ETHAN BLACKADDER!!!!!

Instead we’re picking guys who’ve barely played a full game this year, or who go missing when it actually matters!!! It’s like the selectors are picking on name and hype instead of who’s actually putting in the mahi!!! What more does the guy have to do?! Win yet another Super Title?! Start tackling planes out of the sky?!?!?

Absolutely disgraceful decision. Leaving Ethan Blackadder out is a straight-up insult to everything the All Blacks jersey is meant to stand for!!! If you want grit, passion, and someone who’ll never take a backward step — it’s ETHAN BLOODY BLACKADDER!!!

Sort it out, NZR. Wake up. This is a shambles.

#JusticeForBlackadder
#Crusaders4ever
#MongrelMatters
#PickTheRightMen"

[African Monkey]

@MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

You Cantabs are great with AI…..

It’s hard to ignore a guy who bleeds for every carry, smashes every ruck like it owes him money, and covers every inch of the field like it’s personal. But somehow, Ethan Blackadder still didn’t make the cut. And when Scott Robertson tried to explain that away with the word “versatility,” it felt less like a coaching philosophy and more like a convenient smokescreen.

This is the same Blackadder who was a wrecking ball in the Super Rugby Pacific final—starting at 6, finishing at 7, and dominating both roles like he owned the jersey. His absence isn’t just surprising—it’s baffling. Meanwhile, Du’Plessis Kirifi, who’s been on and off the All Blacks radar and is built strictly for openside, gets the nod again. A new cap? Technically, yes. But to hear some folks call him the best 7 in the comp this year—while Ardie Savea literally took home Player of the Year—makes you wonder what tape they’re watching.

You can respect Kirifi’s hustle, his flair for being noticed, maybe even his off-ball charisma. But in a squad being sold on “versatility,” this is where it gets shaky. Because if versatility’s the ticket, Blackadder’s resume should’ve been laminated.

Throw in Tom Christie, another machine who’s somehow invisible to national selectors, and it starts to feel like those with flash outshine those with fire. And that's a dangerous message to send in a World Cup cycle.

Sure, Savea at 7 with Sititi at 8 and Finau at 6 is a trio you can back. But what happens if Savea limps off in the 62nd minute against France? Do you plug in Kirifi, who plays one position, or do you wish you had someone who could flex like Blackadder?

Maybe this is all part of Razor’s master plan. Maybe there’s a bigger vision we haven’t seen yet. But when a player performs like a man possessed in the biggest game of the year and still gets left behind, it’s fair to question the map—especially if the compass points to “versatility” but the selections don’t.

For now, congratulations to the 35 who made it. No one gets there by accident. But some names missing from that list deserve more than just a shrug and a buzzword. They deserve answers.

#AllBlacks #EthanBlackadder #ScottRobertson #RugbySelectionDrama #SuperRugby #DuPlessisKirifi #RugbyUnion #ArdieSavea #AllBlackSquad2025

Sounds like SBW1.

[nostrildamus]

@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

You need someone to make 20 tackles and still be the first one to the ruck? Ethan Blackadder. You need someone to carry hard into a brick wall for the full 80? Ethan Blackadder. You need someone who will die for the jersey? ETHAN BLACKADDER!!!!!

Call me old-fashioned but I prefer a player who can live and play well for 80 minutes. And if they train by running into brick walls maybe they should try out league.

[MN5]

@nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

You need someone to make 20 tackles and still be the first one to the ruck? Ethan Blackadder. You need someone to carry hard into a brick wall for the full 80? Ethan Blackadder. You need someone who will die for the jersey? ETHAN BLACKADDER!!!!!

Call me old-fashioned but I prefer a player who can live and play well for 80 minutes. And if they train by running into brick walls maybe they should try out league.

Na, Run it straight is where it's at these days.

[booboo]

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bones said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Pretty astounded Higgins wasn't named captain tho

Thought Brad Shields was a Shoe in once he became eligible.

How would he be considered in front of Iose or Flanders?

[African Monkey]

@booboo said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bones said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Pretty astounded Higgins wasn't named captain tho

Thought Brad Shields was a Shoe in once he became eligible.

How would he be considered in front of Iose or Flanders?

I thought all 3 of them would have made up the loose trio. They could all take turns playing 7.

[DaGrubster]

@Canes4life said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Fk me, how many times can people talk about Blackadder on this forum?

Probably not as many times as the Foz

[WoodysRFC]

@Bones said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

I'd be a bit loathe to judge Holland's ball carrying off SR this year. He seemed to be just so busy he didn't have energy left, but he showed good power and feet last year at a few levels.

