@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
100% has to be Kirifi but with Ryan in there as a selector it will end up being Christie.
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:
Also posted in another thread:
The All Blacks coach said Cane had suffered a fractured cheekbone in the match at National Stadium, while veteran hooker Coles has succumbed to a calf injury which had seen him a late scratching from Saturday’s test.
Canterbury and Highlanders loose forward Billy Harmon, and Wellington, Hurricanes, and six-test hooker Asafo Aumua – both of whom were part of the All Blacks XV squad – have been called up for the remaining tests against Wales, Scotland and England.
Foster also confirmed lock Patrick Tuipulotu and playmaker Damian McKenzie would rejoin the ABs XV squad, while winger Mark Telea – a late call-up after Leicester Fainga’anuku went home for family reasons – would stay on with the All Blacks as Will Jordan will stay on in New Zealand to get over his inner ear issue.So the AB XVs lose Harmon and Aumua, meaning that the AB XV are left with two hookers (McAlister and Thompson). Either Aumua will still be available to them in case of injury (if he doesn't get game time for the ABs), or they'll call up another hooker. You'd think that Eklund or Marshall will be the frontrunners.
More interesting is the loose forward position. Of the loosies in this squad, Harmon was the only one who regularly plays at 7 (at least in Super Rugby). Will they call up a specialist 7? Tom Christie is probably the most likely selection if they want a specialist 7. Not sure who else.
Interestingly, that article doesn't say whether Weber will stay with the ABs or will rejoin the ABXV squad. I hope they keep him with the ABs, because the alternative would be TJP.
Lol Perenara easily outplayed Weber in the NPC. Weber is overated. Roigard should be the one starting for the All Black’s XV. He’s the future and right now he’s playing the best footy out of him Weber and Perenara.
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
The same Kirifi who is derided on here as being a useless dumb thug?
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
The same Kirifi who is derided on here as being a useless dumb thug?
I can’t recall reading any of that. Don’t think it is the general accepted view at all.
I think he is limited as far as the top end of the game goes but otherwise is a busy effective player that has matured quite a bit in the last year and a bit.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
100% has to be Kirifi but with Ryan in there as a selector it will end up being Christie.
Don't think it will be Kirifi, I think he may just be considered to small for test rugby?
@Dan54 said in All Blacks XV:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
100% has to be Kirifi but with Ryan in there as a selector it will end up being Christie.
Don't think it will be Kirifi, I think he may just be considered to small for test rugby?
Harmon and Christie aren’t big either.
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
The same Kirifi who is derided on here as being a useless dumb thug?
I can’t recall reading any of that. Don’t think it is the general accepted view at all.
I think he is limited as far as the top end of the game goes but otherwise is a busy effective player that has matured quite a bit in the last year and a bit.
You don't? Even in the NPC final thread, a game in which he played pretty well, he was slagged off. Don't get me wrong, I like him and if given the chance he will give everything. Not saying you were one of the ones slagging him off over the last few years, but I find it amusing some are now calling for him to be selected. Hopefully they aren't the same posters who have been up him.
@Crazy-Horse I think most of the negative comments were mainly posted in 2020/2021, when he was a real a-hole and gave away a lot of penalties. Although he sometimes still shows those traits now and then, he has been much more disciplined this year, and had a good NPC season.
Still think Harmon is the better player though, more versatile too. As to Christie, he had a very good year, too, but I think he's pretty limited.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
The same Kirifi who is derided on here as being a useless dumb thug?
I can’t recall reading any of that. Don’t think it is the general accepted view at all.
I think he is limited as far as the top end of the game goes but otherwise is a busy effective player that has matured quite a bit in the last year and a bit.You don't? Even in the NPC final thread, a game in which he played pretty well, he was slagged off. Don't get me wrong, I like him and if given the chance he will give everything. Not saying you were one of the ones slagging him off over the last few years, but I find it amusing some are now calling for him to be selected. Hopefully they aren't the same posters who have been up him.
Well I think only a couple of posters have called for him to be called up. Most likely not the same ones you are thinking of.
@Stargazer somewhere I thought Eklund has already been called up. No?
Aumua has to stay with the ABs to guard against a similar incident to yesterday.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
100% has to be Kirifi but with Ryan in there as a selector it will end up being Christie.
Meh it's much of a muchness. Two small 7s - one with horrendous discipline - and one who offers very little on one side of the ball.
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:
@booboo Nope, Thompson was called up to replace Bell.
Who replaced McAlister?
@Crazy-Horse that was me.
