All Blacks 2024

@antipodean not if you found a way to get Blackadder on the bench.

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:

@antipodean not if you found a way to get Blackadder on the bench.

Before or after he'd broken the bench?

@Yeahtheboys said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:

The ABs team I’d like to see in 2024 is

1. Pouri Rakete-Stones
2. Tyrone Thompson
3. Joel Hintz
4. Geoff Cridge
5. IWL
6. MMT
7. Josh Kaifa
8. Devan Flanders
9. Folau Fakatava
10. Lincoln McClutchie (captain / coach)
11. Jonah Lowe
12. Chase Tiatia
13. Nick Grigg
14. Ollie Sapsford
15. Harry Goddfrey

I like it. 15 debutants and no living off past glories ( making a World Cup final isn’t that big a deal, it’s not like they won it )

I’ve read up quite a bit on this McClutchie guy, he sounds like the real deal. Lots of talk on him on some pretty reputable Rugby sites.

Some interesting and thought-provoking insights from Mr Kitshoff on the benefits of allowing overseas players in the Boks. Makes you wonder if it would benefit the AB's

@Victor-Meldrew senior ABs do get a sabbatical. Maybe expand on that to allow them to play overseas for a couple of years and still be available for AB selection, but I wouldn't want to see anything more than that.

@Bones perhaps for known quantities; those who are near certs to start and have 50 caps or something like that...

@antipodean yeah it doesn't set their selection in stone, but say Smith, Whitelock had been playing overseas last couple of years, they'd still be invaluable.

@antipodean I thought you had to have a certain number of caps to get a sabbatical anyway?

@Tim excellent development. Someone at HQ is thinking.

@Bones

It was the idea of grabbing knowledge from overseas which appealed to me. And yeah, don't want us to go down the full Bok route as I think our structure is different and it would be detrimental.

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:

@Bones perhaps for known quantities; those who are near certs to start and have 50 caps or something like that...

Some sort of set criteria could be really good. Provide an incentive and ensures the more experienced players get to absorb any knowledge and can share ir

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:

@antipodean I thought you had to have a certain number of caps to get a sabbatical anyway?

I suspect that you are correct. Since it doesn't seem to happen very often I can't recall a pattern other than NZR believe certain players are worth extending this opportunity to retain them.

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:

@antipodean I thought you had to have a certain number of caps to get a sabbatical anyway?

I suspect that you are correct. Since it doesn't seem to happen very often I can't recall a pattern other than NZR believe certain players are worth extending this opportunity to retain them.

Think it's probably 50/50 as to whether it's been successful at AB level so far too - but probably a lot more valuable lower at lower levels.

@Victor-Meldrew I don't think it would work for the ABs, bc:

1. The ABs play an uptempo/high octane style while in Europe they play a slower game. Much more suited to SA.
2. The European game is great for props and locks mostly. Otoh, Richie Arnold looked good in France and turned out to be awful for the Wallabies.
3. Fitness levels will be a problem for the ABs management. For example, even the top league in Europe (France's Top14) has a huge variance in focus on fitness from club to club.

@Tim What on Earth are NZR going to do when Wayne really does pack it in? He has been incredible in this type of role across NZ rugby.

Who is the next big brain in NZ? I wonder if Razor will ultimately take on this role once his head coaching days are behind him. WS will be mentoring him, so it isn't inconceivable.

@stodders They're going to employ me. Next question.

@Tim how is the Eden park DJ going to be executed?

@Bones Guillotine. I told him to use Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project.

@Canes4life I bloody impressed with Loves work and doing extras mate. That is the kind of commitment I want to see , and now I really on the Love wagon and hope he reaps the rewards. I always say the very good ones are the ones who do all these extras.