@game_film said in All Blacks 2025:
@Machpants La Rochelle was the rumour after his contract is up next year. But he’s available for all 2025 games…. I believe.
So un demi d'ouverture not flyhalf.
If the ABs do adopt a new policy for sabbaticals allowing players to spend a full year away (perhaps two) and still be eligible for selection (as discussed in the article posted in another thread), Dmac may be the first to take advantage of it.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
It is far from ideal to be taking tests offshore, but I would suggest it is the commercial realities of wanting to keep the ABs individual players from going offshore. The figures to play in Las Vegas vs Roto Vegas I am sure are eye-watering.
I don't actually believe NZR are hate NZ Rugby fans, but between the Silverlake Deal and trying to achieve the financial realities to compete with Japan it is the lesser of two evils. If they didn't do such things, I suspect the players would head offshore in droves, the quality of Super Rugby would suffer, and the game would take severe steps backwards in this country.
You and your "logic and reasoning".
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
Yes to the latter, no to the former..... form should fucking count, not form from two years ago. Hopefully he learns that.
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
Remember, to play the ABs DNA way requires you to be playing overseas...
... Or be injured
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
Remember, to play the ABs DNA way requires you to be playing overseas...
... Or be injured
Breaking the overseas rules to bring back Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizzell.......
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
Remember, to play the ABs DNA way requires you to be playing overseas...
... Or be injuredBreaking the overseas rules to bring back Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizzell.......
And maybe Sotutu after he moves to England 
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
Remember, to play the ABs DNA way requires you to be playing overseas...
... Or be injuredBreaking the overseas rules to bring back Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizzell.......
Remember Frizzell made a tackle in a RWC final, only one, but still - experience
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
Remember, to play the ABs DNA way requires you to be playing overseas...
... Or be injuredBreaking the overseas rules to bring back Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizzell.......
Remember Frizzell made a tackle in a RWC final, only one, but still - experience
Wallace has done more with less experience than Frizell ever did
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
I wonder if that has ever happened before? The player of the competition and eligible for the national team but ignored for selection .
Must be close to being unprecedented.
A part of me hope he goes to England and rips it up for them at Twickenham
@Toddy said in All Blacks 2025:
The best player in NZ couldn't even make the All Blacks in 2007.
Troy Flavell did have a terrific season I must say
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
I wonder if that has ever happened before? The player of the competition and eligible for the national team but ignored for selection .
Must be close to being unprecedented.
A part of me hope he goes to England and rips it up for them at Twickenham
Josh Blackie was the best performing openside during one super season and he didn’t make it. The year he made the 7s side.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
I wonder if that has ever happened before? The player of the competition and eligible for the national team but ignored for selection .
Must be close to being unprecedented.
A part of me hope he goes to England and rips it up for them at Twickenham
Josh Blackie was the best performing openside during one super season and he didn’t make it. The year he made the 7s side.
Who was the incumbent All Black that year?
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
Weren't they also saying something similar about Shaun Stevenson two seasons ago?
If only we had his long accurate clearance kicking during that game against France.
@WoodysRFC said in All Blacks 2025:
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
Weren't they also saying something similar about Shaun Stevenson two seasons ago?
If only we had his long accurate clearance kicking during that game against France.
Indeed. I’m sure someone else would have been happy to make all those tackles he would have missed too.
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@WoodysRFC said in All Blacks 2025:
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
Weren't they also saying something similar about Shaun Stevenson two seasons ago?
If only we had his long accurate clearance kicking during that game against France.
Indeed. I’m sure someone else would have been happy to make all those tackles he would have missed too.
That'd be whoever was cleaning up for Will Jordan. Just to be clear, our inability to clear from kick off receipt was a huge contributor on why we lost that one. No point scoring in multiples of threes if you're immediately under pressure the very next phase. Might not help when we've a fullback who is fairly predictable and has a bang average right hand pass and kick.
On Shaun Stevenson, was he a bit hard done by looking back? Like yeah, his defensive issues are well documented, but was he worth giving a proper crack? I feel like he maybe deserved a shot at fullback at some point.
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
On Shaun Stevenson, was he a bit hard done by looking back? Like yeah, his defensive issues are well documented, but was he worth giving a proper crack? I feel like he maybe deserved a shot at fullback at some point.
