All Blacks 2025
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
It is crazy to me that every posters biggest concern this year is overly conservative selections. I really thought that was a Fozzie thing and that Razor would shake things up, but all we got was the same old selections with some Crusader bias sprinkled on top, so the worst of all worlds.
I think it was inevitable this would happen in his first year to be fair.
I don’t necessarily think it is unusual that a new coach any sport would favour his trusted old boys when stepping up to the biggest job in the sport, in fact I think it is probably a fair enough natural bias… however in years 2&3 as the natural bias wears off he has to steer away from it, and I expect that it will.
The real telling point will be whether they can move past Blackadder, Havili etc. whilst also picking the likes of say Leroy Carter or Caleb Tangitau if they are in better form than Sevu Reece and Chay Fihaki.
Selections for the NZ XV also need to be way better, because Corey Kellow making that team was a pisstake.
I had little issue with the non-selection of Sotutu, because Sititi proved his worth, but they need to keep selecting positively in the problem positions (6/8, 10, 11,14,15)
The ABs were not a mile off last year, things were way more concerning under Foster after Y1 than Razor after Y1.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
It is crazy to me that every posters biggest concern this year is overly conservative selections. I really thought that was a Fozzie thing and that Razor would shake things up, but all we got was the same old selections with some Crusader bias sprinkled on top, so the worst of all worlds.
I think it was inevitable this would happen in his first year to be fair.
I don’t necessarily think it is unusual that a new coach any sport would favour his trusted old boys when stepping up to the biggest job in the sport, in fact I think it is probably a fair enough natural bias… however in years 2&3 as the natural bias wears off he has to steer away from it, and I expect that it will.
I've seen this reasoning posted a few times and it doesn't really wash with me. We are talking about the All Blacks here, which has to be selected on merit, not who the coach is used to working with, otherwise we end up with sub-standard players that get found out at the top level. If he couldn't work with players outside of the Canterbury region then he shouldn't be coach of the national side.
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i think we are still too stuck on backs being "cover" rather than impact.
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
i think we are still too stuck on backs being "cover" rather than impact.
i think that but also we're coming across like we're afraid, every decision seems to be looking at plans C or D...even at the detriment if plan A
weve also seen it just recently JB will play because hes VC....fuck that, earn your jersey then we pick VC
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
IIRC DH took minutes off Proctor among others, because apparently he can play 13 and 12....
No mention of whether he can play them well...
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
IIRC DH took minutes off Proctor among others, because apparently he can play 13 and 12....
No mention of whether he can play them well...
Yep, an absolute waste of time and took important minutes from players we needed to blood
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@canefan just need to look at how the Chiefs are using their bench right now.
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i can get my head around a bench that covers as a conservative approach...i just think we take it further and our starters are often not the best in their position....because they cover somewhere else
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flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
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flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
@mariner4life i think almost everything has its place....but those things cant be your only move
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flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
Masters of one vs Jack of all trades masters of none has more often than not ended in tears
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@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
Agree he did a lot of that on the weekend and he may turn out to be the champ we are looking for, but has he played more than two Super games at 12? It is still very early days for him.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
Agree he did a lot of that on the weekend and he may turn out to be the champ we are looking for, but has he played more than two Super games at 12? It is still very early days for him.
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@Crazy-Horse shiny new is better
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse shiny new is better
Well especially if all you have to compare against is dull doesn't work.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
Agree he did a lot of that on the weekend and he may turn out to be the champ we are looking for, but has he played more than two Super games at 12? It is still very early days for him.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
Agree he did a lot of that on the weekend and he may turn out to be the champ we are looking for, but has he played more than two Super games at 12? It is still very early days for him.
Like Lam, you want to see these guys back up in a second super season. At the same time, some guys are just ready. Look at Wallace
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2025:
Yes, you are correct - the continued success/Brand of ABs/NZR requires success. Ideally at a world cup level.
Just a thought. The All Blacks built the brand off 92 years of dour amateurism, a bare 70% winning record (I'll check exact numbers later), and being worse than South Africa, compounded by a 24 year gap between World Cups.
A game or two per year in neutral territory is not destroying the brand.
