I guess the thing with Finau coming on, is the Chiefs also used him to good effect finishing the game at 6 off the bench, but its more the impact on Vaai moving from 6 to lock that is of concern.

Some other good changes though

No Tavatavanawi on the bench in Dunedin

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

yaaay, BB at 10!! he was so good there in 2017, he's due!

See, we are patient!

i've owned racehorses like this...

I hear they’re still running the Doomben straight as we speak….

running is generous

So is Doomben.

Well, don't know whether to shake my head or be pleased they trying things. Surprises me Vai'i at 6, but also think it a pointer to how good they thing Holland will be, and Vai'i being best lock in NZ, maybe they felt they had to play him?

@upthelanders said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

No Tavatavanawi on the bench in Dunedin

I didn’t think he would be selected for the first test no matter where it was played.

Barrett and QT are our two best 2nd 5s right now with the latter offering that utility as well. I think TNT will get an opportunity in the series

@Dan54 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

Well, don't know whether to shake my head or be pleased they trying things. Surprises me Vai'i at 6, but also think it a pointer to how good they thing Holland will be, and Vai'i being best lock in NZ, maybe they felt they had to play him?

thats kind of why i dont like choosing your captain so early....if Vaai is the best lock and Holland deserves a run as the future....play them both there, i think you make the 23 before you get to be captain, with savea, taylor and BB on the pitch its not like we're short of experienced leaders on the pitch

@Smudge said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

yaaay, BB at 10!! he was so good there in 2017, he's due!

See, we are patient!

i've owned racehorses like this...

I hear they’re still running the Doomben straight as we speak….

running is generous

So is Doomben.

eat all the dicks

Geez ...punishment for Cowbell-gate. All the Waikato players made to sit on the bench in silence and watch the Crusaders guys performing.

The wings have been named in wrong jersey, Reiko will start 11 Reece 14

I think getting touched up by the Springboks on the regular has really focussed their minds.
They want as many big lumps as they can get in the team. Or at least players who play like big lumps (Ardie, Kirifi).

Hence Vaai to 6. This is not injury enforced. This is "policy".

@Jet said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

I think getting touched up by the Springboks on the regular has really focussed their minds.
They want as many big lumps as they can get in the team. Or at least players who play like big lumps (Ardie, Kirifi).

Hence Vaai to 6. This is not injury enforced. This is "policy".

Yeah I think the whole size thing is moot when a player has leg drive like Ardie provides. More so than any of the others except Sititi.

@antipodean

Yeah me neither. Vaa'i faded badly in that French test last year.

@brodean said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@antipodean

Yeah me neither. Vaa'i faded badly in that French test last year.

We ran him into the ground last year thought didnt we? He was ever present.

@Kiwiwomble Except for the fact that the player they picked as captain is clearly our best lock…

@Nepia Our best lock is FH. To the manor born !!

@AmberArmy said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@Kiwiwomble Except for the fact that the player they picked as captain is clearly our best lock…

i was clearly replying to a comment that Vaai was the best lock....so people disagree on that point

@Dan54 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

Well, don't know whether to shake my head or be pleased they trying things. Surprises me Vai'i at 6, but also think it a pointer to how good they thing Holland will be, and Vai'i being best lock in NZ, maybe they felt they had to play him?

I really hope that Holland lives up to the hype. I'm not convinced myself from what I have seen of him. Hope to be proven wrong.

TBH I was a bit I don't care about the team naming but a lot of that is meh.

Jordie vice captain - so another auto pick for a Barrett regardless of their form or the form of their competitors.

Vai'i at 6, I hope it's a success but we've just moved our best lock to a relatively unfamiliar position. Holland hasn't played a test yet Captain Scarlett ....

Proctor at 13, nah I don't have problem with that but selection, but I was looking forward to seeing the meltdown from the Canes brigade and the Ioane haters if it didn't happen.

Reece, how does this twat keep getting selected? Sotutu dominates Super doesn't get a look in, Reece has good Supers and poor tests but always gets a look in.

CLW, a good season and immediate elevation to the ABs as another small (heightwise) loosie. Hey, but at least form counts in 2025.

@AmberArmy said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@Kiwiwomble Except for the fact that the player they picked as captain is clearly our best lock…

A few years ago maybe, he's been shaded by Vai'i the last two years, I don't even think ACT would argue against that.

@akan004 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@Dan54 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

Well, don't know whether to shake my head or be pleased they trying things. Surprises me Vai'i at 6, but also think it a pointer to how good they thing Holland will be, and Vai'i being best lock in NZ, maybe they felt they had to play him?