Imagine he'd had half the chances Reece/Jordan etc have been given. We'd actually know and supposed top coaches would be able to work with him on his supposed weaknesses!
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
On Shaun Stevenson, was he a bit hard done by looking back? Like yeah, his defensive issues are well documented, but was he worth giving a proper crack? I feel like he maybe deserved a shot at fullback at some point.
Imagine he'd had half the chances Reece/Jordan etc have been given. We'd actually know and supposed top coaches would be able to work with him on his supposed weaknesses!
Not being from Canterbury is his biggest weakness of all
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
On Shaun Stevenson, was he a bit hard done by looking back? Like yeah, his defensive issues are well documented, but was he worth giving a proper crack? I feel like he maybe deserved a shot at fullback at some point.
Imagine he'd had half the chances Reece/Jordan etc have been given. We'd actually know and supposed top coaches would be able to work with him on his supposed weaknesses!
Yeah those were my thoughts too. He's a bit of a wasted talent and is a proper fullback, something we don't really seem to produce these days. Dare I say he's the best all round fullback in the country? The rest are just hybrid 10s and Jordan looks like a winger trying to play fullback, similar to Charles Piutau in the 2010s.
He missed a couple of tackles on the wing in his 1 test and has been given the cold shoulder ever since.
@African-Monkey has a great combination with DMac too, Bernie and Stu like.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
On Shaun Stevenson, was he a bit hard done by looking back? Like yeah, his defensive issues are well documented, but was he worth giving a proper crack? I feel like he maybe deserved a shot at fullback at some point.
Imagine he'd had half the chances Reece/Jordan etc have been given. We'd actually know and supposed top coaches would be able to work with him on his supposed weaknesses!
McMillan is a top coach isn't he?
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
On Shaun Stevenson, was he a bit hard done by looking back? Like yeah, his defensive issues are well documented, but was he worth giving a proper crack? I feel like he maybe deserved a shot at fullback at some point.
Imagine he'd had half the chances Reece/Jordan etc have been given. We'd actually know and supposed top coaches would be able to work with him on his supposed weaknesses!
McMillan is a top coach isn't he?
For backs/defence?
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I hope Robertson picks Hoskins Sotutu next year and fewer shit Cantabs and old men.
If he didn’t this year he won’t next year. Hoskins was literally Super player of the year and still didn’t get a look in.
I wonder if that has ever happened before? The player of the competition and eligible for the national team but ignored for selection .
Must be close to being unprecedented.
A part of me hope he goes to England and rips it up for them at Twickenham
Josh Blackie was the best performing openside during one super season and he didn’t make it. The year he made the 7s side.
Did he win the super rugby MVP award? Was there one!?!
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
Imagine he'd had half the chances Reece/Jordan etc have been given. We'd actually know and supposed top coaches would be able to work with him on his supposed weaknesses!
Not being from Canterbury is his biggest weakness of all
Actually I think it could be concentration and mental strength.
When he is on fire he is definitely on fire.
Learnings:
- Learn NH ref interpretations.
- Play people in their correct position.
- Experience only counts if they are fast enough to get near the ball.
- Change the bench when needed, not when practised
- Restarts. Are meant to be Restarts. Nail them.
- Learn to leverage your advantages (scrum, lineout, speed in certain positions).
- Don't choose players who recently stepped out of a hospital ward.
- Don't undermine your current players by continually pleading for shiny grass is always greener players overseas.
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
Don't undermine your current players by continually pleading for shiny grass is always greener players overseas.
Amen to that. I think this ongoing theme is selfish and hugely damaging to NZ Rugby. Don't know why NZR doesn't rebuke him. How many more will follow Harry Plummer and just how poor will super rugby become.
@ARHS said in All Blacks 2025:
How many more will follow Harry Plummer
Now: Ricky R, Akira (pre) and Sotutu.
Soon: Rieko, DMac?
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp Rieko has signed until the World Cup. Will likely have a sabbatical in there at some point.
Fair. Of course, Akira signed to end of 26. If they don't love it, they leave...
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Toddy said in All Blacks 2025:
The best player in NZ couldn't even make the All Blacks in 2007.
Troy Flavell did have a terrific season I must say
