Stuff understands MacDonald will take charge of the All Blacks XV tour later this year, when those who miss out on All Blacks selection will be given the chance to impress in the northern hemisphere.
After today's underwhelming announcement, what might an NZ A squad look like? Entire Blues squad is in, of course.
The interesting one for me and this team is what they do at halfback.
It’s a new(ish) concept and we will want to win so do we take a couple of experienced heads or is this purely about eye to the future.
@ACT-Crusader Yep, and then there's the cross-over between the senior squad and this squad. Games of the ABs XV may be used to give game time to ABs who haven't played much. For example, if they use Smith and Fakatava for most tests, Christie may get a run for this team.
@ACT-Crusader Really hoping they don't take Perenara. Would like to see Ratima get a go. Maybe Roe too.
@Stargazer Hope Weber is the senior halfback, if he isn't in the ABs.
Surely they pick the next best players. There are only 3 tour games so not much time for development players, but that could be dependent on the squad size.
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:
@ACT-Crusader Yep, and then there's the cross-over between the senior squad and this squad. Games of the ABs XV may be used to give game time to ABs who haven't played much. For example, if they use Smith and Fakatava for most tests, Christie may get a run for this team.
I really hope that is the case. So you would think this squad would be no more than 25 or 26 players.
@ACT-Crusader Also from a cost perspective, that's the sensible thing to do.
Anyone who doesn't make the AB XV might find themselves in the Barbarian team if Razor is still the Barbarian coach by then.
Possible squad :
Eklund, Aumua, Thompson (McAllister, Vikena eventual bolters)
Norris, Williams, Jager, Newell, Ainsley
Gallagher, Sangster, IWL, PPP (if fit)
MMT, Robinson, Harmon, Suafoa, Grace + an openside (Gibson, Christie ?)
Weber, Ratima, TJP
Ioane + AN other (Morgan, Love, Gatland, Burke, Gilbert ?)
TUJ, PUJ, Nankivell + AN other (Sullivan, Proctor, Evans, Savea ?)
Telea, Stevenson, Lam, Sullivan, Moorby (DMac ?)
@cgrant I hope Flanders is in the equation, too, although the Canes' selection policy and his injury late in the season haven't done him any favours. I guess it may depend on whether Grace will be in the ABs EOYT squad, as he should be. Otherwise, he may have to wait a year.
Bailyn Sullivan should not be listed under "AN other". I'd pick him over PUJ.
And whether we like it or not, Ennor is a near certainty for this team, unless he's in the ABs to stay. As a midfielder or a wing, or a utitlity back.
@ACT-Crusader Yep, that makes a lot of sense.
It will be hard to move players from the ABs to the AB XV as there will be clashes with the AB tests against Scotland and England.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
It will be hard to move players from the ABs to the AB XV as there will be clashes with the AB tests against Scotland and England.
On game day you have your selected 23 plus a few others should there be injuries in the warmups. But not every one of the 12 or 13 would be on standby once the 23 is selected. The fact they are on the same weekend shouldn’t matter.
@ACT-Crusader If the AB XV are taking these games seriously, which I am sure they will be, they would want all the players that are going to play each game to be training together that week. That means the ABs not having those players for the full week.
@Bovidae Isn't one match in Scotland while the other one that weekend is at Tottenham Hotspurs stadium in North London? So group should be split up geographically anyway. Or do I have my fixture calendar wrong?
Maybe they are trying to hook up a new support base in a football hot-spot with a mix of rugby and breakdancing?
@ARHS said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae Isn't one match in Scotland while the other one that weekend is at Tottenham Hotspurs stadium in North London? So group should be split up geographically anyway. Or do I have my fixture calendar wrong?
Correct. The ABs play Scotland on the same day as the Baabaas game. The AB XV still has 2 additional fixtures to add, one likely to be between Canada and the Barbarians.
v Canada, Saturday 29 October, venue TBC
v Barbarians, Sunday 13 November, Tottenham Stadium, London
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
I'd like to know how much communication there has been (in both directions) between NZR and Robertson. I wouldn't be surprised if Robertson decided to accept the Baabaas offer without NZR knowing, which then ruled him out of the AB XV coaching position.
Or just maybe there more money in coaching BaaBaas, from everything I have ever read it pretty lucrative to play etc for them, as most money just goes back to team etc, and basically it's s few training runs, and a fair bit of team building? Sometimes it really works , didn't the BaaBaas just beat Poms 52 -21 a few weeks back?
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV:
Possible squad :
Eklund, Aumua, Thompson (McAllister, Vikena eventual bolters)
Norris, Williams, Jager, Newell, Ainsley
Gallagher, Sangster, IWL, PPP (if fit)
MMT, Robinson, Harmon, Suafoa, Grace + an openside (Gibson, Christie ?)
Weber, Ratima, TJP
Ioane + AN other (Morgan, Love, Gatland, Burke, Gilbert ?)
TUJ, PUJ, Nankivell + AN other (Sullivan, Proctor, Evans, Savea ?)
Telea, Stevenson, Lam, Sullivan, Moorby (DMac ?)
Doesn't look bad, and probably not too far off, I am not absolutely convinced about Moorby (I a Canes man), and if DMac not in ABs, he would be in there ahead of him. Also think PGS will be in loosies!
@Tim said in All Blacks XV:
Sounds like Robinson did another great communication job reassuring the disappointed saffa Super teams that the reason why we cut down our SR comp was only due to covid and that when things normalised we would be keen to resume hostilities... 
@Chris-B said in All Blacks XV:
@cgrant Lomax, Ennor and Dickson.
Quinten Strange.
Timoci Tavatavanawai still possible, I think.
Mitch Hunt as likely as some you've listed.
If eligible Fabian Holland instead of Quinten Strange
@Stargazer Someone mentioned on here that there would be a NZ U19 team this year to provide the NZ Schools players and other school leavers some international games after they missed out on playing Aust last year.
@Tim said in All Blacks XV:
That write up if true is best thing I have read for quite sometime, have they remembered finally who our true rivals/friends are in this game??
@FakatavaAllBlack I think you've fallen into @Chris-B Ta$man trap.
But to reply to your suggestion:
Fabian Holland is not eligible yet for the ABs (until October 2025), but not sure how the rules apply to a non-capturing team. He has only 5 NPC and 2 SR games under his belt and also didn't stand out for the NZU20s. It seems to me that he needs to be given time to develop further, play more first class rugby and see where things are at after the 2023 RWC (when he still can't be selected for the ABs, but maybe ABs XV).
I'm not convinced Q Strange is ABs material, but that's more because he has his development constantly interrupted by injuries. He needs to play a full season, before we really can see where he's at. At this stage, that's higher in the pecking order than Holland though.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
@Stargazer Someone mentioned on here that there would be a NZ U19 team this year to provide the NZ Schools players and other school leavers some international games after they missed out on playing Aust last year.
Now you mention it, I very vaguely remember that.
@Stargazer duly noted