@kiwimurph I watched some of his games and quite a few highlights and what struck me is many of the good plays he was making were winger type plays with a 13 on his back, rather than more traditional centre/midfield stuff.
@shaquilleoatmeal said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@gt12 said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@no-quarter said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@jet said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kirwan said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Blackadder and Bell real head scratchers. Is Blackadder going to be a midweek captain maybe?
Zero surprise with either for me.
Blackadder is the closest player to Jacobson, and regardless of what you think of his selection it would be hard to argue that he doesn't fit the Rennie work ethic criteria.
Bell's throwing is much improved, and he's very good around the park - I reckon he's clearly 4th.
There has been a Blackadder shaped hole in the squad for a long time.
I welcome the return of the Ruck Leper. Limbs everywhere.
Onya Ethan. Rip in.
I've been as scathing of Blackadder as anyone, but he actually had his best season last year and had clearly worked on his physical impact winning the collisions and putting in dominant tackles. I believe there were stats that indicated he was leading the way in that regard or close to it. I actually picked him in my original squad.
I like the consistency here - we have three guys to play 7 who are all workers and personally I think Blackadder is the best like for like replacement of Jacobson at 7.
I'd like to know the plan for 6 and what is going on with Parker. Still a question mark and I wonder whether he is a placeholder for Frizell.
You can look through the squad and see the second-string team almost mirrors the first-string team. The one area where that isn't quite so clear is if Vaa'i is the first-choice blindside and whether there’s an obvious like-for-like option in the second-string team.
Parker
@act-crusader said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kiwimurph I watched some of his games and quite a few highlights and what struck me is many of the good plays he was making were winger type plays with a 13 on his back, rather than more traditional centre/midfield stuff.
Yep. Add in that he has definitely lost speed/explosiveness and it's a tough road back.
@gt12 said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@no-quarter said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@jet said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kirwan said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Blackadder and Bell real head scratchers. Is Blackadder going to be a midweek captain maybe?
Zero surprise with either for me.
Blackadder is the closest player to Jacobson, and regardless of what you think of his selection it would be hard to argue that he doesn't fit the Rennie work ethic criteria.
Bell's throwing is much improved, and he's very good around the park - I reckon he's clearly 4th.
There has been a Blackadder shaped hole in the squad for a long time.
I welcome the return of the Ruck Leper. Limbs everywhere.
Onya Ethan. Rip in.
I've been as scathing of Blackadder as anyone, but he actually had his best season last year and had clearly worked on his physical impact winning the collisions and putting in dominant tackles. I believe there were stats that indicated he was leading the way in that regard or close to it. I actually picked him in my original squad.
I like the consistency here - we have three guys to play 7 who are all workers and personally I think Blackadder is the best like for like replacement of Jacobson at 7.
I'd like to know the plan for 6 and what is going on with Parker. Still a question mark and I wonder whether he is a placeholder for Frizell.
Well what we do know is Parker will be well rested for this tour….
Surely Frizell is out of the equation completely.
@frank said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Our two vulnerabilities are our inferior scrum to the Boks and over reliance on Roigard.
Rewatched the EP and Welly tests from last year a couple of weeks ago and other than a couple of dominant scrums in the Welly test, I don’t think it was too bad.
We will be looking for quick ball from the scrum like we saw against France and Ireland.
@act-crusader said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Only real surprise for me is Big Jim. But given he is a good leader, I think that counts for a long tour like this.
Looking forward to that first 23 being selected for the first provincial game. I’m picking Beaudie as captain.
I agree, but maybe they have some interesting tactics to try out midweek with Big Jim, fingers crossed 
@his-bobness said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Eight games in five and a half weeks, including four tests against the world champions, and they're only taking three halfbacks? Can they build a Robo Roigard with spare parts from the best of those left behind?
Are they thinking Carter is an emergency 9?
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@his-bobness said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Eight games in five and a half weeks, including four tests against the world champions, and they're only taking three halfbacks? Can they build a Robo Roigard with spare parts from the best of those left behind?
Are they thinking Carter is an emergency 9?
Damian McKenzie at a pinch?
@kirwan said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@his-bobness said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Eight games in five and a half weeks, including four tests against the world champions, and they're only taking three halfbacks? Can they build a Robo Roigard with spare parts from the best of those left behind?
Are they thinking Carter is an emergency 9?
Damian McKenzie at a pinch?
Possibly. Quite brave there. Shame we don't have a 9/10 like France etc...
@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@act-crusader said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kiwimurph I watched some of his games and quite a few highlights and what struck me is many of the good plays he was making were winger type plays with a 13 on his back, rather than more traditional centre/midfield stuff.
Yep. Add in that he has definitely lost speed/explosiveness and it's a tough road back.
Seems very odd that they've named him as an outside back rather than a midfielder. I thought he looked cooked as a test wing last year - and they've effectively named seven wings (assuming DMac will start at fullback in the tests). I'd hope (and expect?) to only see him at centre.
@frank said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
Our two vulnerabilities are our inferior scrum to the Boks and over reliance on Roigard.
Our midfield could also be tested, the coherence of our loosies, power in the tackle, throwing, and having a smaller 15.
@landers92 said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@booboo well yeah, no Kirifi clearly is a talking point lol
I'll rephrase.
Should it be?
@booboo said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@landers92 said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@booboo well yeah, no Kirifi clearly is a talking point lol
I'll rephrase.
Should it be?
Depends where you live and what team you support
What was that? Oh the sounds of glass smashing around me....
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
My fear is some Saffa brute takes out Roigard and we are screwed
I’m more worried about Love getting knocked out and us reverting to one of the old guard at 10.
I have a little more faith in Preston doing the job if required.
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
My fear is some Saffa brute takes out Roigard and we are screwed
Pieter-Steph du Toit has recovered from his injury.
@chris-b. said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@act-crusader said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kiwimurph I watched some of his games and quite a few highlights and what struck me is many of the good plays he was making were winger type plays with a 13 on his back, rather than more traditional centre/midfield stuff.
Yep. Add in that he has definitely lost speed/explosiveness and it's a tough road back.
Seems very odd that they've named him as an outside back rather than a midfielder. I thought he looked cooked as a test wing last year - and they've effectively named seven wings (assuming DMac will start at fullback in the tests). I'd hope (and expect?) to only see him at centre.
Also odd that they list Vai has a lock but they seem now to favour him as a blindside. So why isn't he included as a loose forward? And, yes, they seem to have an excess of outside backs. DMac named as a 10, but really is only a back-up. It seems the classifications around loose forwards/locks and inside/outside backs are a bit of a lottery these days. Rieko is clearly seen as the back-up centre, so why not list him there?
@chris-b. said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@act-crusader said in All Blacks Tour of South Africa 2026:
@kiwimurph I watched some of his games and quite a few highlights and what struck me is many of the good plays he was making were winger type plays with a 13 on his back, rather than more traditional centre/midfield stuff.
Yep. Add in that he has definitely lost speed/explosiveness and it's a tough road back.
Seems very odd that they've named him as an outside back rather than a midfielder. I thought he looked cooked as a test wing last year - and they've effectively named seven wings (assuming DMac will start at fullback in the tests). I'd hope (and expect?) to only see him at centre.
And there are only five midfield backs, excluding Ioane. With three of them in the test 23, Ioane has to be at the very least midfield cover from the bench in the second-string team.