@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.
@Nepia said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Official All Blacks 23 vs France:
Link is dead, am I going to search for the bloody team list myself?
just read George's posts and you'll have it, they must be re releasing with the wings corrected
Yeah me neither. Vaa'i faded badly in that French test last year.
@brodean said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
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…
@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
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.
@Nepia said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Official All Blacks 23 vs France:
Link is dead, am I going to have to search for the bloody team list myself?
Bloody ABS - https://www.instagram.com/p/DLn_qj-B6Yw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@george33 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
The wings have been named in wrong jersey, Reiko will start 11 Reece 14
They've got them in the right position in the below post:
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.
@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
@Canes4life calf injury
@JK said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@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
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@JK said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@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
Dam straight
@mencey said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@Nepia We haven,t had a 'best lock" in a couple of years. lets C ah !!
Yes we have, it's been Vai'i, unless you'e had your head in the sand.
@1kiwi said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
So who leads the Haka this year? Rieko? maybe Codie or Ardie?
oh now we are touching on the burning issues
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
It worked well in Dublin
I don’t think he is a centre but I like having him in the squad. He knows his assignment and clearly loves being an Allblack.
He wants it.
@1kiwi said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
So who leads the Haka this year? Rieko? maybe Codie or Ardie?
Billy is another option if he becomes a mainstay. He usually leads all the Canes hakas when they do them.
@Kiwiwomble 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?
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
From EOYT 2022 and all of 2023 Scooter was our best lock. That was on the back of being a very effective bench option previously. Add to that he was captain of the Saders, don’t wasn’t a huge surprise that he was made captain even though they could’ve easily gone with Ardie. His form last year wasn’t as good as 2023 but it wasn’t like he fell completely off the cliff. He was one of our best against Ireland and he didn’t play too bad against the French either.
What was pleasing was to see the step up of Vaa’i last year when there were concerns post 2023 with Whitelock and Retallick gone.
