All Blacks 2025
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@nonpartizan said in All Blacks 2025:
One of the problems with the loosies that I feel would be relatively easy to remedy is reducing Ardies minutes.
I think part of the reason he doesn't give a good 80 minute performance is because he is burned out from over playing. When you play every minute of every match of course your batteries are low.
He needs to be rotated out of the team sometimes he also needs to be subbed. We need less minutes from him but higher quality minutes.
I can guarantee if he was South African he would not be playing as much for Rassie.
This is a great point. Kolisi playing 80 minute games or every game hasn't been a feature for years now.
Yep. And it is wasting what is probably right now our biggest strength: depth. There are people on here who think any of Vaai, Barrett, Holland, Tuipolotu are our best locks. Guys like Jacobson, Papalii, Blackadder are all good, all workers. Kirifi and Savea. Hoskins, Sititi, CLW. Finau, Parker, Vaai.
Ask anyone who to pick and you'll get a different answer, which is because there are not 3 guys who as a combination, have been shown to be head and shoulders better than any other. We aren't in the McCaw, Read, Kaino era anymore. If we were to look at it as 'who can play better than (eg) Savea after he's already played 40 minutes flat out' the answer is lots of them, yet he's still playing 80, and we are still picking Ioane off the bench to cover centre - while Fainga'anuku is on the field - and wing - while Jordan is on the field - and bringing him on by rote for arguably our best back on the night. We are dumb. -
Anyone watching the Breakdown
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@upthelanders said in All Blacks 2025:
Anyone watching the Breakdown
Will watch tomorrow can you give me some insight into what's in store........
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@upthelanders said in All Blacks 2025:
Anyone watching the Breakdown
Lots of wank about Razor turning the corner with two wins in a row and unearthing a midfield superstar no doubt ?
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Most of us have argued for the last thirty years that having all the All Blacks based in New Zealand and on central contracts is wise and helps us compete better on the international stage in the professional era.
I still believe that. I don't want to see us sucked into any club Vs country shenanigans.
However, a problem at the moment is the current coaching team's insistence on picking the most highly paid NZ players regardless of their form, whether they are carrying a minor injury or whether they look like the best options to develop for the 2027 RWC.
It's good that we won the Bledisloe Cup yet again, it's good that we managed to string two consecutive wins together, it's good that we have unearthed a few gems this year, it's acceptable that we finished 2nd in the Rugby Championship behind an excellent Springbok squad.
But I remain deeply concerned about the current selection strategy and some key on-field tactics.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
Higgins is nearly ready to go again so he may get an AB XV spot.
Riley Higgins is ALWAYS ready to go again.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
However, a problem at the moment is the current coaching team's insistence on picking the most highly paid NZ players
Yeah
I think the size of a players NZR contract is definitely influencing the selection process. -
@mohikamo and I suspect the likes of Richie, Conrad, Dan, Nonu could all have still commanded decent nzr coin post 2015, but I think all of them probably knew it was time to move on, leave the legacy rather than fade out.
Now, a few players certainly seem like they are just going through the motions, and they are among those.with bigger contracts.
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My own thoughts:
If Asafa Aumua is fit, he should come back as reserve Hooker. He's clearly in our top three in that position.
Dalton Papalii must be promoted to the All Blacks squad. He's our best 7.
I'd like to see Josh Beehre given a chance for the All
Blacks at 6. I see him, Scott Parker and (the now injured) Tupou Vaii as the three contenders for that position in 2027.With Vaii out, Sam Darry should be back in the All Blacks squad at Lock.
We need to develop more strength in depth at 10. I'm fine with DMac starting against Ireland and England, but Ruben Love needs to given the keys against Scotland and/or Wales, with another 10 (I like Rivez Reihana) given some game time too.
Caleb Tangitau's pace would be useful on the Wing against both Ireland and England. I'd like to see him in the full squad and given some game time.
Players I've been impressed with generally in 2025 and I'd strongly consider for the All Blacks XV squad.
Xavier Numia, Josh Fusitua, George Dyer, Jack Taylor, Bradley Slater, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Antonio Shalfoon, Devan Flanders, Anton Segner, Corey Kurow, Christian Lio-Willie, Dylan Pledger, Josh Jacomb, Harry Godfrey, Riley Higgins, AJ Lam, Braydon Ennor, Dallas McLeod, Bailyn Sullivan, Jacob R-K, Xavier Tito-Harris, Oli Mathis.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@SouthernMann said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
I think one of Lasaqa and Casey will make it. JJ dropped a him around Casey saying it would be a toss up between the likes of him and someone established like Blackadder.
With the midfield. The mix of Lam, MacLeod, Havili and Ennor are guys who have a been investigated and tried without a lot of success.
Cooper Roberts is playing his way into a team like this. Higgins should be there if available. Just looks at the balance between who is ready and who has prospects worth checking out.
Reaching myth and legend levels…..
Riley Higgins is not a myth, but his footwork is SO good that reality questions itself.
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That's why I think Robertson is a bit restricted in who he can select up to 27.
All the big NZR contracts for the next two years have already been dished out.
He's pretty much locked in to the current crop of contractors.And . . . that's why I like the SA model.
More flexible.
NZR wouldn't have to make such large player commitments.Like Rassie can bring a player in from where ever; have look; go yeah nah; see you later.
And hasn't really cost him or SAR anything.
And just as important, hasn't cost the particular player anything either.The Aussies have just gone the same way.
Give it a couple of years for the new selection process to bed in, and the they'll be fielding their best possible combos.
Just in time for WC 27.
Which is probably why they made the decision now, to guarantee they field their best team.As for club v country.
Most of the worlds domestic rugby comps are in trouble at the mo, and I dont see that changing anytime soon.
Conversely international rugby in most places is smashing it commercially.
Going forward I see clubs as the ones that are going to be feeling the squeeze; not the countries.
I dont see NZR (a $300m per annum business) taking much crap from a shitty little overseas rugby club, which is probably close to being bankrupt, or is bankrupt. -
@taniwharugby
yep, all of those guys could have stretched it out for a bit longer -
@mohikamo My answer is for the All Blacks selectors to grow a pair and to only select players who deserve selection based on current form and future promise.
If NZR waste their money on over the hill players to stop them going to Rugby 360 or for marketing purposes, that's their problem.
The All Blacks are about excellence and winning.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@mohikamo My answer is for the All Blacks selectors to grow a pair and to only select players who deserve selection based on current form and future promise.
If NZR waste their money on over the hill players to stop them going to Rugby 360 or for marketing purposes, that's their problem.
The All Blacks are about excellence and winning.
Too right. At the moment the tail is wagging the dog, and I don't like it. Nothing wrong with going abroad to earn big coin. But at that point lets realise their interests and those of the ABs no longer align
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Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales on consecutive weeks in November.
" Operation Grand Slam"
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales on consecutive weeks in November.
" Operation Grand Slam"
Upvote for Bond even if it is the most overrated one ever.
I didn't realise the games essentially go from hardest to easiest. That should help them get it.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales on consecutive weeks in November.
" Operation Grand Slam"
Upvote for Bond even if it is the most overrated one ever.
I didn't realise the games essentially go from hardest to easiest. That should help them get it.
Nah, we needed Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, we can't beat two good teams in a row.
