From a Highlanders perspective I'd like to see Dunshea, Haig, Holland, Fakatava and a couple of membefs of our back three make it. Probably JRK as a winger.
They are going to have one helluva side if Robertson and his chums keep turning their noses up at the best players in New Zealand.
Its a tough one Sparky.
There are a few positions with a lot of competition (Front row and wing for eg) and a few with virtually none (lock and 10) and lots of young guys with real potential but all have little bits of game to grow into. I would think its just a matter of which young fulla is stronger in the balance of their weaknesses to what the coaches want and in the guys playing around them on the field for the game plan they want.
Yeah swap Poihipi and Lam, get ENS in there somewhere. I
f Holland and Tavatavnawai are allowed get them in there too.
What's Tele'a's injury status? Chuck Lam back to 12 and him at 13, Poihipi to the bench.
Funaki definitely deserves a shot. I guess Hotham wears the right shirt though.
22 days later
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:
I'd like to see an AJ Lam - Tanielu Telea combination for the All Blacks XV, with Tavatavanawai on the right wing. This could be fun to watch.
That would be fun to watch. I’m sure Poihipi and Tupaea might push for the midfield aswell.
What would the rest of the backline look like? Love at 15, Plummer at 10, Nanai-Seturo at 11…
It's unlikely Hotham will be involved with the ABs on the EOYT (and it's entirely possible one of the original three selected for July also makes way for Roigard if he's back playing), so the XV certainly won't be short of options at halfback.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks XV 2024:
It's unlikely Hotham will be involved with the ABs on the EOYT
It seems extremely likely to me. Why wouldn't he be?
@MN5 said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV 2024:
So with the players not selected who makes this squad?
My starting team would be the following:
- Numia
- Riccitelli
- Dyer
- Darry
- Walker-Leawere
- Grace
- Lakai
- Sotutu
- Hotham
- Plummer
- Nareki
- Lam
- Poihipi
- Stevenson
- Love
The wingers look a bit weak.
I guess that’s what happens when 50,000 of them get named in the ABs.
you could have Ioane at 6?
@Bones said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks XV 2024:
It's unlikely Hotham will be involved with the ABs on the EOYT
It seems extremely likely to me. Why wouldn't he be?
Because Roigard will be back, so it'll be him, Ratima and one of TJ or Christie for experience I expect
@Bones said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks XV 2024:
It's unlikely Hotham will be involved with the ABs on the EOYT
It seems extremely likely to me. Why wouldn't he be?
As @nzzp has said, assuming the pecking order at the start of the year was:
1/ Roigard
2/ Perenara
3/ Christie
4/ Ratima
5/ Hotham
Then Hotham would need to jump two places to be one of the three halfbacks on the EOYT. It's possible, but I think it's unlikely (unless Roigard is still injured, in which case he just needs to get ahead of either Perenara or Christie).
2 months later
Best to discuss the potential squad in this thread. Hopefully @Duluth can merge with the other AB XV thread.
Given that Ryan had a say in the selections last year you can assume many of the forwards are still favoured.
A reminder of that squad:
Props
Jermaine Ainsley
George Dyer
Tevita Mafileo
Xavier Numia
Aidan Ross
Ollie Norris
Pouri Rakete-Stones
Hookers
Asafo Aumua
Ricky Riccitelli
Tyrone Thompson
George Bell
Locks
Naitoa Ah Kuoi
Quinten Strange
Isaia Walker-Leawere
Loose Forwards
Billy Harmon
Akira Ioane
Du’Plessis Kirifi
Christian Lio-Willie
Pita Gus Sowakula
Cameron Suafoa
Halfbacks
Folau Fakatava
Brad Weber
First-five-eighths
Brett Cameron
Stephen Perofeta
Midfielders
Jack Goodhue
Alex Nankivell
Billy Proctor
Bailyn Sullivan
Outside Backs
Sam Gilbert
AJ Lam
Ruben Love
Etene Nanai-Seturo
Jona Nareki
There will be other players in the mix now. Laghlan McWhannell must be a good chance to be one of the locks. Zach Gallagher too based on previous selections.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Best to discuss the potential squad in this thread. Hopefully @Duluth can merge with the other AB XV thread.
Where is that?
I know @Mr-Fish posted a prediction of the AB XV in the EOYT thread. I'll quote that below:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks EOYT:
All Blacks XV (28)
Hookers (2): Ricky Riccitelli, Kurt Eklund
Props (5): Xavier Numia, George Bower, Aidan Ross, Marcel Renata, Saula Ma'u
Locks (3): Josh Lord, Fabian Holland, Max Hicks
Loose forwards (6): Cullen Grace, Cameron Suafoa, Malachi Wrampling, Peter Lakai, Hugh Renton, Hoskins Sotutu
Halfbacks (2): Noah Hotham, Folau Fakatava
First fives (1): Josh Jacomb
Midfield (3): Rameka Poihipi, Quinn Tupaea, Dallas McLeod, AJ Lam
Wings (4): Gideon Wrampling, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Kini Naholo
Fullbacks (2): Ruben Love, Zarn Sullivan
@Duluth When I did a search I also saw this thread:
Based on form I’d have Riley Higgins right in the mix for the AB XV side. He’s the form 12 in the NPC by a fairly long way.
