All Blacks XV 2024

@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:

@Bovidae

Thanks

Merged now

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 would like to say anton segnar must be in with a shout.
Playing consistently well
Also Leroy carter naybe

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.

Zarn did not look comfortable at 10 for Auckland last year. Just didn't seem to suit him.

@KiwiMurph

I thought he looked pretty good near the end of the season.

@Canes4life

Pretty good.

I don't see Sotutu or Sullivan getting selected though.

@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:

@Canes4life

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:

@Canes4life

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:

@Canes4life

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:

@Canes4life

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.

@African-Monkey

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...)

I know that All Blacks XV are playing Munster. Do they have any other fixtures?

Sotutu is a quality 8, NZ rugby should work hard to keep him.

@sparky said in All Blacks XV 2024:

I know that All Blacks XV are playing Munster. Do they have any other fixtures?

Georgia the same week the ABs play Ireland.

A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.
My selection :

Props : Kaivelata, Numia, Dyer, Renata, Lauaki
Hookers : McAllister, Riccitelli,
Locks : IWL, Holland, McWhannel,
LF : Haig, Saifoloi, Segner, Kirifi, Stodart, Suafoa (I hope Lakai will be with the ABs)
Scrum halves : Fakatava, Christie
1st Fives : Jacomb, Millar
Midfielders : Lam, Telea, Higgins, B. Sullivan
Back three : Tavatavanawai, Naholo, Banks, Z. Sullivan, ENS

@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:

A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.

He is certainly looking better with more NPC games. However, I'd be surprised to see any non-SR players in the squad.

You would have to think that the likes of Fihaki will be selected for this squad if he has been brought into the ABs as injury cover.

From the NZH:

With Clayton McMillan to lead a 29-man All Blacks XV squad for matches against Munster and Georgia.

Also:

Addressing whether 21-year-old Lakai will be included in his squad, Robertson indicated he would bounce between the All Blacks and All Blacks XV.

@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:

From the NZH:

With Clayton McMillan to lead a 29-man All Blacks XV squad for matches against Munster and Georgia.

Also:

Addressing whether 21-year-old Lakai will be included in his squad, Robertson indicated he would bounce between the All Blacks and All Blacks XV.

That's good stuff, basically apprenticing with the main team but also getting international game time with the XV

@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:

@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:

A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.

He is certainly looking better with more NPC games. However, I'd be surprised to see any non-SR players in the squad.

You would have to think that the likes of Fihaki will be selected for this squad if he has been brought into the ABs as injury cover.

Can we sign him and Mathis for Super?

If we are prepared to let some of the older heads go, we could have some old heads in our top loose trio and a young trio coming behind them in Saifoloi, Mathis, Wramping.

@gt12 Better to discuss in the Chiefs thread but apart from Jacobson, who is 27, the rest of the Chiefs loose forwards are <25 yrs old. Big, mobile loose forwards are gold though.

@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:

@gt12 Better to discuss in the Chiefs thread but apart from Jacobson, who is 27, the rest of the Chiefs loose forwards are <25 yrs old. Big, mobile loose forwards are gold though.

I think two of the three have potential for the ABXV (that's my attempt to stay on topic @Duluth).

I wonder where Ah Kuoi fits in? Also a contender for this team?

We aren't bringing back the old man from Taranaki this year @Bovidae ?

@sparky said in All Blacks XV 2024:

I know that All Blacks XV are playing Munster. Do they have any other fixtures?

Harlequins/Northampton/Bath?

@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:

A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.
My selection :

Props : Kaivelata, Numia, Dyer, Renata, Lauaki
Hookers : McAllister, Riccitelli,
Locks : IWL, Holland, McWhannel,
LF : Haig, Saifoloi, Segner, Kirifi, Stodart, Suafoa (I hope Lakai will be with the ABs)
Scrum halves : Fakatava, Christie
1st Fives : Jacomb, Millar
Midfielders : Lam, Telea, Higgins, B. Sullivan
Back three : Tavatavanawai, Naholo, Banks, Z. Sullivan, ENS

If Narewa and Love aren’t in AB 36 they’d have to be here.

@pakman they play Georgia in France

Off the wall, but I’d like to see TJP and Cane Co-captains of XV.
Can pass on the AB way to the youngsters and injury cover for 36.
For example, at 9 would allow, Ratima, Roigard, Christie, Hotham and TJP all to travel.
Riccitelli and Eklund allows Bell to float between.

@pakman I don’t understand the point of that. A hundred test ex captain in the development team? TJP is past development and hasn’t got better in the past 2-3 years.

It’s the beginning of a RWC cycle. No room for old heads

@KiwiInLondon said in All Blacks XV 2024:

@pakman I don’t understand the point of that. A hundred test ex captain in the development team? TJP is past development and hasn’t got better in the past 2-3 years.

It’s the beginning of a RWC cycle. No room for old heads

Are you getting confused between the ABs and the AB XV?

It's a development team, not the ABs. Makes perfect sense to get old heads to pass on their knowledge and advice to promising players - particularly on a tour.

@Victor-Meldrew TJP wouldn’t be my choice on mentor for young players. A bit of an idiot

They’ll get that regardless from being in the same room, and I assume training paddock, with the ABs squad.

Maybe an argument for Cane, but again, in what world would they put an ex captain and 100 test AB in a development team. That’s not going to happen

@KiwiInLondon said in All Blacks XV 2024:

@Victor-Meldrew TJP wouldn’t be my choice on mentor for young players. A bit of an idiot

Which 87+ cap AB halfback would you prefer?

They’ll get that regardless from being in the same room, and I assume training paddock, with the ABs squad.

Better they get match practice with uber-experienced ABs that just being in the same room with them.

Maybe an argument for Cane, but again, in what world would they put an ex captain and 100 test AB in a development team.

A world where there's original thinking, a longer-term view on player development, experienced players are used to mentor upcoming talent and work with coaches on developing that talent?

They all have ABs in their super teams. If you want to take Sam Cane etc as a mentor, don't take him in a playing role.

@reprobate said in All Blacks XV 2024:

They all have ABs in their super teams. If you want to take Sam Cane etc as a mentor, don't take him in a playing role.

Not all Super Teams have a 100 Test opensides or 87 Test 9's playing with them, though. And playing internationals with a mix of players from SR franchises is very different and a step up from super rugby