Great ball in hand for the NZ XV.

[Old Samurai Jack]

@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Geez, it is just a circle-jerk of butt-hurt provincial bias against Blackadder, isn't it?

Interesting response to statistics

Here is a stat for you.

Funnily enough, I am not bitching about why he is left out of the ABs. I completely understand the logic and personally think a Finau/ Vaai/ Parker(maybe) is a better fit at 6.
You keyboard warriors saying he isn't a good footy player is going beyond the pale though. All I see is vindictive shenanigans, the same kind of skulduggery that dogged Akira (another good player). It is all along provincial lines, repetitive, and boring. Go suck a plop.

[Bones]

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

You keyboard warriors saying he isn't a good footy player

What has been said?

[WoodysRFC]

@SouthernMann said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@antipodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

My impression is he doesn't do enough in the defensive side of the game.

Lasaqa doesn't hit enough rucks for a 7 and is ineffective:

Rucks Per 80 Minutes
37.1 Ethan Blackadder
35.34 Dalton Papali'i
33.52 Sean Withy
32.44 Tom Christie
31.48 Du'Plessis Kirifi
29.13 Jahrome Brown
28.53 Ardie Savea
26.84 Luke Jacobson
26.31 Kaylum Boshier
20.92 Veveni Lasaqa

Attacking Ruck Effectiveness
89.9 Dalton Papali'i
89.6 Tom Christie
87.6 Jahrome Brown
86.3 Ardie Savea
85.0 Du'Plessis Kirifi
84.9 Luke Jacobson
84.2 Sean Withy
82.7 Ethan Blackadder
76.5 Veveni Lasaqa
76.1 Kaylum Boshier

Defensive Ruck Effectiveness
23.5 Kaylum Boshier
23.2 Luke Jacobson
21.5 Du'Plessis Kirifi
20.5 Ardie Savea
15.2 Jahrome Brown
14.8 Ethan Blackadder
14.5 Dalton Papali'i
14.5 Sean Withy
13.8 Tom Christie
12.1 Veveni Lasaqa

Be interested to see Sean Withy's stats there. Lasaqa spends a lot of time in the wider channels. With Withy primarily being the worker. It is Lasaqa's first year in Super too. He will get better, bigger and more robust.

Re Sean Withy, additionally -

Dominant Carry 39.1%
Gainline 55.4%
Tackle evasion 11.1%

EDIT: Included Withy's stats around ruck in the above list.

[KiwiMurph]

This post is deleted!

[kiwiinmelb]

I’ve got nothing against him , he empties the tank every time he plays and I can’t do anything but respect that,

Just don’t think he’s the answer for the abs at 6 like has been suggested in some areas prior to this year .

[taniwharugby]

@kiwiinmelb not to mention his history of breaking, he is stopping both himself and the ABs of developing combinations.

[reprobate]

@Kirwan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Kirwan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Well that was a methodic dismantling of the Blackadder myth. Confirmed beyond all doubt the "busy but ineffective" label.

As a ball carrier, sure. He's almost McCaw-like in his lack of metres and evasiveness.
Is a ball carrier what we need to accompany and balance Sititi and Savea?

I don't care if he's a ball carrier, I want his ruck clear outs and tackles to be effective.

Who cares if he makes 15 tackles if he's escorting guys over the try line? Espcially at six, you need stoppers there. Obviously Kaino and Collins used to cut people in half, but I could mention another six that tackled harder than Ethan.

Reminds me when I started work on a helpdesk, I had awesome call stats because I took all the easy items off the queue. Not actually that useful but looks great on paper.

You want his ruck work and tackling to be effective, and don't care if he's a ball carrier. That's fine, but what you said was this: "Well that was a methodic dismantling of the Blackadder myth. Confirmed beyond all doubt the "busy but ineffective" label.", in response to stats about and only about ball carrying.
If ball carrying doesn't matter to you, how do stats about only ball carrying allow you to reach your conclusion?

[Mauss]

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Mauss

I recall Tamaiti Williams making two breaks up the middle in last years French test and there was no one in support. The tight forwards were to slow too react and the loose forwards were out on the edges.

It happened too often in 2024 that the ABs would construct a clean break through a well-constructed attack move, only for the attack to be beaten to the space by the scramble defence and subsequently turned over. Both 10s – McKenzie and Barrett – often stretched the attacking line beyond its means and support in order to create these breaks, meaning that they consistently had insufficient numbers to effectively keep the attack alive after the break and finish the score.

