All Blacks 2026
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@Victor-Meldrew I think we'll definitely see a few bigger lumps at blindside. The likes of Howden spring to mind.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
So assuming the new HC and group are in play in the next 6-8 weeks, what changes to we expect him to make to his first few team selections? Not what we'd like to see but think will happen.
Personally, I don't think many to the 1st choice XV apart from the starting 10 and tweaking 6/7/8. What I'd really like to see is newer players being given game time.
Some change to our pattern of play will be as important as changes in personnel
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew I think we'll definitely see a few bigger lumps at blindside. The likes of Howden spring to mind.
Parker is a big lump, he just didn't really play like it
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew I think we'll definitely see a few bigger lumps at blindside. The likes of Howden spring to mind.
Parker is a big lump, he just didn't really play like it
I think he has the cleaning side of things sorted (he seemed to get better as the year went on). I think he needs to improve on his running with ball in hand close to the ruck to be effective at international level.
Who knows, maybe the incoming coach doesn't rate him at all and will go in a different direction?
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Also, what are people's thoughts on Jason Ryan as he seems to be the only coach who might retain his spot? He's done a better job than Plumtree since coming in and we've gone alright under him, but have also received a few touch ups up front in recent times. Has Jason Ryan taken this pack as far as he can and it might be time to go in a new direction? Or does he deserve to stay if he wants to?
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
Huh, go figure. I thought Parker made a bloody good fist of it as a debutant in a clearly dysfunctional, confused team. Not blockbuster by any means, but there's not many forwards who are in their first season.
I think he's worth perservering with, unless the new coach wants to go in a diffrrent direction and has someone else in mind for the job.
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@African-Monkey I won't be unhappy to see him moved on, he definitely played his part in the rot and I think he's far from indispensable - on the other hand, I'm very certain he wouldn't get away with any petty bullshit under a different HC and he has had some good results in the past.
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
Huh, go figure. I thought Parker made a bloody good fist of it as a debutant in a clearly dysfunctional, confused team. Not blockbuster by any means, but there's not many forwards who are in their first season.
I think he's worth perservering with, unless the new coach wants to go in a diffrrent direction and has someone else in mind for the job.
There's a definite spot for his style in my team, worth persevering to see if he can become more rounded for sure.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
Huh, go figure. I thought Parker made a bloody good fist of it as a debutant in a clearly dysfunctional, confused team. Not blockbuster by any means, but there's not many forwards who are in their first season.
I think he's worth perservering with, unless the new coach wants to go in a diffrrent direction and has someone else in mind for the job.
There's a definite spot for his style in my team, worth persevering to see if he can become more rounded for sure.
Yeah, and it can be a very thankless task playing alongside Sititi and Savea at the same time, as both aren't really helping in the close in stuff. Lakai helped out a bit which took a bit of the workload off Parker in retaining the ball as the year went on, but it also didn't help in some ways as Lakai was forced to play as an 8 whilst Savea stupidly had the 7 jersey on all year even though he does everything but the job required of a 7, and I'm gonna assume that Papali'i will come back into the picture which will help with the balance of the loose trio.
Can we really afford to have Savea and Sititi in the same matchday 23 for the Boks tour?
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Savea and Sititi in the same matchday 23 for the Boks tour
In 20 & 21 perhaps.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey I won't be unhappy to see him moved on, he definitely played his part in the rot and I think he's far from indispensable - on the other hand, I'm very certain he wouldn't get away with any petty bullshit under a different HC and he has had some good results in the past.
Yeah I don't know where I stand with him. You've nailed it with what you've said, but yeah, don't know if i'd be disappointed either way with whether he gets kept on or not.
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey I won't be unhappy to see him moved on, he definitely played his part in the rot and I think he's far from indispensable - on the other hand, I'm very certain he wouldn't get away with any petty bullshit under a different HC and he has had some good results in the past.
Yeah I don't know where I stand with him. You've nailed it with what you've said, but yeah, don't know if i'd be disappointed either way with whether he gets kept on or not.
If he stays, I'll be extremely wary and skeptical. He'll have a lot to prove.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Savea and Sititi in the same matchday 23 for the Boks tour
In 20 & 21 perhaps.
One of the things about the omission of Sotutu was his inability to play on both sides of the ball, yet for the whole 2025, that's all Sititi did. We've all said enough about Savea on here regarding his workrate which doesn't need to be bought up again.
I think Sititi will/could benefit massively from a new coach. He was one of many who fell into bad habits where they were being lazy and only getting into the things that they wanted to do (your mate Will Jordan being another). He's a talented player, and I'm hoping/thinking that a new coach will make him work harder off the ball.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
"Play both sides?". Full of shit more like
Yeah, from some of the evidence shown in 2025.
