All Blacks 2026

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:

@Chris Japan might have freshened up Cane and we are struggling for 7s.

Are we to the extent we need a 35 year old with a broken body.
Savea or Lakai are 7s Kirifi as well I dont think we are struggling there, 6 and 8 yes.

That's a monumentally shit take Chris. Savea doesn't play openside, Lakai is playing well at 8 - which is Ardies position apparently - and Kirifi is simply too small for Test rugby.

Savea does play 7 he did last season for the ABs started every test he played at 7,and is playing 7 in Japan under Rennie.
he is a 7 now under the coaches last year and under Rennie.

@Chris Hasn't he mostly played at 8 in Japan this season?

My mistake, which will teach me to rely upon podcasts. He's been playing 7:

@Tim said in All Blacks 2026:

@Chris Hasn't he mostly played at 8 in Japan this season?

My mistake, which will teach me to rely upon podcasts. He's been playing 7:

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Yep 7 under Rennie every game so has really played 7 for the last two seasons.

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

I wonder about that, do we want players playing how we (or opposition) expect, or do we want players from NZ to play different. That used to be our edge.

Loosies playing as part of a team is my big concern, shoehorning in players because of their rep or individual 'star quality' is becoming less important to me.

@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

I wonder about that, do we want players playing how we (or opposition) expect, or do we want players from NZ to play different. That used to be our edge.

Are you suggesting the opposition find the way Savea plays unexpected, making it an advantage for the All Blacks? I’d say the opposition would be quite happy with his recent, unique style of play: limiting his tackle stats and avoiding rucks as much as possible.

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:

Loosies playing as part of a team is my big concern, shoehorning in players because of their rep or individual 'star quality' is becoming less important to me.

A good combination, with complementary strengths covering all the bases would be nice.

@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

I wonder about that, do we want players playing how we (or opposition) expect, or do we want players from NZ to play different. That used to be our edge.

I'd like my openside to be a menace at rucks. For as long as I can remember it was in the job description.

If he can be the second coming of our lord and saviour Michael Jones, all the better.

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

I don’t disagree with that I would put him on the bench.
But my point is the coaches seem to see him as a 7 so he is a 7 at selection time.
Still we don’t need a 35 year old with a broken body, I can not see him lasting a tour of SA.
He has had some injury concerns in Japan.

@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

I don’t disagree with that I would put him on the bench.
But my point is the coaches seem to see him as a 7 so he is a 7 at selection time.
Still we don’t need a 35 year old with a broken body, I can not see him lasting a tour of SA.
He has had some injury concerns in Japan.

Genuine question for anyone that's been watching Japanese rugby; is he playing as a 7 or that's the jersey he's wearing and Rennie's making the best of his squad?

If he's playing as an 8 and Rennie's happy with that, then I'd wager we're still looking for a 7.

edit - which might be bad news for Lakai...

@antipodean as the baron said he plays his own position the savea

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:

Savea is wearing the no.7 jersey, but is he playing like we expect a 7 to?

That's precisely my point.

I don’t disagree with that I would put him on the bench.
But my point is the coaches seem to see him as a 7 so he is a 7 at selection time.
Still we don’t need a 35 year old with a broken body, I can not see him lasting a tour of SA.
He has had some injury concerns in Japan.

Genuine question for anyone that's been watching Japanese rugby; is he playing as a 7 or that's the jersey he's wearing and Rennie's making the best of his squad?

If he's playing as an 8 and Rennie's happy with that, then I'd wager we're still looking for a 7.

edit - which might be bad news for Lakai...

He is playing as Ardie, be and do wherever he pleases so not a 7 or an 8 really just Ardie position.

I would love to see Finau play like that every week if he could, lock him in as AB 6. But I am not sure he can.

@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:

I would love to see Finau play like that every week if he could, lock him in as AB 6. But I am not sure he can.

No.6s at the international level take a bit of time to develop, don't they?

@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:

I would love to see Finau play like that every week if he could, lock him in as AB 6. But I am not sure he can.

We need Lakai's attitude in Finau's body.