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2025:
Yes, you are correct - the continued success/Brand of ABs/NZR requires success. Ideally at a world cup level.
Just a thought. The All Blacks built the brand off 92 years of dour amateurism, a bare 70% winning record (I'll check exact numbers later), and being worse than South Africa, compounded by a 24 year gap between World Cups.
A game or two per year in neutral territory is not destroying the brand.
‘The Brand’ needs to do more than the above now because the NZR requirements have changed what they need from it.
Rightly or wrongly, the ABs are the vehicle that drives all profit and revenue opportunities.
The brand is about excellence wrapped in mystique of AB’s and rugby success is increasingly about world cup success. Certainly when you want to be out in the market signing bigger deals to fund all aspects of the game in Nz
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
Agree he did a lot of that on the weekend and he may turn out to be the champ we are looking for, but has he played more than two Super games at 12? It is still very early days for him.
Like Lam, you want to see these guys back up in a second super season. At the same time, some guys are just ready. Look at Wallace
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
Agree he did a lot of that on the weekend and he may turn out to be the champ we are looking for, but has he played more than two Super games at 12? It is still very early days for him.
Like Lam, you want to see these guys back up in a second super season. At the same time, some guys are just ready. Look at Wallace
I'd argue that all they should really have to do is perform similar to the incumbent - after all, those that make the ABs then get a helluva lot more coaching, direction and incentive.
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
It is crazy to me that every posters biggest concern this year is overly conservative selections. I really thought that was a Fozzie thing and that Razor would shake things up, but all we got was the same old selections with some Crusader bias sprinkled on top, so the worst of all worlds.
I think it was inevitable this would happen in his first year to be fair.
I don’t necessarily think it is unusual that a new coach any sport would favour his trusted old boys when stepping up to the biggest job in the sport, in fact I think it is probably a fair enough natural bias… however in years 2&3 as the natural bias wears off he has to steer away from it, and I expect that it will.
The real telling point will be whether they can move past Blackadder, Havili etc. whilst also picking the likes of say Leroy Carter or Caleb Tangitau if they are in better form than Sevu Reece and Chay Fihaki.
Selections for the NZ XV also need to be way better, because Corey Kellow making that team was a pisstake.
I had little issue with the non-selection of Sotutu, because Sititi proved his worth, but they need to keep selecting positively in the problem positions (6/8, 10, 11,14,15)
The ABs were not a mile off last year, things were way more concerning under Foster after Y1 than Razor after Y1.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I don’t necessarily think it is unusual that a new coach any sport would favour his trusted old boys when stepping up to the biggest job in the sport, in fact I think it is probably a fair enough natural bias… however in years 2&3 as the natural bias wears off he has to steer away from it, and I expect that it will.
For the 1st half of his first season sure. But your first year is the ideal opportunity to throw a bit of caution to the wind and we saw pretty much the opposite.
Some people will argue it was his 1st year at international level, but Robertson was deliberately chosen to make a complete break from the old, established practice. The inexperience argument just doesn't hold water.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
While I agree ALB should have been put out to pasture, he's also been a pretty good servant to the AB's and we're lucky he stuck around. A lot of other players would have gone north for the mega-bucks had they been fucked about by the selectors/coaches as much as he was.
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
While I agree ALB should have been put out to pasture, he's also been a pretty good servant to the AB's and we're lucky he stuck around. A lot of other players would have gone north for the mega-bucks had they been fucked about by the selectors/coaches as much as he was.
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
While I agree ALB should have been put out to pasture, he's also been a pretty good servant to the AB's and we're lucky he stuck around. A lot of other players would have gone north for the mega-bucks had they been fucked about by the selectors/coaches as much as he was.
That said, he was a total card magnet last year
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
While I agree ALB should have been put out to pasture, he's also been a pretty good servant to the AB's and we're lucky he stuck around. A lot of other players would have gone north for the mega-bucks had they been fucked about by the selectors/coaches as much as he was.
That said, he was a total card magnet last year
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
While I agree ALB should have been put out to pasture, he's also been a pretty good servant to the AB's and we're lucky he stuck around. A lot of other players would have gone north for the mega-bucks had they been fucked about by the selectors/coaches as much as he was.
That said, he was a total card magnet last year
One year too many.