I also said i thought that final was the best he has played for some time, but I still think he is a douche, more on him in 2020/21 as @Stargazer said, including his covid breach...that said, the no dickhead rules disappeared some time ago, so there's that.
Harmon would be my choice.
Would the last rugby player in NZ please turn be lights when they leave….
We are certainly getting down there in terms of the pecking order of players.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks XV:
Would the last rugby player in Christchurch please turn be lights when they leave….
We are certainly getting down there in terms of the pecking order of players.
Fixed your spelling mistake.
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:
@booboo No. Someone posted here that he was injured and was out of the squad. Obviously, that was incorrect. If he was injured at all, it can't have been bad.
Found the post where it was mentioned, couple of pages back. Talk of ACL ... Glad it's not.
Do think it's worth bringing in a third hooker as I think Aumua has to stay with ABs.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
It's up to the players to make that personal decision, and you would hope that Aumua is getting the right advice from his agent etc. There are a number of midfielders ahead of him before he would get anywhere near the ABs.
Every single AB midfielder on here has had their doubters or critics. ALB: 'vanilla"; JB: "one game"; RTS: "too old, out of position"; Havili: "too small, out of position"; Rieko: " better as a winger"; Ennor: "Ennor". Have I missed anyone?
@Tim said in All Blacks XV:
Guys, I really think that @ARHS might just have been joking about selecting an ancient and mediocre Canterbury player ...
Piss-taking on the Fern. Ban the fluffybunny!
@booboo said in All Blacks XV:
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:
@booboo No. Someone posted here that he was injured and was out of the squad. Obviously, that was incorrect. If he was injured at all, it can't have been bad.
Found the post where it was mentioned, couple of pages back. Talk of ACL ... Glad it's not.
Do think it's worth bringing in a third hooker as I think Aumua has to stay with ABs.
With Aumua staying with ABs, I thought another hooker would be brought in, like halfback you really need 3 in case of late injury etc.
@Dan54 I suspect they'll bring in the ABs hooker/halfback who doesn't play for the ABs in the following test if the injury occurs before game day. In case of injuries occurring on game day/during warm-up, they'll probably expect the remaining hooker/halfback to play the full 80 minutes, with another player as cover - for example - Rakete-Stones as the emergency hooker (he played there at school) or Josh Ioane as the emergency halfback (Love to 10, Stevenson to 15).
Anyway, maybe they have brought in new players, but are just late with the announcement.
Ratima is the third halfback in the squad. Hooker is really the only problem position, but maybe Aumua flies over to Dublin on game day and then returns to Cardiff.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks XV:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
100% has to be Kirifi but with Ryan in there as a selector it will end up being Christie.
Don't think it will be Kirifi, I think he may just be considered to small for test rugby?
Harmon and Christie aren’t big either.
Harmon is about Richie McCaw size isn't he?
I am sure I read an ex-AB a year or two ago reckoning Harmon could make a good 6/8 and he had his eye on him. I thought it was an ex AB loosie who would know (e.g. Kaino) but I can't find it anyway.
@nostrildamus more Savea size..
They might want to update their page:
"Ardie Savea continues to be regarded as one of the best openside flankers in world rugby. "
HEIGHT 188
WEIGHT 102
But interestingly he is taller and lighter when he plays for the All Blacks
HEIGHT 190CM
WEIGHT 99KG
@Daffy-Jaffy don’t tell the Hurricanes supporters 
@Daffy-Jaffy Good to see those recruited. Would love to see room made for Ah Kuoi......
This site could come in handy for the selectors - you can go and view results, players, it's got it all.
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks XV:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks XV:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Kirifi should be the player to replace Harmon. Outplayed Christie in the NPC final and finished the season strongly. But Christie plays for Canterbury...
Tuipulotu might end up being back with the ABs once the AB XV tour is finished.
Will be quite the snub if Kirifi isnt called in IMO.
So if RTS and Ennor are joining that that mean they push aside the midfield already there?
100% has to be Kirifi but with Ryan in there as a selector it will end up being Christie.
Don't think it will be Kirifi, I think he may just be considered to small for test rugby?
Harmon and Christie aren’t big either.
Harmon is about Richie McCaw size isn't he?
I am sure I read an ex-AB a year or two ago reckoning Harmon could make a good 6/8 and he had his eye on him. I thought it was an ex AB loosie who would know (e.g. Kaino) but I can't find it anyway.
He certainly looks about the Richie size nostri, same as Sam Cane, Papalii, seems the feeling 7s really need to be reasnnably solid build at test level. Even someone like Pocock was probably a more pwerful build than many others?