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

@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

View image

Dam straight

@Nepia We haven,t had a 'best lock" in a couple of years. lets C ah !!

@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.

@Nepia Not since 2023 IMHO. U are welcome 2 yours.

So who leads the Haka this year? Rieko? maybe Codie or Ardie?

@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

@1kiwi Holland?

@1kiwi Reiko

It worked well in Dublin

@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.

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

@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

Gotta find something to post about until kick off and everyone waits for that first error by the player we don’t like so we tee off (or for some get their shining armour out…)

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

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

@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

Gotta find something to post about until kick off and everyone waits for that first error by the player we don’t like so we tee off (or for some get their shining armour out…)

i just hope both teams have fun

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

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.

We don't know we were right yet though.

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

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.

The Beuaden Barrett shitehouse kick drinking competition! Get behind it NZ!

@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

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

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.

We don't know we were right yet though.

Hasn't stopped premature celebration before so I don't expect it to disappear now.

I'm really hoping I see big Jim at 12 in this series, have no idea how he will go in a test but he's just so exciting to watch...

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

@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

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

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.

We don't know we were right yet though.

Hasn't stopped premature celebration before so I don't expect it to disappear now.

hello wife i didn't know you posted here

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

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.

which makes the move to 6 more puzzling....hey, could well be a stroke of genius, time will tell.

Have to wonder how much the opposition has been factored in, like, if we were facing SA this weekend, would we see the same line-up?

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

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

@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

Gotta find something to post about until kick off and everyone waits for that first error by the player we don’t like so we tee off (or for some get their shining armour out…)

Prepping already

Congratulations to Fabian Holland, Christian Lio-Willie, Ollie Norris and Du'Plessis Kirifi. A proud moment for them, their families and everyone who has supported their development as players.

Interesting team. Hoping it performs well on Saturday. Zero excuses please.

@ACT-Crusader They’ll find it that Jim is the best 12 in NZ very soon.

@1kiwi said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:

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.

I'm happy for BB to play this one, because frankly we don't have anyone else as a serious option apart from DMac right now. But the bar is quite low right now

@canefan I am not sure that is still 100% correct. Ruben Love and Rivez Reihana will both get some game time at First Five for the ABs this year. The depth is slowly growing.

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

@canefan I am not sure that is still 100% correct. Ruben Love and Rivez Reihana will both get some game time at First Five for the ABs this year. The depth is slowly growing.

We will have to agree to disagree that either of them are ready NOW. Both have shown promise, but neither player has even played a full super season. But I would like to see Love, as a member of the squad, getting some time at 10 to see what he can do

@canefan I wouldn't be surprised at all this series if it is a different First Five starting each test: Beauden for the first, DMac for the second and Ruben Love for the third.

I think, all going well, Rivez Reihana will start for the ABs against Scotland or Wales later in the year.

That's a decent quartet to have with the RWC 2027 looming.

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

@canefan I wouldn't be surprised at all this series if it is a different First Five starting each test: Beauden for the first, DMac for the second and Ruben Love for the third.

I think, all going well, Rivez Reihana will start for the ABs against Scotland or Wales later in the year.

That's a decent quartet to have with the RWC 2027 looming.

I would like to see that

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

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

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.

Have to wonder how much the opposition has been factored in, like, if we were facing SA this weekend, would we see the same line-up?

Quite a bit is injury enforced.

I expect they would've wanted to play their strongest team in test 1 - so the forwards potentially would've been:

Williams, Taylor, Lomax, Barrett, Holland, Vaa'i, Ardie, Sititi
de Groot, Big Sami, Newell, Finau, Kirifi/Jacobson

Backs selections are pretty unsurprising - the only real question was who played centre and how that played out on the wings.