Caleb Delany should definitely be in the mix over some of the players mentioned above aswell.
Kade Banks over Gideon-Wrampling aswell.
I’d go with the following:
Props
Xavier Numia
George Bower
George Dyer
Marcel Renata
Tevita Mafileo
Hookers
Ricky Riccitelli
Kurt Eklund
Brodie McCalister
Locks
Caleb Delany
Isaia Walker-Leawere
Fabian Holland
Zach Gallagher
Loose Forwards
Hoskins Sotutu
Peter Lakai (might be in the ABs)
Du’Plessis Kirifi
Brayden Iose
Oliver Haig
Cameron Suafoa
Halfbacks
Folau Fakatava
Finlay Christie
First-five
Stephen Perofeta
Josh Jacomb
Midfielders
Rameka Poihipi
Riley Higgins
AJ Lam
Bailyn Sullivan
Outside Backs
Kini Naholo
Zarn Sullivan
Etene Nanai-Seturo
Jona Nareki
Kade Banks
Tevita Mafileo doesn't even start ahead of his brother now. Delany has been average in the Wellington games I've seen. I expect some surprises and puzzling selections.
AFAIK they haven't even named the coach yet.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Tevita Mafileo doesn't even start ahead of his brother now. Delany has been average in the Wellington games I've seen. I expect some surprises and puzzling selections.
AFAIK they haven't even named the coach yet.
Delany hasn’t been playing that well lately because he’s fronted most of the load because of injuries including being forced to play three games in one week. He’s had a great year but probably needs a week or two to refresh which is unlikely.
Over the course of most of the year he’s been awesome.
It would be interesting to see who the coach is. Hopefully Vern Cotter and Clark Laidlaw are in the mix. Laidlaw was at AB training the other day.
I'm going to throw a couple of random names out for consideration ...
Jordi Viljoen
Xavier Roe
Rivez Reihana
JRK
I think they will take three 10’s in this team this season due to the share fact the quality depth isn’t jumping out right now. The more the can get a closer look at, the better.
Ones to consider in my opinion.
- Josh Jacomb(should be no debate here)
- Plummer(Should be in AB’s, if not he’s the 10).
- Cam Millar(To get a closer look and better idea of him)
- Rives Reihana(There’s a player in there, might just take another couple years. Plus he wears red and black).
- Zarn Sullivan(Is his future at 10 or 15?)
- Kaleb Trask(Good player when fit, still only 25).
Plenty of there or there abouts talent. Be interesting to see which way they go.
@Landers92 said in All Blacks XV 2024:
I think they will take three 10’s in this team this season due to the share fact the quality depth isn’t jumping out right now. The more the can get a closer look at, the better.
Ones to consider in my opinion.
- Josh Jacomb(should be no debate here)
- Plummer(Should be in AB’s, if not he’s the 10).
- Cam Millar(To get a closer look and better idea of him)
- Rives Reihana(There’s a player in there, might just take another couple years. Plus he wears red and black).
- Zarn Sullivan(Is his future at 10 or 15?)
- Kaleb Trask(Good player when fit, still only 25).
Plenty of there or there abouts talent. Be interesting to see which way they go.
Zarn pretty much sealed his fate at 15 when he re-signed for the Blues. If he wants to be a 10 at the highest level he should have gone somewhere else as the Blues have Plummer, Barrett and Perofeta who would all likely play 10 before he got a shot.
If I was him I would have gone to the Canes. Your almost guaranteed the starting 10 spot and if you can form a good combo with Roigard that would put you right in the hunt to be in the AB mix.
Pretty bad career move staying at the Blues tbh if he wanted to play 10.
I thought he looked pretty good near the end of the season.
@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Pretty good.
I don't see Sotutu or Sullivan getting selected though.
If Sotutu doesn’t make the AB XV, Razor really is an idiot.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Pretty good.
I don't see Sotutu or Sullivan getting selected though.
If Sotutu doesn’t make the AB XV, Razor really is an idiot.
He may as well head north, there's no future for him in NZ if he does.
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Pretty good.
I don't see Sotutu or Sullivan getting selected though.
If Sotutu doesn’t make the AB XV, Razor really is an idiot.
He may as well head north, there's no future for him in NZ if he does.
If that happens he should try to get an early release. Perhaps England would want him in November
@Duluth said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Pretty good.
I don't see Sotutu or Sullivan getting selected though.
If Sotutu doesn’t make the AB XV, Razor really is an idiot.
He may as well head north, there's no future for him in NZ if he does.
If that happens he should try to get an early release. Perhaps England would want him in November
He still has to wait until the end of next year before becoming elligible for England/Fiji.
True. I thought it had been 3 years already
I believe his NZ contract ends at the same time
Razor said his toughest decision was leaving Sotutu out of the All Blacks in July so would be hard to see him missing out on the XV unless he's not been answering phone calls again...
Razor's also confirmed 36 and 29 for the two EOYT squads and that some players will be shared (whether that means 65 total or some of the players count in both is unclear, but assuming the former...)