@Bones said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Yuck, but that can mostly be put down to a team that got together a couple of days ago. Zero communication and 5 defenders standing on each others toes
You have to wonder why NZR accepted this match with such a short build up. For most of the week I just assumed it was next weekend.
@antipodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Also any coach that selects the worst defender in SR to start needs to have a strong chat with the mirror.
At least he's messing up the Maori ABs and not the ABs
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@antipodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Also any coach that selects the worst defender in SR to start needs to have a strong chat with the mirror.
At least he's messing up the Maori ABs and not the ABs
Taele will never be an All Black.
@antipodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@antipodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Also any coach that selects the worst defender in SR to start needs to have a strong chat with the mirror.
At least he's messing up the Maori ABs and not the ABs
Taele will never be an All Black.
I meant the coach
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's improved. Has a long way to go though. Not sure if he'll have the size to be a test midfield.
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
Because he's a dreadful defender. He's going to have to put on some weight and spend a lot of time learning to tackle.
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
I find it weird he's persisted with in the midfield - plays very similar to someone like Harkin I reckon. He's a 15/10 through and through.
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
No way. Toeava much bigger frame than Taele.
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
Isaia was a generational talent.
@tubbyj said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Really goes to show how shit the Chiefs were not only in this years final but also the 2025 final. They were so bad they made Rivez Reihana look like a contender at 10.
Don't forget Blues destroying Chiefs in 2024 final (shameless excuse to reference Blues)
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
Just send him up to Ireland to work with Bundee Aki's trainer.
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
At the back end of Super and today Spencer has made a really good fist of wing
Yeah I honestly didn't see much in him but he's changed my mind over .
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
That's weird eh, Taele looks like a midget, I find it hard to believe he's 6'
@antipodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
Isaia was a generational talent.
Indeed. I'm not comparing him to Toeava as a talent. I think Taele can put on another 10kg as Toeava did.
@Bones said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
That's weird eh, Taele looks like a midget, I find it hard to believe he's 6'
He looks the same height as Toeava to me.
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Bones said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@brodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Landers92 said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
What’s with the Taele slander? He’s only 21 years old. Plenty of room for growth in my opinion. Punching above his weight for a 21 year old that’s for sure
He's simply too small to play midfield. I quite enjoy watching him play though.
He can probably get to 100kg. Toeava was a similar size when he first came on the scene.
That's weird eh, Taele looks like a midget, I find it hard to believe he's 6'
He looks the same height as Toeava to me.
Ardie hair
Haven't been completely focusing on this match but to me Nock's been overplaying quite a bit and the turnaround has been more to do with much better work from the forwards to finally get some possession.
@Mr-Fish said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Haven't been completely focusing on this match but to me Nock's been overplaying quite a bit and the turnaround has been more to do with much better work from the forwards to finally get some possession.
I think there were two darts from the base from Nock which were unlucky not to win a penalty against Japan for offside. He's been miles better than Lennox though.
@antipodean said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Amazing how much better they look with Nock directing play.
Kemara also setting that backline up better.
But yeah forwards are actually applying themselves.
Ref is a douche, Reihana clearly taken out in the air by a player doing nothing but run underneath him
@Nepia said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Rehiana looks to be carrying an injury, or, he's a snail.
He's a snail
@Bones said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Ref is a douche, Reihana clearly taken out in the air by a player doing nothing but run underneath him
A handful of times too.
Finally Kyle Brown is on - no idea why it's taken so long.
@KiwiMurph said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
@Nepia said in Māori All Blacks v Japan XV:
Rehiana looks to be carrying an injury, or, he's a snail.
He's a snail
He still runs good lines and is big enough to slice through.
