@Chris-B said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Mr-Fish That looks pretty close to me.
I've gone a bit cold on my earlier picks of Carter and Norris after Saturday night - and Dave Havili has firmed in the betting (for me).
I still think AJ Lam is a good chance - replacing Narawa in your selection, but that's really a 50/50 call.
Razor will have a couple of surprises!
I’d be surprised if Narawa is not selected. His improvement has been very good.
Surely a few players would have turned up at NP airport. A Barrett family presser would be so boring.
@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Surely a few players would have turned up at NP airport. A Barrett family presser would be so boring.
However a Blackadder, Havili, Fihaki and Reece presser would certainly send the Fern into a new level of “excitement”
@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Chris-B I'd like to see Lam there, but is he the obvious casualty of the talk of Rieko as a wing/midfielder?
I think they'll only select three specialist wings - and Clarke and Reece pretty certain to be two of them.
Quite a few contenders for the third spot.
Narawa, Lam, Carter - I don't really see Fihaki making it, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Don't think Timoci is fast enough to be picked there - but, who knows - there's been some drums beating, so Razor might balance things quite a bit differently than I expect.
@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Kirifi is a New Plymouth boy.
Imagine that spanner - 'Kirifi named as new AB captain'
Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister
Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi
Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland
Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson
Halfbacks: Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham
First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie
Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai
Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, Ruben Love
Injury cover: Christian Lio-Willie (for Luke Jacobson), Emoni Narawa (for Anton Lienert-Brown)
Unavailable due to injury: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Sam Darry, Peter Lakai, Stephen Perofeta.
Here we are team. Brodie Mcalastair the big bolter here.
@Frank said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
A lot of midfielders.
Reiko for the wing?No Christie, Havili or Blackadder = sweet.
Sotutu and Papalii notale omissions.
Big Jim!...will wait to see if he actually gets any game time but love it when someone gets the nod off the back of hard graft, i've thought all season its a really good trait hes been playing well whilst being captain, so many wilt under that extra responsibility, hes truly something different, could change a game coming off the bench rather than the like for like replacements we too often see
i dont like injury cover and naming who theyre for.....if theyre not right then just give it to the guy thats fit
So I guess we are looking at:
6: Samipeni Finau
7: Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi
8: Wallace Sititi
6/7/8 cover: Luke Jacobsen
So first test is looking like a Finau - Ardie - Sititi trio
