All Blacks 2025
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@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
The players who are most at risk are Christie, Kirifi and McAlister. They were the three players who dropped out of the squad after the record Bok loss. Maybe Reece for Fainga'anuku.
Christie was a last-gasp option though, as choices 1 to 4 were injured. He played bloody well and some of the criticism of him was OTT - but he shouldn't be on the EOYT.
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@Tim said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@reprobate Almost like test rugby is a substantially higher level game than Super Rugby ...
Except for coaching.....
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@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.
In his (Zarn's) customary fullback role? Or has he changed positions?
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
The players who are most at risk are Christie, Kirifi and McAlister. They were the three players who dropped out of the squad after the record Bok loss. Maybe Reece for Fainga'anuku.
Christie was a last-gasp option though, as choices 1 to 4 were injured. He played bloody well and some of the criticism of him was OTT - but he shouldn't be on the EOYT.
He surpassed the very low expectations people had. ‘Bloody well’ is a stretch.
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@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.
Is the Jordie Barrett style of player optimal? Just because that’s what’s there now doesn’t make it ideal and doesn’t mean the backups need to be as similar as possible.
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@nostrildamus so no change from the years since Conrad?
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@reprobate said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
that part is essential
And yet Bell got picked
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@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.
Is the Jordie Barrett style of player optimal? Just because that’s what’s there now doesn’t make it ideal and doesn’t mean the backups need to be as similar as possible.
Attack wise it's debatable. But it's defensively that his contribution will be hardest to replicate. He is key to being able to defuse the contestable kicks. I just doubt that he will be able to play four times in consecutive weekends effectively without a reprieve, although maybe he could?
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I don’t think Zarn Sullivan’s style would translate particularly well to the All Blacks.
He thrives with time and space to use his boot, and you don’t get that at the international level… and for all his good kicks, he has still put a fair few out on the full.
Equally, could absolutely see him thriving up North.
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@nonpartizan Plays the first three and then it probably doesn’t matter against Wales.
I think if Tavatavanawai is available he shapes as the likely backup
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.
In his (Zarn's) customary fullback role? Or has he changed positions?
A couple of years ago fullback was JB's customary role too.
Sullivan is probably a better crash ball runner, offloader, and exit kicker than JB too.
Sullivan has always been a freakish talent. Just as talented as JB. It's interesting that JB was brought in as a 20 year old and persevered with until he came right despite some brain explosions and crappy kicks. Sullivan hasn't been afforded the same special treatment as a kind of project player. I guess Sititi is the project player we have at the moment.
JB is a very good player but for the red carpet that was rolled out to him he's been a bit of a disappointment for me. He should be close to the best player in the world based on his talent and nurturing but he isn't. He hasn't been pushing for world player of the year and he's not even definitively the best 12 in the world.
Probably difficult to achieve when you have coaches like Foster and Robertson.
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@frugby said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
I don’t think Zarn Sullivan’s style would translate particularly well to the All Blacks.
He thrives with time and space to use his boot, and you don’t get that at the international level… and for all his good kicks, he has still put a fair few out on the full.
Equally, could absolutely see him thriving up North.
Hard disagree. JB has also put random dodgy kicks up all throughout his career. If anything I would say Sullivan's kicking is currently more accurate and reliable than JB who often kicks surprisingly short for what he should be doing.
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@nonpartizan said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
who they play at 12 if Jordie doesn't
One of the reasons I was a fan of Jim being selected was I see some similarities physically.
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@booboo said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@nonpartizan said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
who they play at 12 if Jordie doesn't
One of the reasons I was a fan of Jim being selected was I see some similarities physically.
To Jordie ?
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@MN5 said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@nonpartizan said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
who they play at 12 if Jordie doesn't
One of the reasons I was a fan of Jim being selected was I see some similarities physically.
To Jordie ?
Yes.
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@booboo said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@nonpartizan said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
who they play at 12 if Jordie doesn't
One of the reasons I was a fan of Jim being selected was I see some similarities physically.
To Jordie ?
Yes.
Similar weights perhaps but one of them is considerably more stretched out than the other.
Body shapes couldn't be more different.
Jordie is still a light loose forward looking guy to me.
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@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:
Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.
In his (Zarn's) customary fullback role? Or has he changed positions?
A couple of years ago fullback was JB's customary role too.
Sullivan is probably a better crash ball runner, offloader, and exit kicker than JB too.
Sullivan has always been a freakish talent. Just as talented as JB. It's interesting that JB was brought in as a 20 year old and persevered with until he came right despite some brain explosions and crappy kicks. Sullivan hasn't been afforded the same special treatment as a kind of project player. I guess Sititi is the project player we have at the moment.
JB is a very good player but for the red carpet that was rolled out to him he's been a bit of a disappointment for me. He should be close to the best player in the world based on his talent and nurturing but he isn't. He hasn't been pushing for world player of the year and he's not even definitively the best 12 in the world.
Probably difficult to achieve when you have coaches like Foster and Robertson.
Or maybe De Allende, Esterhuizen, Aki etc are just better players ?
I'm not sure the narrative around 'such and such a player being world class if it weren't for those darn coaches' is accurate in a lot of cases.
