The Silver Fern

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:

@gt12 I said i thought TB added a bit more to JJ's capabilities, where JJ's time with the ABXV was good, the top job would be more challenging and TB would but an asset and you replied

I think doing good domestically and with the ABXV can get you to an assistant role, but even then it would be better to have something outside NZ, such as a bit of time with an overseas club or with another international team.

and so i was just saying both of them have experience in Japan plus TB's time in SA

I still don't get it

@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:

Angus Chrichton from the NRL signs with the Tahs on a two year deal. Will play for the Roosters this year.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360927546/angus-crichton-defect-australian-rugby-world-cup-tilt

I watch almost zero league. Does he look like the sort of player who could succeed? Anyone he is similar too in union?

@mariner4life care to shed some light?

Neil Barnes is back for another year. The article says that Teihorangi Walden is the new Academy Manager.

https://www.trfu.co.nz/newsarticle/161668?newsfeedId=694504

only if said nation cares about said championship

@Bovidae said in School Rugby 2025:

I don't see any rugby players who were involved in the U18 teams in this squad. There were definitely a few who played RL as well. Maybe some have signed for NRL teams in Aust?

https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/01/20/afoa-named-to-captain-2026-sg-ball-cup-side/

No doubt I'll be seeing an article soon in the Oz papers claiming all the players have been poached from rugby just because of the high schools they're from.

It's interesting seeing two St Johns Hastings players in that squad, as I've been a proponent of a national league comp where schools like St Johns become the league school in the region as they're well off the pace in rugby.

Wow, that's huge especially Penaud. Doesn't seem like he's injured from a quick scan. Anyone know the reason - he's on 98 caps!

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/wallaby-lock-darcy-swain-agrees-to-long-term-overseas-move/

@sparky said in Golf:

@Canes4life A decent media career lies ahead when he hangs up his boots.

Just watched his vid with Mac Boucher at Kauri Cliffs and it’s a dry as weetbix on toast. The intro in particular is mono tone horrific.

@nzzp said in NFL 2025:

@mohikamo said in NFL 2025:

He said something along the lines of . . .
"The only reason a player would want to move from the south to the north is for money."
Maybe an element of truth in what he said

welcome to the new NCAA. Money talks. I think it'll be good longer term - prevent talent aggregation the way we've seen in the old Alabama days

He forgot to say of course that the schools in the SEC also have a shitload of money to pay players

Finn Allen was so good. And the bowling and fielding pressure with home ground support was superb too. Home final now!

@MiketheSnow true. For the NH competitions you need two squads. The Stormers played Quins on the Sunday and Leicester on the next saturday. No way you can play week after week your strongest match XV. This is a massive shift from Super Rugby and the SA franchises still are in a work in process. The Stormers have done great this year because they contracted their best schoolboy talent in the last 4 years.

@nostrildamus said in Exodus:

@canefan said in Exodus:

@nostrildamus said in Exodus:

@Crazy-Horse said in Exodus:

Are there any examples of players coming back in their prime after leaving early in their careers? I can't think of any.

Leon? Would you consider Jordie?

Sabbatical. Lucky Luke perhaps?

Not convinced Luke came back better. Was Leon also on a sabbatical? I can't remember.

He 100% didn't come back better. He left on fire and came back too big and slow.

....

Lood de Jager out again with an injury and will likely miss this years internationals. Feel for him, a really talented player who has had so many issues with different injuries and hasn't fulfilled his potential for the springboks.

That's a shame as I think Kalounivale is the best BF TH prop.

@MN5 said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

@Virgil said in Black Caps tour of India - 2026:

Had a look, if he can score another 100 in his next ODI innings he will tie the record for quickest (least innings) to score 10 x ODI's 100s
The record is 55 held by SA's Quentin de Kock

More on Mitch......

An extraordinary average of 58.47.

Unlike other ODI champs of the past this is not padded out by loads of not outs, eight in 54 innings ( by comparison Michael Bevan averaged 53.58 with 67 not outs in 196 innings )

Also a strike rate of 95.72. This is amazing given he quite often is in that awkward rebuild stage ( it's the Black Caps remember, collapses are always imminent ) he's getting his runs consistently at pretty much a run a ball.

In one sense its a damn shame he's 35 this year but then he could have started early, been fucked around and been in and out of the side and become a forgotten "what if" like so many others. It seems he's taken a few years to work out his game and is benefitting at the highest level given his FC stats don't particularly stand out.

Let's keep enjoying his contributions while he keeps making them.

He grabbed his chance when it came and hasn't looked back

@Cyclops said in EPL 2025/26:

Awful penalty kick. Mendy didn't so much save it as be the grateful recipient of it.

I think there have been a very few occasions where a team has disagreed with a penalty and passed it to the keeper rather than trying to score it. If it wasn't for Diaz looking so distraught after I'd have thought that was the case here too.

Pretty poor from the ref to not just call the game in Morocco's favour when the Senegalese abandoned the pitch. Whether its a good decision or not, leave the temper tantrums elsewhere.

Incidentally, Senegal now leading 1-0 in extra time.

I was tracking the game on live scoring and did wonder why the game reached over +20 in added time! Craziness.

EPL games are getting increasingly dull, hardly a goal to find across 9 games this weekend. And so many draws that the table appears frozen.

@sparky said in Aussie Open:

@canefan said in Aussie Open:

Pommie Cam Norrie overcame a poor start to win out in 5 sets

A Saffa who grew up and went to high school in NZ. Bit of a plastic Pom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Norrie

You mean Plastic Tiki Pom?

@Donsteppa said in Black Clash:

@Biorealism said in Black Clash:

It must be a fine line for guys like Wagner and Southee with the bowling as even though it's meant to be a light hearted game no one wants to get smacked around in front of a big crowd.

I guess it's an interesting challenge for those guys in festival cricket. Pace off won't turn them into dibbly dobblies... probably like predictable slower balls, but still with plenty of pace to work with for hitting big.

after being subjected to the Fox coverage of the Ashes for 6 weeks with endless frothing over their fancy special camera that recorded bowlers actions i can expertly say those bowlers still have their wrist snap speed which surely they cant just turn off.