@brodean said in All Blacks 2026:
An extremely average Blues side beat the B&I Lions in 2017.
So an extremely average blues team from nearly ten years ago could have beaten the ABs and is relevant nine years later?
Ok.
Sometimes the logic gets confusing.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2026:
An extremely average Blues side beat the B&I Lions in 2017.
So an extremely average blues team from nearly ten years ago could have beaten the ABs and is relevant nine years later?
Ok.
Sometimes the logic gets confusing.
I never claimed to be logical.
Watching those clips...
He's holding the ball in both hands a lot more and trying to put people in space...big plus
He seems to have lost a fair bit of pace. A Reiko of 2-3 years ago would have pinned his ears back and burned the opposition. Maybe that's a Leinster coaching thing though.
I don't mind Ioane in the midfield at all - just think he's behind Proctor and potentially Tupaea and Lienert-Brown. Don't think he has the pace to be on the wing though.
But also that highlights package wasn't exactly stellar given it's for a full season. A few good moments and a few very normal moments you would find for probably any midfielder in the world at almost any level.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
Lienert-Brown
Oh come on. 2024 vs Argentina, ALB missed several tackles and was horribly bad.
He has done nothing at test level other than give away cards for several years.
2023 World Cup was at least relevant and had Schmidt coaching.
@brodean yet Italy beat England and Scotland, Ireland (essentially Leinster) only beat them 20-13 ( a game that Italy really should have won) at home. Their last game against the Springbok was 32-14 so put up more of a fight than the ABs did at Wellington.
Thinking this Italian team isn’t good and can’t beat anyone (with the exception of the ABs and Springbok) on their day is a pretty silly statement
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2026:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2026:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2026:
Proctor and Tupaea both failed to claim the position so far.
And so did Rieko with far more chances
He was re-selected their for years. He obviously claimed it getting a chance in 2020 and then consistently being selected their leading up until the 2023 RWC.
Sure he lost it but there was a period of years where he was the preferred 13.
The failed All Black coach Scott Robertson tried to move him back to 11 but by the end of the URC season Rieko was the preferred 13 to Ringrose at Leinster - Ireland's highly acclaimed 13.
He's looked decent enough for Leinster, but "decent" in the URC and Champions Cup isn't the benchmark for starting in the black jersey. The All Blacks should be selecting players who can change test matches, not simply get through them.
Defensively, there's no questioning his ability. His work rate, line speed and physicality are outstanding, and he's one of the best defensive centres we have. But defence alone shouldn't be enough to lock down the No. 13 jersey.
Attack is where the concerns are for me. Too often he defaults to taking contact rather than putting players around him into space. The great All Black centres, players like Conrad Smith made everyone outside them better. They drew defenders, squared up the line and consistently created opportunities. Rieko still looks like a winger playing centre rather than a genuine playmaking 13.
The other reality is that the raw pace that made him such a devastating weapon early in his career isn't quite what it used to be. He's still quick, but he's no longer blowing Test defenders away purely through speed. When that point of difference starts to fade, the other parts of your game need to become elite, and I don't think his distribution or decision-making have reached that level.
You point to his time at Leinster as proof he's rediscovered his best form, but I'd argue he's simply been solid. There's a big difference between fitting seamlessly into a quality provincial side and consistently dominating the biggest Test matches. This is where Proctor has also struggled.
For me, the All Blacks need a centre who offers more than defensive stability. They need someone who can unlock defences, create space for the outside backs and provide another layer of attacking threat. Right now, I don't think Rieko does that consistently enough.
Rieko started to make assists in second half of URC season.
@game_film said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones I think any 6N team aside from France in late June/July on tour in NZ could conceivably lose against the top 3 NZ teams at full strength. Not exactly out of the realm of possibility given their potential to be very ordinary.
Maybe Wales in the last year and Italy on a very, very bad day.
But Ireland, England and Scotland at full-strength? I don't think it's a serious proposition.
@Victor-Meldrew Yeah. I’m looking at it as part of a tour at the end of the NH season. Given that Lions teams lose to club teams.
Is it conceivable that the Canes beat Leinster? That’s my thinking.
@game_film said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones I think any 6N team aside from France in late June/July on tour in NZ could conceivably lose against the top 3 NZ teams at full strength. Not exactly out of the realm of possibility given their potential to be very ordinary.
I don't know if you're helping @brodean's reasoning or harming it.
@game_film said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones Give me an inch to diminish 6N rugby and I’ll take it.
Mate even Llanelli beat the ABs.
@His-Bobness said in All Blacks 2026:
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2026:
I don't get the Rieko hate. I reckon he was one of the most underutilised players in the last few AB seasons. A direct recipient of slow ball into BB shovelling, putting JB into zero space meaning Rieko got trite double shovelled ball or maybe at best a pop pass in a tackle if Jordie freed his arms.. I don't recall him being given any ball in space then failing to put an outside away when he had the chance
Agree with this. Suspect Rieko was the victim of a combination of the tall poppy syndrome in New Zealand (not fake playing the 'aw shucks I'm just happy to be a caretaker of the black jersey' schtick) and the absence of any attacking strategy in the Razor regime with the contact-shy BB just either shovelling the ball on or kicking it aimlessly away. I certainly think he offers more at centre than a journeyman like ALB. And I don't agree he's 'past it'.
I think under the new attack strategy he might do well. Some highlights from his recent URC stint....
He was also not very well-used during the late-Foster years when Schmidt brought in a much simplified attack when both he and Jordie were used far too often as crash ball merchants, something neither were especially good at.
While being a massive Stan, I agree that he far too often tucked and ducked even if he did far too often get the ball too flat to the defensive line actually to make a pass. I am interested to see how he would go in the new attacking shape where it seems we are coming onto the ball with a lot more pace and depth. To me, that was always the way he should have been used given his erstwhile almost unmatched pace.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
I don't mind Ioane in the midfield at all - just think he's behind Proctor and potentially Tupaea and Lienert-Brown
Look, I'm a huge fan of ALB. He's been fucked about by the last 2-3 coaches but still gave his all. Had he been handled properly he could have been a true AB great and if any player deserves 100 caps it's him.
But his time has passed. Take him for the mid-week games in SA possibly, but he shouldn't be blocking others in Tests
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@game_film said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones Give me an inch to diminish 6N rugby and I’ll take it.
Mate even Llanelli beat the ABs.
As did scratch teams of English amateurs - twice
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
He seems to have lost a fair bit of pace. A Reiko of 2-3 years ago would have pinned his ears back and burned the opposition. Maybe that's a Leinster coaching thing though.
It was clear last year in NZ he had lost a fair bit of pace. It's not unique to Leinster.
@Rugbyman said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish he came good at the business end of the URC and was picked ahead of Ringrose at 13 in the big games. He was good in those 3 knockout games against Saffer teams in URC.
Yeah I'm more talking about that specific highlights package.
