All Blacks XV 2022

@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.

@booboo Nope, Thompson was called up to replace Bell.

@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:

@booboo Nope, Thompson was called up to replace Bell.

Who replaced McAlister?

@booboo No one. He's still there.

@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV:

@booboo No one. He's still there.

Must have dreamt it

@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.

@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.

@Nepia one All Blacks

@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.

@Stargazer
@Dan54

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.

@Bovidae Yeah, true, the AB XV still have three halfbacks. It is a correct example for hooker though.

@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..

@Bones said in All Blacks XV:

@nostrildamus more Savea size..

Oh that mystery size?

@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?

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks XV:

@Daffy-Jaffy don’t tell the Hurricanes supporters

Or the Blues & BoP supporters.

@Bones said in All Blacks XV:

This site could come in handy for the selectors - you can go and view results, players, it's got it all.

View embedded content

It’s all they need,Perfect

The selections around this team are bizarre in my view. I just wonder who may not have been fully fit or available and who may be wanted by Baabaas. Some odd omissions. Regardless the loosies and midfield selections are odd indeed.

Pretty predictable side.

Gardiner at 6 probably the only surprise.

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks XV:

Pretty predictable side.

Stevenson goes from not being in the squad to starting. An example of the muddled selections of this team. You would also think that Sullivan would offer more utility off the bench than Nankivell.

@ARHS Although I am easily confused tis true, if they were short of 10s, why not select Aiden Morgan? And the snubbing of Hodgman is just really weird..

@Jailbreak7 said in All Blacks XV:

@ARHS Although I am easily confused tis true, if they were short of 10s, why not select Aiden Morgan? And the snubbing of Hodgman is just really weird..

They aren’t Cantabs.

The selection of Gardiner is a bit of a shocker. He got bumped off by James Blackwell in the NPC final and was a bit average tbh. There are quite a number of blindside flankers in NZ I would have picked instead of of him but I guess he only gets in because of one-eyed Ryan.

@Daffy-Jaffy I understand the choice. He's very involved defensively with a strong completion rate. There's plenty of flair in the team already.

What he doesn't tend to do is give away dumb penalties as much as Kirifi. Also better decision making.

I feel confident that's what Clayton and Leon would be thinking too.

@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:

An example of the muddled selections of this team

Maybe the AB selectors picked the squad and then MacDonald and McMillan picked the 23?

The selection logic is not consistent

For those who remember the 70s and can't use Instagram ...

1: Aidan Ross (26, Bay of Plenty / Chiefs)
2: Brodie McAlister (25, Canterbury / Crusaders)
3: Tevita Mafileo (24, Bay of Plenty / Hurricanes)
4: Josh Dickson (27, Otago / Highlanders)
5: Patrick Tuipulotu – Captain (29, Auckland / Blues)
6: Dominic Gardiner (21, Canterbury / Crusaders)
7: Luke Jacobson (25, Waikato / Chiefs)
8: Marino Mikaele-Tu’u (24, Hawke’s Bay / Highlanders)
9: TJ Perenara - Vice-Captain (30, Wellington / Hurricanes)
10: Damian McKenzie (27, Waikato / Chiefs)
11: AJ Lam (24, Auckland / Blues)
12: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (29, Auckland / Blues)
13: Braydon Ennor (25, Canterbury / Crusaders)
14: Shaun Stevenson (25, North Harbour / Chiefs)
15: Ruben Love (21, Wellington / Hurricanes)

16: Tyrone Thompson (22, Hawke’s Bay / Chiefs)
17: Finlay Brewis (22, Canterbury / Crusaders)
18: Tamaiti Williams (22, Canterbury / Crusaders)
19: Zach Gallagher (21, Canterbury / Crusaders)
20: Christian Lio-Willie (24, Otago / Crusaders)
21: Cam Roigard (21, Counties Manukau / Hurricanes)
22: Josh Ioane (27, Otago / Chiefs)
23: Alex Nankivell (26, Ta$man / Chiefs)