All Blacks 2026
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Will Jordan
If someone can give him a rocket and get him to be a team man, he's got a lot of game breaking ability to offer. Potential to be a huge danger from fullback to the opposition, as long as he's not a danger to his own team also.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Will Jordan
If someone can give him a rocket and get him to be a team man, he's got a lot of game breaking ability to offer. Potential to be a huge danger from fullback to the opposition, as long as he's not a danger to his own team also.
He's got a lot to work on to be a world class fullback I feel. His distribution remains suspect, he has an alright punt on him so he has that going for him, but like most of our outside backs, he remains suspect in the air also. He just looked like a winger playing fullback last year. The only one who seems any good in the air is Caleb Clarke.
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@African-Monkey I'm starting to look forward to seeing if we can get massive improvement in our flawed genius players with decent coaching.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Will Jordan
If someone can give him a rocket and get him to be a team man, he's got a lot of game breaking ability to offer. Potential to be a huge danger from fullback to the opposition, as long as he's not a danger to his own team also.
I don't know if it's not being a team man, I just wonder if right wing is his ceiling (and I don't mean that derogatory, he's a class right wing), and he just doesn't have the skillset to be a top class fullback.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Nepia his flaws don't disappear just because he's on the wing. They just get hidden until he plays a RWC final.
Yeah, but I think they're less of an issue on the wing. When he's on the end of a chain he doesn't need to pass accurately to people in space as often (for an example).
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
I thought Parker made a bloody good fist of it as a debutant in a clearly dysfunctional, confused team.
Good point. Probably why I think a new HC will aim to stop the dysfunctional shit before any major surgery.
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Nepia his flaws don't disappear just because he's on the wing. They just get hidden until he plays a RWC final.
Yeah, but I think they're less of an issue on the wing. When he's on the end of a chain he doesn't need to pass accurately to people in space as often (for an example).
And if his flaws are a result of shit application and coaching, then maybe he could be an excellent fullback.
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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.
His big body was definitely a big plus in Boks 1.
Throw in Paps (or Lakai) at 7 and you can afford to carry RD or Wally at 8.
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@pakman 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.
His big body was definitely a big plus in Boks 1.
Throw in Paps (or Lakai) at 7 and you can afford to carry RD or Wally at 8.
My thinking too.
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
Throw in Paps (or Lakai) at 7 and you can afford to carry RD or Wally at 8.
Lakai covers quite a bit from the bench as well. Then again he seems fit over the entire 80 as well.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
Throw in Paps (or Lakai) at 7 and you can afford to carry RD or Wally at 8.
Lakai covers quite a bit from the bench as well. Then again he seems fit over the entire 80 as well.
At least he seems to want to get stuck in
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
At least he seems to want to get stuck in
He's motivated, fit, can play several positions, Jane thinks he is a natural leader. Yes, worth a look again. The real problem is that he Sititi and Ardie are perhaps too similar and even if Wallace played 6 really well in his debut, he seems to be a (short) 8. We still don't seem to have a settled loose trio.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
At least he seems to want to get stuck in
He's motivated, fit, can play several positions, Jane thinks he is a natural leader. Yes, worth a look again. The real problem is that he Sititi and Ardie are perhaps too similar and even if Wallace played 6 really well in his debut, he seems to be a (short) 8. We still don't seem to have a settled loose trio.
The new man is charged with fixing the problem
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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 seem to remember being impressed with Parkers ball skills/running at the Chiefs but with the AB's looking like he didn't want anything to do with the ball and just made his tackles and hit rucks.... I can only assume he was playing to instructions?
A new coach - new game plan I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he could still be an answer at 6. -
I don’t want Beauden Barrett or Savea in the starting team and maybe not even on the bench. Other than that, I’m prepared to give most other players the benefit of the doubt initially. If they perform in Super Rugby, I’m happy for them to get a chance to show their ordinary performances were down to the coaching and game plans.
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I think a.number of players under Razor were used differently to how they were used and made them stand out at super..
Obviously test rugby requires different things but not utilising different players strengths properly is detrimental to.the team.
Super rugby will be interesting with these much maligned players and how they respond and play there (Sititi, Parker, BB, Proctor, SB et a) in thier more comfortable environment.
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@taniwharugby Very much
I really want Proctor to remind us why so many of us were keen to see him given a go at test level.
A 10 that involves him in the attack will be a start and not just employed as a dummy runner.
Get his confidence back.
To me big seasons ahead for
Dmac
Proctor
Jordie Barrett (whatever position they need but also as a leader)
Roigard (hopefully injury free) & Favatava as a bench impact
A new exciting winger to invigorate the attack
A forward pack that scares teams..... -
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
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.
As I said about Parker, the way Sititi played in the ABs was different to how he played in the Chiefs. Even allowing for form, that must come down to the AB coaches and their tactics. Indicative of the ineffectiveness of the AB loose forwards.
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360929565/man-who-brought-down-scott-robertson
I have a small amount of sympathy for the argument that Robertson was not exactly spoiled for obvious captains when he took over. But either Savea or Dalton Papali’i would have been a more cohesive and inspirational choice. Whether Savea is still now electable after supposedly blindsiding his coach is debatable. Indeed, it is currently being debated in South Africa amongst other places.
And what of Papali’i? The former Blues captain was mysteriously jettisoned as Robertson seemed to alienate half the Blues squad that had won Super Rugby just a year earlier. Mark Telea and Hoskins Sotutu went overseas, Rieko Ioane was progressively demoted and Papali’i was thrown into exile. It was very odd.
So when the review came it was not surprising that a number of players said that Robertson was too remote, that he didn’t connect or engage. That was enough for NZR chairman David Kirk. The sacking was ruthless, but Kirk is a businessman. If he was going to fail with the All Blacks, then he would fail on his own terms.
