The last one for this year for the ABs. Opportunity to savage a bit of pride after the Twickenham mauling.

For Wales, this is a chance to get their first win against New Zealand since 1953. That's a long time between drinks and there will be some party if they win.

The outstanding Hollie Davison will become the first woman to officiate an All Blacks Test.

Cardiff has perhaps the best Rugby stadium in the world and the Welsh know their Rugby and love to sing. It's almost certain to be played under the roof.

Oh good, a club level at best ref.

Predicted Team

1. Williams
2. Taukei'aho
3. Mafileo
4. Barrett
5. Holland
6. Sititi
7. Kirifi
8. Savea
9. Ratima
10. McKenzie
11. Clarke
12. ALB
13. Ioane
14. Reece
15. Jordan
16. Bell
17. Bower
18. Tosi
19. Lord
20. Parker
21. Christie
22. Love
23. Fainga'anuku

I'd like to see Ruben Love and Caleb Tangitau given game time.

The players who are most bashed up and drained at the end of a long season should sit this one out.

@Bones said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Oh good, a club level at best ref.

Does it matter with a team like Wales ?

@Bones said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Oh good, a club level at best ref.

She'll be better than the terrible ref we had yesterday. (Setting a low bar).

I'd put Lakai at 7 ahead of Kirifi. But I expect more conservative selections.

@Bovidae said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

I'd put Lakai at 7 ahead of Kirifi. But I expect more conservative selections.

He'll ring the changes, but it'll be another opportunity lost as the changes will lack any thought for development and the future

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@Bones said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Oh good, a club level at best ref.

She'll be better than the terrible ref we had yesterday. (Setting a low bar).

Maybe, but only in the bits where she can keep up.

Let's be brutally honest, you could bring in the New Zealand XV that's playing Uruguay & you'd still comfortably beat us.
I'll be watching the whole game wincing with my hands over my eyes.

1 Williams
2 Taukei'aho
3 Mafileo ?? Hmm. Are we allowed someone from the AB XV?
4 Barrett Darry
5 Holland
6 SititiAre we allowed someone from the AB XV?
7 Kirifi Lakai
8 Savea Sititi
9 Ratima-are we allowed Fakatava?
10 McKenzie
11 Reece Clarke
12 ALB Fainga'anuku
13 Ioane
14 Reece Tangitau
15 Jordan
16 Bell
17 Bower
18 Tosi
19 Lord
20 Savea
21 please not Christie are we allowed someone from the AB XV?
22 Love
23 Fainga'anuku Tupea are we allowed someone from the AB XV?

@pooler-fan said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Let's be brutally honest, you could bring in the New Zealand XV that's playing Uruguay & you'd still comfortably beat us.
I'll be watching the whole game wincing with my hands over my eyes.

The All Blacks camp this week is going to have the atmosphere of the trenches on the Western Front in late 1916. Our coaching staff are dead men walking. We are riddled with injuries. We are going to have some mediocre players who have played very little Rugby in key positions.

Wales might win this, although ABs by 7-10 seems more likely.

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@pooler-fan said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Let's be brutally honest, you could bring in the New Zealand XV that's playing Uruguay & you'd still comfortably beat us.
I'll be watching the whole game wincing with my hands over my eyes.

The All Blacks camp this week is going to have the atmosphere of the trenches on the Western Front in late 1916. Our coaching staff are dead men walking. We are riddled with injuries. We are going to have some mediocre players who have played very little Rugby in key positions.

Wales might win this, although ABs by 7-10 seems more likely.

Seriously if 7-10 points is the best we can do against this Welsh side

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Our coaching staff are dead men walking

Yeah right, I mean even if some were jettisoned or walk, who is gonna join this shit show?

I honestly dont see too many changes, Razor simply hasn't worked out test rugby, then there is the game plan that ain't getting the best out of our players, starters and bench...

I reckon if you go back over Razors tenure, how many games have we bricked it in the 2nd half?

@African-Monkey You don't know the meaning of "the 16th man" until you've heard the Welsh home crowd in full voice. They'll give their side an enormous lift.

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

We are going to have some mediocre players who have played very little Rugby in key positions.

Makes a nice change from mediocre players who have played way too much Rugby in key positions.

@taniwharugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Our coaching staff are dead men walking

Yeah right, I mean even if some were jettisoned or walk, who is gonna join this shit show?

Kiwi coaches took over the Wallabies, so there is a precedent right there...

Why is Reece still here ? We know since 2019 that he is not good enough

My favourite bit is going to be us rolling out a B team, with Mckenzie to start at 10 without Roigard and without Jordie Barrett - and all the combinations being shit, so Raygun can convince himself that he did the right thing by starting BB all season.

Ok, dark secret out. Of all the UK/Irish teams I'd mind losing to the Welsh the least. Apart from what that means in terms of form, of course. Anyway I was expecting us to lose 2 games on tour, which for me was just about on a minimum acceptance level. But now losing another game (and in a row) is not acceptable.

@nostrildamus said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@taniwharugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Our coaching staff are dead men walking

Yeah right, I mean even if some were jettisoned or walk, who is gonna join this shit show?

Kiwi coaches took over the Wallabies, so there is a precedent right there...

