All Blacks 2024
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Just had a physio session with a Safa who worked on the SA Sevens team. His view on the All Blacks:
"Forwards are pretty good, dunno what the f**k you guys are doing with your flyhalves but your weak link by a mile, is your centres".
He really doesn't like Ioane & thinks Barrett might have a longer term injury. Just one mans opinion of course, but I thought worth sharing!
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I suspect it would be worth recruiting a specialist scrum coach. What chances that we will have one next year?
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I suspect it would be worth recruiting a specialist scrum coach. What chances that we will have one next year?
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
I suspect it would be worth recruiting a specialist scrum coach. What chances that we will have one next year?
That is Jason Ryan’s ‘expertise’. Has been scrum coach for multiple previous teams and even had a ‘front row club’ which worked specifically with props and hookers in New Zealand. Hard to imagine they bring a specialist scrum coach in with him already there.
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Peering into the crystal ball and trying to make out the shape of next year's squad, although there are red and black barriers that appear intermittently and obscure my vision.
Loose forwards:
Papalii
Lakai
Savea
Sotutu
Sititi
The last one is a bit hard to make out, there's Finau, there's another player in a six jersey, but a really overrated player, who's lying injured on the field, keeps obscuring my view. -
If Sititi, Lakai and Savea are two of the three starting loosies. We will probably need a lineout option as the third loosie. The make up and how trios will compliment eachother
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Peering into the crystal ball and trying to make out the shape of next year's squad, although there are red and black barriers that appear intermittently and obscure my vision.
Loose forwards:
Papalii
Lakai
Savea
Sotutu
Sititi
The last one is a bit hard to make out, there's Finau, there's another player in a six jersey, but a really overrated player, who's lying injured on the field, keeps obscuring my view. -
Looking at props now. There are four good options: Williams, Tu'ungufasi, Lomax, Tosi. de Groot has really regressed. Ball carrying was poor, he was unfit, and he got found out in the scrum. Newell is mediocre in the scrum at test level, and offers nothing else.
3rd loosehead and tighthead are wide open.
The Chiefs' young props (Norris and Dyer) were disappointing in 2024, but might bounce back. de Groot still can too. Numia and Fusitua are options at loosehead, Mafileo might be in the mix too. Any tighthead options?
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Looking at props now. There are four good options: Williams, Tu'ungufasi, Lomax, Tosi. de Groot has really regressed. Ball carrying was poor, he was unfit, and he got found out in the scrum. Newell is mediocre in the scrum at test level, and offers nothing else.
3rd loosehead and tighthead are wide open.
The Chiefs' young props (Norris and Dyer) were disappointing in 2024, but might bounce back. de Groot still can too. Numia and Fusitua are options at loosehead, Mafileo might be in the mix too. Any tighthead options?
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@sparky Not against England or Ireland. How many penalties against France? The dodgy neck-roll call?
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
@sparky Not against England or Ireland. How many penalties against France? The dodgy neck-roll call?
I agreed with the neck-roll call. Yeah he had great games against England and Ireland. I don't have the figures to hand but I suspect he has been one of the most penalised ABs this year. If he can sort that out, he's world class.
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Looking at props now. There are four good options: Williams, Tu'ungufasi, Lomax, Tosi. de Groot has really regressed. Ball carrying was poor, he was unfit, and he got found out in the scrum. Newell is mediocre in the scrum at test level, and offers nothing else.
3rd loosehead and tighthead are wide open.
The Chiefs' young props (Norris and Dyer) were disappointing in 2024, but might bounce back. de Groot still can too. Numia and Fusitua are options at loosehead, Mafileo might be in the mix too. Any tighthead options?
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
@sparky Not against England or Ireland. How many penalties against France? The dodgy neck-roll call?
I agreed with the neck-roll call. Yeah he had great games against England and Ireland. I don't have the figures to hand but I suspect he has been one of the most penalised ABs this year. If he can sort that out, he's world class.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
Newell is mediocre in the scrum at test level
Is he? My impression was he'd been very solid and at least performed the role that the likes of Franks/Laulala were fabled to but never did.
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The Crusaders still have a shit coach, but at least they have cut Moody and Franks. Who will be the bench props now?
