The Silver Fern

@Bones After 3 consecutive final failures, I guess it's hard to be enthusiastic ...

@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:

@Tim said in Super Rugby 2026:

@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2026:

Feb 6: Blues vs Crusaders – Takapuna Rugby Club, Onewa Domain, Auckland

Might be a fun afternoon on the Shore.

Good excuse for a TSF catch up

@Kirwan @JK @snowy @dogmeat ?

A question: Does the Poenamo Hotel still have a bar?

Chiefs have a deep squad, but there's some poor defenders in there. Leroy Carter and Wallace Sititi in particular (in the 2nd SA game they were both pathetic). Ratima badly out of form. Can Vaa'i become a good player again? Parker is such a provincial plodder.

They should win, but I can't see them performing in the playoffs.

Huge year for Tupaea.

I would love for us to go full Auckland-piston wristed gibbons mode and scoop up Pledger.

@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2026:

Feb 6: Blues vs Crusaders – Takapuna Rugby Club, Onewa Domain, Auckland

Might be a fun afternoon on the Shore.

Put M4L on NZR board of directors.

@Duluth said in Blues 2026:

The BB top up cash frees up soon

2027 might be the time to buy Roigard ...

@Duluth said in Blues 2026:

Maybe a couple of the older guys don't leave.

Ideal scenario is Robertson being dumped ASAP, and Papalii being made ABs captain.

Post World Cup Succession Planning

It seems likely that we will have a new coach in 2028, and will have lost a large number of core players. Especially with some of the "odd" selections from the moronic AB's coach. So whoever comes in faces rebuilding a squad.

From the 2026 squad I expect us to lose:

Tu'ungufasi
Renata
Eklund
Tuipulotu
Papalii
Sotutu
Christie
Funaki
Nock
Barrett
Perofeta
Lam
Evans
Ioane
Forbes
Sullivan

So, which coaches would want the job, and would we want them?

Ideal choice would be Joe Schmidt, unless he goes for an AB role post 2027. Then there is Dave Rennie, but would he want it? Surely he would be trying for an AB role? Pat Lam? If promoting from within, Halangahu has been mentioned before. Maybe O'Halloran or Tito?

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/one-test-all-black-fly-half-set-to-captain-clermont-in-top-14-clash/

Australian Rugby probably wise to take a set payment.

Guess NZ is not going to host again, unless it's a joint bid with Australia?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360918717/blues-recruit-rugbys-wannabe-helicopter-pilot-flyn-yates-not-inspired-richie-mccaw

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/c74xy58dvw4o

Dragons climbed off the bottom of the United Rugby Championship (URC) with a remarkable 48-28 victory against Connacht that ended a 15-month league winless streak.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/more-than-30-rising-stars-have-been-poached-by-french-academies-this-is-how-australian-rugby-is-fighting-back-20251214-p5nnj4.html

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360915187/blues-coach-backs-pita-ahki-plug-midfield-gap-vacated-all-black-rieko-ioane

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/582134/is-antoine-dupont-the-best-rugby-player-in-the-world

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360914378/who-englishman-alex-robertson-next-coach-npc-champions-canterbury

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks-review-independent-oversight-and-key-changes-in-assessment-of-scott-robertson-and-his-men/premium/HZ6L3BKHTVEPPGK7HE3GTQ2NGE/

@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:

Joe Schmidt had not been an international head coach.

Long time head coach of Ireland.