I really hope that Holland lives up to the hype. I'm not convinced myself from what I have seen of him. Hope to be proven wrong.

Yeah fair enough mate, but I been saying for about 3 years now I see him as 100 test AB, so I got to stick with it.

Perhaps with the lock-6 situation they want as much height as possible on the field? The opposition aren't a short team.

For the non Instagram people.

All Blacks team to face France

1. Ethan de Groot
2. Codie Taylor
3. Fletcher Newell
4. Scott Barrett (c)
5. Fabian Holland
6. Tupou Vaa’i
7. Ardie Savea
8. Christian Lio-Willie
9. Cam Roigard
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Rieko Ioane
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Billy Proctor
14. Sevu Reece
15. Will Jordan

Reserves: 16. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Samipeni Finau, 20. Du’Plessis Kirifi, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Quinn Tupaea, 23. Damian McKenzie

Thank the lord they've seen the light and selected Rieko on the wing.
Also pleased to see Ardie at 7, his best position. Fantastic to see Billy Proctor at centre. My concern lies with Beauden at 10. We should be blooding a new 10 with the world cup only 2 years away. I don't believe we can win a world cup with either Beauden or Damien as our 10.

Happy for Holland, hope his game is as good as his hype, pleased to see Savea at 7, surprised to see Vaa'i at 6 and Lio-Willie at 8. Seems like a very green loose-forward trio. The balance is better, the cattle seem mixed.
Surised to see Barrett at 10, the golden sun continues to shine out of his *ss. Looking forward to 20m touch finders and pointless chip kicks.
Pleased Rieko is on the wing and that Protcor has been given a chance, we need a natual mid-field playing centre with better touch and distribution.
Surprised Reece is starting ahead of Clarke...
Bench is solid, really hope that Tupaea gets some good minutes, would love to see a Tupaea/Proctor combo to see how they go.

I don't mine the selection of Vaai at 6 as it allows Holland game time and opens up a spot for Kirifi on the bench. Also means we have proper height at 6.

I don't think Vaai is the answer at 6 but there's not a heap of other options - I'm sceptical if Finau will ever properly develop.

Hope to see Parker come into the squad later this year.

Pleased to see Proctor tried at 13 and Rieko on wing to see if he still has it.

On paper that bench looks impactful without the likes of Jacobson, ALB and Havili taking up spots.

Is Lomax injured?

@Windows97 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

Happy for Holland, hope his game is as good as his hype, pleased to see Savea at 7, surprised to see Vaa'i at 6 and Lio-Willie at 8. Seems like a very green loose-forward trio. The balance is better, the cattle seem mixed.
Surised to see Barrett at 10, the golden sun continues to shine out of his *ss. Looking forward to 20m touch finders and pointless chip kicks.
Pleased Rieko is on the wing and that Protcor has been given a chance, we need a natual mid-field playing centre with better touch and distribution.
Surprised Reece is starting ahead of Clarke...
Bench is solid, really hope that Tupaea gets some good minutes, would love to see a Tupaea/Proctor combo to see how they go.

Been plenty of chat on fora such as this over the last few years looking for Rieko to go back to the wing and for Ardie to go to 7.

A damning indictment on the last two coaching tickets that the "bar stoolers" were right all along.

@JayCee said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

Is Lomax injured?

Yep, he was locked in to start but apparently was injured yesterday at training.

@DaGrubster Holland will become a legend. We have a Brody and a Witelock rolled into 1. In 5 to 7 years he will be the first name picked. !!

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

I don't mine the selection of Vaai at 6 as it allows Holland game time and opens up a spot for Kirifi on the bench. Also means we have proper height at 6.

I don't think Vaai is the answer at 6 but there's not a heap of other options - I'm sceptical if Finau will ever properly develop.

Hope to see Parker come into the squad later this year.

Pleased to see Proctor tried at 13 and Rieko on wing to see if he still has it.

On paper that bench looks impactful without the likes of Jacobson, ALB and Havili taking up spots.

The squad is starting to look a bit fresher indeed.

Keep in mind that De Groot and Newell only got their gigs in the dying embers of Fosters tenure.

Jordan at 15, a centre at centre, Ardie at 7, an 8 at 8. Its starting to at least look coherent.

@Chris said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

@george33 Spot on mate on the tips you gave us

I posted the whole team yesterday - other than Lomax's post initial selection injury