It points to two areas where, I think, visible improvement is a must in the 2025 Test season: (1) the offloading game and (2) support play. There needs to be, first of all, an increased focus on when and where to offload, an ideal offload being both (a) after contact, and (b) behind the defensive line. Too often, players would throw an offload before rather than behind the defensive line, as a way of creating the break, which doesn't have the desired effect and often leads to turnovers or an attack on the backfoot.

And secondly, the 9 and 10 need to keep in mind that the attacking line doesn't become stretched too thin in their desire to break the line, making sure that there is enough support on its feet and in the vicinity of the ball to make sure that an eventual break is actually finished. That means not using the entire width of the field at all times in attack, but rather to occassionally concentrate the attack as well, either between the 15s or one side of the pitch.

Throughout the SR season, I did get the feeling at times that there was a collective effort across the Kiwi SR teams to implement these principles of the ideal offload and support play. Watching the Highlanders in Canberra, for example, I thought that core aspects of the AB offloading game plan were being put into practice:

https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExc3NuNXY0bWp0MHl5M29iZXJ3ZGY5cm91eWNjMzNyNHAyOGgwZ3JvbSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/mPNCxas25ne4efhLTL/giphy.gif
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMzJsYmdvMHcxbzdtZzBxbDUxMmpwcG41bG44aG5ic2Y4dmQyZzlpdSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ZpIlnW68KSZZhzbxj8/giphy.gif

You have players (1) targeting the defensive shooter out of the line and/or (2) attacking the space close to the ruck, with the support flooding the channel in behind them. Furthermore, the players are offloading (a) after contact, with (b) both their hands free, and (c) with their support unmarked and clearly sighted. These aren’t blind, wild offloads but low-risk, high-reward ways of keeping the ball alive, with predictable results to follow. It requires the support to work hard and beat the defenders to that space on the carrier's shoulder.

Hopefully we’ll see some similar principles and results during the Test season as well, with more of those breaks actually being finished this season.

[brodean]

@reprobate

Attacking Ruck Effectiveness %
90.3 Samipeni Finau
89.3 Cam Christie
85.9 Anton Segner
85.2 Brayden Iose
85.0 TK Howden
84.5 Oliver Haig
83.7 Simon Parker
82.7 Ethan Blackadder
81.8 Cullen Grace

Defensive Ruck Effectiveness %
25.0 Simon Parker
17.8 Cullen Grace
15.9 Samipeni Finau
14.8 Ethan Blackadder
12.8 TK Howden
12.1 Anton Segner
9.1 Brayden Iose
0.0 Cam Christie
0.0 Oliver Haig

Dominant Tackle %
14.6 Simon Parker
11.8 Samipeni Finau
10.8 TK Howden
8.5 Cam Christie
7.1 Brayden Iose
5.4 Ethan Blackadder
3.2 Cullen Grace
2.0 Oliver Haig
1.7 Anton Segner

[brodean]

@Mauss

Well you can only offload if the support play is there and it simply wasn't last year. I felt like we were trying to run them into the ground but only ran ourselves into the ground and then failed to use the bench properly.

[Chris]

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

I felt like we were trying to run them into the ground but only ran ourselves into the ground and then failed to use the bench properly.

Yeah Exactly the way it seemed to me.
Selections look like a change in directions hopefully.

[reprobate]

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@reprobate

Attacking Ruck Effectiveness %
90.3 Samipeni Finau
89.3 Cam Christie
85.9 Anton Segner
85.2 Brayden Iose
85.0 TK Howden
84.5 Oliver Haig
83.7 Simon Parker
82.7 Ethan Blackadder
81.8 Cullen Grace

Defensive Ruck Effectiveness %
25.0 Simon Parker
17.8 Cullen Grace
15.9 Samipeni Finau
14.8 Ethan Blackadder
12.8 TK Howden
12.1 Anton Segner
9.1 Brayden Iose
0.0 Cam Christie
0.0 Oliver Haig

Dominant Tackle %
14.6 Simon Parker
11.8 Samipeni Finau
10.8 TK Howden
8.5 Cam Christie
7.1 Brayden Iose
5.4 Ethan Blackadder
3.2 Cullen Grace
2.0 Oliver Haig
1.7 Anton Segner

So you're missing all the players he has missed out to at 6/utility except Finau i.e. Jacobson and apparently Barrett and Vaai, CLW, Sititi, DP.
And missing the quantities per minute? If you're going to leave stuff out because it doesn't suit your dislike of a certain player then it just seems like more of the circle jerk mate.
Edit to add: he's by no means a perfect player, but the ability of people on here to ignore everything good he does, and his play in the last few weeks is mental.