You whooshed me...unsure what that has to do with anyone wanting to join them current coaching team

@taniwharugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@nostrildamus said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@taniwharugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Our coaching staff are dead men walking

Yeah right, I mean even if some were jettisoned or walk, who is gonna join this shit show?

Kiwi coaches took over the Wallabies, so there is a precedent right there...

You whooshed me...unsure what that has to do with anyone wanting to join them current coaching team

I probably whooshed myself. I must be focussed on the whole coaching team leaving now. If only Razor and Ryan remain, I honestly don't know. Seems to me Razor is a hands off guy so isn't an impossible sell as a boss to potential assistant coaches, but I have no inside info

@nostrildamus Yep, as a group, the Welsh seem much more like us, the French and the Saffas. Loving and rooting for their team, but also massively respecting the game, the opposition and the contest. They know their Rugby history and Rugby's traditions.

I'm not saying there aren't individual English, Welsh or Irish fans like that, but as a group they bring other vibes as well.

I've nothing against the Welsh fans apart from they cheer for an international team that doesn't wear Black.

@reprobate said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

My favourite bit is going to be us rolling out a B team, with Mckenzie to start at 10 without Roigard and without Jordie Barrett - and all the combinations being shit, so Raygun can convince himself that he did the right thing by starting BB all season.

Otherwise known as the Foster Defence

@nostrildamus said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Ok, dark secret out. Of all the UK/Irish teams I'd mind losing to the Welsh the least. Apart from what that means in terms of form, of course. Anyway I was expecting us to lose 2 games on tour, which for me was just about on a minimum acceptance level. But now losing another game (and in a row) is not acceptable.

Did you cope with 1953 ok ?

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@African-Monkey You don't know the meaning of "the 16th man" until you've heard the Welsh home crowd in full voice. They'll give their side an enormous lift.

If their side was half decent then yes, I'd believe it. Not this tier 2 Welsh version though.

This game has a real Pohangina B vs Apiti feel about it.

@frugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Predicted Team

1. Williams
2. Taukei'aho
3. Mafileo
4. Barrett
5. Holland
6. Sititi
7. Kirifi
8. Savea
9. Ratima
10. McKenzie
11. Clarke
12. ALB
13. Ioane
14. Reece
15. Jordan
16. Bell
17. Bower
18. Tosi
19. Lord
20. Parker
21. Christie
22. Love
23. Fainga'anuku

This starting backline makes me think we're playing the 3rd vs 4th bronze match of a world cup or something lol can beauden get a send off too actually no don't take me seriously with that suggestion

@sparky the problem for us is your mediocre players are better than our "good" ones.

Jordan is a 14. The test has failed. Put Love at 15, DMAC at 10. Keep the Tupea/Fainga midfield and Clarke at 11. Savea is tired, no more energy. Put Papai' at 7.

Based on who’s available and are in and around the squad I’d play Sititi, Lakai, CLW

@frugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Predicted Team

1. Williams
2. Taukei'aho
3. Mafileo
4. Barrett
5. Holland
6. Sititi
7. Kirifi
8. Savea
9. Ratima

Stopped there. That's a fucking dreadful team.

Sititi isn't a blindside's arsehole. I'm in my 50s and I put in more dominant tackles.

Kirifi has shown the disparate leap between Super Rugby and Tests. Literally too small to have a positive impact.

Savea is fucking arse. Useless fluffybunny won't hit a ruck. Might as well select my dead grandmother.

@taniwharugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

@sparky said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

I reckon if you go back over Razors tenure, how many games have we bricked it in the 2nd half?

Come to think of it most of them - even the games we have won!

It's quite unbelievable for a professional coach to not have remedied this issue (and have made it worse) with 26 tests played under Razor now.

Roof will be on

Every point scored against NZ will be roared on like we’re shagging the best looking girl in the bar

Every point conceded won’t matter because we’re chatting up the best looking girl in the bar

A fantastic day in store

@taniwharugby said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Yeah right, I mean even if some were jettisoned or walk, who is gonna join this shit show?

This. Any potential decent AB coach would have second thoughts after the NZR shit-show of the last 5 years

@MiketheSnow said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

Roof will be on

Every point scored against NZ will be roared on like we’re shagging the last best looking girl in the bar Chip Alley.

Fixed it for you.

This is probably Wales’ best chance to beat the ABs since….

This match is huge for NZ

Perform badly against us and it's a real downer on which to end the year

Lose - we can dream - and NZ is in the fucking toilet

Realistically - and barring injury - Razor should pick his strongest side and destroy us

If he tinkers then it could be his undoing

@MiketheSnow said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

This match is huge for NZ

The pressure on Robertson to resign is growing. If we lose on Saturday, he won't be given that courtesy. He'll be fired.

@MiketheSnow said in Wales Vs All Blacks:

This match is huge for NZ

Perform badly against us and it's a real downer on which to end the year

Lose - we can dream - and NZ is in the fucking toilet

Realistically - and barring injury - Razor should pick his strongest side and destroy us

If he tinkers then it could be his undoing

Made that mistake against Italy last year.

Don't make wholesale changes, but the team certainly needs freshening up.