@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
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
I think we should be trying to get Joe Schmidt back.
I'd settle for Brown or O'Halloran
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
Brown would be a great pickup, how long is his contract with the Boks? O'Halloran is out of coaching due to health issues. Does anyone think Razor will change his coaching staff before 2027?
Only under duress
Not a chance Tony Brown comes back to work with Razor. The only way he was ever coaching the ABs was with Jamie Joseph, and the ABs elected to go in a different direction.
Razor I said was the right appointment, but hindsight may end up telling us, that a Joseph-Brown ticket was possibly stronger, and at the very least Razor would have benefitted from time away before taking the ABs job.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Not a chance Tony Brown comes back to work with Razor. The only way he was ever coaching the ABs was with Jamie Joseph, and the ABs elected to go in a different direction.
Razor I said was the right appointment, but hindsight may end up telling us, that a Joseph-Brown ticket was possibly stronger, and at the very least Razor would have benefitted from time away before taking the ABs job.
The only way that question is answered is if Joseph and Brown end up coaching the ABs
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
NZR leadership looking like idiots. Not only have they alienated their core supporters, but they have made the French Rugby authorities look more sensible and in touch with reality than themselves. I'd call the NZR leadership clowns, but clowns are sometimes funny.
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp Rieko has signed until the World Cup. Will likely have a sabbatical in there at some point.
The French love a crash ball merchant.
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
NZR leadership looking like idiots. Not only have they alienated their core supporters, but they have made the French Rugby authorities look more sensible and in touch with reality than themselves. I'd call the NZR leadership clowns, but clowns are sometimes funny.
The French are hardly good faith actors, owing ARU about $2 million, sending a weakened squad our way.
You've missed my point.
They know not to piss off their own fans and they are brilliant at raising revenue. French home games sell out quickly and their recent game against the All Blacks was the most watched Rugby game on TV in France ever.
They are super shrewd and I like to see a lot more of that from the people running the game in NZ.
The test schedule will be released on Tuesday. As Paul Cully says in his article, Hamilton getting a French test would be overdue.
The unbeaten streak at Eden Park will also be on the line against SA, if France don't play there.
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae France and Boks both could be at Eden Park
Will be you would expect, first French game probably
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae France and Boks both could be at Eden Park
You'd hope so. Both genuine tier one nations that we haven't beaten in a while. As @Bovidae pointed out the streak could genuinely be on the line, particularly against the Boks. And one would maturely have to acknowledge that it would come to an end at some point.
Not me though. I'll be burning effigies and calling for the guillotine.