All Blacks 2025
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Razor: "Yeah he leads the stats, is ferocious in attack and defence, a much-admired leader of men, plays several positions very well indeed, is unpredictable tough and uncompromising, and has a bit of an x-factor, but he's no David Havili."
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Razor: "Yeah he leads the stats, is ferocious in attack and defence, a much-admired leader of men, plays several positions very well indeed, is unpredictable tough and uncompromising, and has a bit of an x-factor, but he's no David Havili."
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
Razor: "Yeah he leads the stats, is ferocious in attack and defence, a much-admired leader of men, plays several positions very well indeed, is unpredictable tough and uncompromising, and has a bit of an x-factor, but he's no David Havili."
It would be funnier if it wasn't true
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I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
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I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
It's a good point though, I can't for the life of me think what Havili adds to any squad above Jim (goalkicking and fullback already being covered a million times over).
i.e. there's exactly zero risk to selecting Tavatavanawai over Havili.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
It's a good point though, I can't for the life of me think what Havili adds to any squad above Jim (goalkicking and fullback already being covered a million times over).
i.e. there's exactly zero risk to selecting Tavatavanawai over Havili.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
It's a good point though, I can't for the life of me think what Havili adds to any squad above Jim (goalkicking and fullback already being covered a million times over).
i.e. there's exactly zero risk to selecting Tavatavanawai over Havili.
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai. I think Tavatavanawai probably excels in a less dominant backline where he's given plenty of flexibility to play to his strengths but wouldn't necessarily thrive in a more rigid system.
That doesn't mean I want to see Havili selected.
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@Victor-Meldrew Jordie covering ten? No
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew Jordie covering ten? No
Sorry. My BB Havili bias overcame my logic.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm a fan, our backline is too predictable. It might be risky. But fun to watch.
It's a good point though, I can't for the life of me think what Havili adds to any squad above Jim (goalkicking and fullback already being covered a million times over).
i.e. there's exactly zero risk to selecting Tavatavanawai over Havili.
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai. I think Tavatavanawai probably excels in a less dominant backline where he's given plenty of flexibility to play to his strengths but wouldn't necessarily thrive in a more rigid system.
That doesn't mean I want to see Havili selected.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai
Yeah I'm not convinced. I think Jim's playmaking ability probably gets overlooked because he can knock people on their arse.
If there was decent proof of Havili being this talented playmaker and Jim being terrible, I'd be happy to be swayed.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai
Yeah I'm not convinced. I think Jim's playmaking ability probably gets overlooked because he can knock people on their arse.
If there was decent proof of Havili being this talented playmaker and Jim being terrible, I'd be happy to be swayed.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I think Havili brings more playmaking than Tavatavanawai
Yeah I'm not convinced. I think Jim's playmaking ability probably gets overlooked because he can knock people on their arse.
If there was decent proof of Havili being this talented playmaker and Jim being terrible, I'd be happy to be swayed.
I'd consider a guy who can consistently knock the opposition on their arses. David has not shown that skill at test level
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Razor has to stop thinking in the past and focus on the talent he has right in front of him. There is no one playing overseas that deserves an automatic spot in the team (Jordie doesn't count because he's on sabbatical)
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Razor has to stop thinking in the past and focus on the talent he has right in front of him. There is no one playing overseas that deserves an automatic spot in the team (Jordie doesn't count because he's on sabbatical)
I'm no Razor defender, but in the interview he was asked if you would like to see xyz come back, and he just said - you want to see all your best players available.
I think it is more of a more of a media thing harping on about it than Razor. What is he supposed to say, no door is closed, don't come back.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Razor has to stop thinking in the past and focus on the talent he has right in front of him. There is no one playing overseas that deserves an automatic spot in the team (Jordie doesn't count because he's on sabbatical)
I'm no Razor defender, but in the interview he was asked if you would like to see xyz come back, and he just said - you want to see all your best players available.
I think it is more of a more of a media thing harping on about it than Razor. What is he supposed to say, no door is closed, don't come back.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Tim leaving "too much playing time" undefined and still at the discretion of the clubs?
️I think they must have had fewer than 2,000 minutes of action this season - which largely rules out all the top guys from those two finalists, bar a few who've been injured this year.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Tim leaving "too much playing time" undefined and still at the discretion of the clubs?
️It's Les Frogs v the All Blacks so you would have thought the players themselves would be champing at the bit as much as any SR player..
Fuck, you can really dislike the modern game at times.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Tim leaving "too much playing time" undefined and still at the discretion of the clubs?
️It's Les Frogs v the All Blacks so you would have thought the players themselves would be champing at the bit as much as any SR player..
Fuck, you can really dislike the modern game at times.
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Tim leaving "too much playing time" undefined and still at the discretion of the clubs?
️It's Les Frogs v the All Blacks so you would have thought the players themselves would be champing at the bit as much as any SR player..
Fuck, you can really dislike the modern game at times.
It's pretty sad. Say what you want about international football, at least the players are made available for every game
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
And actual fitness test results.
Yeah I could understand pointing it out if the player actually had a pot belly, especially if they were playing fuck all minutes and/or not doing much apart from one or two decent carries.... but this is out there eh.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
And actual fitness test results.
Yeah I could understand pointing it out if the player actually had a pot belly, especially if they were playing fuck all minutes and/or not doing much apart from one or two decent carries.... but this is out there eh.
Saying body language is important is out there but that's what they said.
Prpfessional coaches judging players by the appearance of their conditioning is not out there. It's relatively common. They don't like it when players look too pudgy. That's why they have nutritionists in their teams.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
And actual fitness test results.
Yeah I could understand pointing it out if the player actually had a pot belly, especially if they were playing fuck all minutes and/or not doing much apart from one or two decent carries.... but this is out there eh.
Saying body language is important is out there but that's what they said.
Prpfessional coaches judging players by the appearance of their conditioning is not out there. It's relatively common. They don't like it when players look too pudgy. That's why they have nutritionists in their teams.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
And actual fitness test results.
Yeah I could understand pointing it out if the player actually had a pot belly, especially if they were playing fuck all minutes and/or not doing much apart from one or two decent carries.... but this is out there eh.
Saying body language is important is out there but that's what they said.
Prpfessional coaches judging players by the appearance of their conditioning is not out there. It's relatively common. They don't like it when players look too pudgy. That's why they have nutritionists in their teams.
Is this really the hill you want to die on? We've all moved on mate
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Why not just roll out the AB XV or north/south/whatever against them? We would still get good games to watch, could experiment more without fear of failure, our crowds would still be good, and it might teach them a lesson.
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
Why not just roll out the AB XV or north/south/whatever against them? We would still get good games to watch, could experiment more without fear of failure, our crowds would still be good, and it might teach them a lesson.
There's definitely no excuse for razor not to experiment with his lineups and blood a new player or two
