@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Strange is one of two locks with the size for test footy. The other being Parkinson. And the other is Sam Darry ...
Stranger things have happened but I have serious doubts about Darry's selection in the AB squad for 2024. He's not dominant in the NPC so the gap is huge with the international requirements. MSR, McWhannel and Sangster have a higher ceiling IMO.
@Victor-Meldrew I’m hoping things won’t be as dire as they were post 2015. Think a lot of that had to do with Allister Coetzee's non coaching and very poor team cohesion…. But they did lose a lot of senior players around that time as well. Rassie staying on is a good sign, maybe he has a plan.
@BerniesCorner I would love Scott Barrett or someone who is an automatic pick rather than Cane. Felt Dalton played well on the end of year tour 22 and did enough to usurp Cane. Had he played perhaps we would of won the final. Would've, could've should've.
@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@W32 It's sort of a pattern with the Bok coaches. One Bok coach will cap a lot of players and then the next two Bok coaches will primarily use those players (only adding a handful of squad players) during their tenures. At the end of that 10-year+ period, the cupboard is bare.
SA rugby have dropped the "quota" system apparently. Hopefully that will result in color being a non factor in our rugby going forward....that should result in better outcomes all around. I think Rassie and Nienaber deserve credit for identifying, bringing in and nurturing talented players from disadvantaged situations. Kolisi being the obvious example. Honestly as an expat looking on I felt so excited when players like Kolisi, Mapimpi, Am, etc started taking on leadership roles in the team. A huge previously ignored pool of players showing us the way forward. Hopefully the shortsightedness of the past is behind us......
@W32 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Windows97 SA definitely need to get younger players in. This group bar one or two players will be too old at the next WC. Will be interesting to see what the first test team post WC looks like
Thanks as I'm not that familiar with the SA players aside form the fact they seem to beat us a lot.
However I would say SA is in the more enviable position of having 4 years to blood new players in preparation for the next RWC (albeit by the sounds of it they'll have to blood quite a few) instead of being forced to blood new players immediately in 2024 as they've had a huge exodus post the RWC.
Interesting the shift from "don't have the cattle" to great and optimistic starting point. Hopefully Razor can bring out the best in them.
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
For a blast from the past, I leave below Rattue's take on the worst XV of the Henry era - just prior to the 2011 RWC.
Aged like milk.
jesus...that might be the worst thing ive ever seen written down
14.) BEN SMITH
The renaissance man according to southerners. Have to take their word for it, since my devotion to Super rugby doesn't often extend to watching the Highlanders. Looked fairly ordinary in his All Black stint compared with the Sivivatus of this world. As for being Ben Smith - All Black wings need handles like Josevata, Hosea, Rico, Rene, Rudi, Cory, Sitiveni, Zac, Israel, Jonah. Call it the Engelbert Humperdinck effect. Do you think Sonny Bill Williams would be Sonny Bill Williams if he wasn't Sonny Bill Williams? Come on. Try Benny Boy Smith-Wesson and just watch your career take off.
that article is funny for so many reasons
He picked too many low hanging fruit by naming one test wonders. Should have aimed at a few guys who got picked regularly
Ma'a Nonu was already Ma'a Nonu V2 by 2011
Stephen Donald? When Colin Slade had already been picked in that position?
Lauaki is plain wrong. People remember that Aus test that was the end of him, but overlook the work before that, and the fact he was a huge loss for that 2007 Qtr Final
I would expect a better list from some of the lessor trolls of this joint
Every time we have a go at Stephen Jones we should really stop throwing stones in our glasshouse and hang our heads in shame that we come from a country that actually pays Chris Rattue to write about Rugby.
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Every time we have a go at Stephen Jones we should really stop throwing stones in our glasshouse and hang our heads in shame that we come from a country that actually pays Chris Rattue to write about Rugby.
I accept no responsibility for him.
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Every time we have a go at Stephen Jones we should really stop throwing stones in our glasshouse and hang our heads in shame that we come from a country that actually pays Chris Rattue to write about Rugby.
I accept no responsibility for him.
Apparently he spent a bit of time in the Bay as a youngster.
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Every time we have a go at Stephen Jones we should really stop throwing stones in our glasshouse and hang our heads in shame that we come from a country that actually pays Chris Rattue to write about Rugby.
I accept no responsibility for him.
Apparently he spent a bit of time in the Bay as a youngster.
Hopefully he was bullied mercilessly.
Did anyone catch that "Ineligible All Blacks XV" on stuff? Matt Proctor at 14?
If I was a NZR policy maker and I read George Bridge at 15, that would confirm to me that making overseas-based players eligible for the ABs would be DISASTROUS.
Leicester is the only real loss, but tbh test quality wingers emerge every few years in NZ.
@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@nzzp Rattue = dude who delivers bogus takes with high confidence in those bogus takes
Wish.com version of the walrus
@mariner4life oh come on, prior to the world cup Donald was one of the most "hated" guys in NZ rugby. Everyone read that bit and nodded hard.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@mariner4life oh come on, prior to the world cup Donald was one of the most "hated" guys in NZ rugby. Everyone read that bit and nodded hard.
Yep, NZ fans did themselves proud with that carry on.
I for one was thrilled he did what he did.
@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Leicester is the only real loss, but tbh test quality wingers emerge every few
yearsmonths in NZ.
FIFY
