All Blacks 2026
-
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2026:
Most AB losses in a year was 4 I believe.
5 in 1998. SA x 2, Aus x 3
Actually 6! In 1949. SA x 4, Aus x 2. Including 2 in one day! Caveat that best Pakehas were in SA, Best Maoris and second best Pakehas at home to Aus.
-
It would be great to enter 2026 with a quality, performing squad ready to take on a challenge like this. That kind of team would make it the most exciting year of rugby in a long time. But the current situation points in the opposite direction - more dread than anticipation.
-
-
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
Definitely two games against Australia in October and the rumours are a game against Argentina in or around Washington DC too.
So yeah, 2026 is going to be massive.
Aussie will be keen to steal the Bled from a depleted AB squad
-
-
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2026:
Most AB losses in a year was 4 I believe.
5 in 1998. SA x 2, Aus x 3
Actually 6! In 1949. SA x 4, Aus x 2. Including 2 in one day! Caveat that best Pakehas were in SA, Best Maoris and second best Pakehas at home to Aus.
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo Two of those losses in 1949 were on the same day if I remember correctly.
Glad that your reading and comprehension is up to scratch.
I'll qualify further and say the above refers to Tests. Wiki advises 3 additional losses in tour matches, plus 3 draws.
Shit year.
-
Injury has been Robertson's best selector so far. Perhaps after a tough July and August we might have the right squad in place to take us forward......
-
@Victor-Meldrew think injury helped Fozzie too.
Sadly, coaches lack of experience and vision has hindered things for far too long and will keep hurting us.
-
Based on the progress of ylast two years I can see South Africa struggling to win all four tests.
We'll probably beat Ireland and Scotland, so come away with about four wins.
-
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew think injury helped Fozzie too.
Sadly, coaches lack of experience and vision has hindered things for far too long and will keep hurting us.
I can kind of understand Fozzie. He had been in the setup for years and was probably too close to the players. In addition, he was under pressure immediately to win, because the public in general were sceptical of his appointment. Razor came in on a wave of goodwill. I don't think anyone would have minded if he'd experimented with some new players. But he went to his crusaders favourites and some of Fozzie's old stagers, only made changes when forced on him. That's what I find harder to take
-
if we roll in to the year with the same personnel on and off the field then it will go horribly.
However if we make just a couple of changes, i can see us winning a lot of those. Yes, a couple of those changes are fundamental, but i don't reckon we are that far off if those glaring deficiencies are rectified.
If we play the same with the same guys it will get real ugly real fast.
-
The 2026 French Top 14 final is scheduled for Saturday, 27 June 2026 in the Stade De France in Paris. Will any players involved fly to New Zealand to be part of the France game against the All Blacks on July 4th?
I suspect it will be a depleted team again.
-
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2026:
if we roll in to the year with the same personnel on and off the field then it will go horribly.
However if we make just a couple of changes, i can see us winning a lot of those. Yes, a couple of those changes are fundamental, but i don't reckon we are that far off if those glaring deficiencies are rectified.
If we play the same with the same guys it will get real ugly real fast.
I agree, it could get better quick - but on the other hand, a couple of changes for the worse e.g. Roigard injured...
-
Agree with all of that.
But does Robertson have the headroom in the 2026 schedule to make and bed-in the personnel changes needed? Maybe if DMac and Love had some starts this year, he might have done but you worry it's all a bit too late
-
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2026:
if we roll in to the year with the same personnel on and off the field then it will go horribly.
However if we make just a couple of changes, i can see us winning a lot of those. Yes, a couple of those changes are fundamental, but i don't reckon we are that far off if those glaring deficiencies are rectified.
If we play the same with the same guys it will get real ugly real fast.
I agree, it could get better quick - but on the other hand, a couple of changes for the worse e.g. Roigard injured...
look, don't get me wrong, if we roll in with a couple of very key guys out, the same tired selections in others, and the same sort of plan on both sides of the ball that we saw this year, we're probably fucked. But i don't think all that much has to change for us to be as good as anyone.
We all have our own ideas of what those changes should be, but ultimately that's for NZ rugby to decide.
-
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
Agree with all of that.
But does Robertson have the headroom in the 2026 schedule to make and bed-in the personnel changes needed? Maybe if DMac and Love had some starts this year, he might have done but you worry it's all a bit too late
DMac will be okay, he's been in the squad for ages, and is a very versatile player. Love is young enough to not be set in his ways.
There will be a bedding in period of a couple of new systems (i fucking hope) and mindsets, and with a bit of luck a couple of new combinations, but that will be covered by playing at home.
-
France, Italy & Ireland in the Southern series will be tough ask though, with only Italy being an easy game. Wasted 2025.
