All Blacks 2025
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@canefan I really think Telea has midfield potential, so strong in the tackle and so slippery when tacklers aren't paying attention.
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan I really think Telea has midfield potential, so strong in the tackle and so slippery when tacklers aren't paying attention.
He probably has more of the requisite skills than Rieko....
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@DMX said in All Blacks 2025:
Exactly!!! I feel like Rees and Telea just don’t have raw speed and x- factor for test level. I wish selectors would understand when it is time to move on.
At least Telea is still elusive, in a Corey Jane sort of way. His game was never about all out speed
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@DMX said in All Blacks 2025:
Exactly!!! I feel like Rees and Telea just don’t have raw speed and x- factor for test level. I wish selectors would understand when it is time to move on.
At least Telea is still elusive, in a Corey Jane sort of way. His game was never about all out speed
Yes game never about all out speed which is why I don’t want him there! Give me speed merchants!! He works hard but sometimes he is trying too hard to get his hands on the ball, like playing half back then throwing a crap pass!!
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@nostrildamus @Canes4life I actually agree with you both equally.
Whilst I would love to see it as a leftfield option I also think a good specialist needs to be there too.
Sitting on this fence is hurting my arse.....
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan I really think Telea has midfield potential, so strong in the tackle and so slippery when tacklers aren't paying attention.
Oh yeah because converting a wing into a centre has worked well for us. No thank you. How about we give our specialists a go for once.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan I really think Telea has midfield potential, so strong in the tackle and so slippery when tacklers aren't paying attention.
Oh yeah because converting a wing into a centre has worked well for us. No thank you. How about we give our specialists a go for once.
- I know this is the AB thread but I am not saying he should be an AB 12/13.
- Tana moved to centre, seemed to do ok.
- Specialists. Don't have many quality ones that aren't injured.
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For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10. The Telea from the Landers is a midfielder isn't he?
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Personally I think Telea would be horrible in the midfield, unless you want a midfield which whenever they get the ball... stops, cuts inside, and runs completely as an individual.
He's very very evasive and hard to put down, which are great qualities - but a wing or nothing. -
For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10. The Telea from the Landers is a midfielder isn't he?
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10. The Telea from the Landers is a midfielder isn't he?
Oh let me tone it down, I think it suits his skillset more but it is late in both his career and the Blues season. I don't think it is likely this year or next.
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yeah, a 28 year old career winger is absolutely someone who should be mentioned in an AB thread as a centre option...
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
yeah, a 28 year old career winger is absolutely someone who should be mentioned in an AB thread as a centre option...
Did say I know this is an AB thread but didn't say he should be an AB midfielder.
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@nostrildamus @Canes4life I actually agree with you both equally.
Whilst I would love to see it as a leftfield option I also think a good specialist needs to be there too.
Sitting on this fence is hurting my arse.....
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus @Canes4life I actually agree with you both equally.
Whilst I would love to see it as a leftfield option I also think a good specialist needs to be there too.
Sitting on this fence is hurting my arse.....
We have limited midfield options, not sure what has been happening in Super rugby. I can name some 12s but less quality/uninjured 13s.
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For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10. The Telea from the Landers is a midfielder isn't he?
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10
Or play league. Then you would suggest him
As for Nostrildamus suggesting Telea as a centre it really is a terrible call. His skillset is wing and nothing else. Everything that he does well on the wing doesn't translate to the midfield. He does not set targets, he goes on random runs often going backwards to go forwards etc etc
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Personally I think Telea would be horrible in the midfield, unless you want a midfield which whenever they get the ball... stops, cuts inside, and runs completely as an individual.
He's very very evasive and hard to put down, which are great qualities - but a wing or nothing.This post is deleted! -
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10
Or play league. Then you would suggest him
As for Nostrildamus suggesting Telea as a centre it really is a terrible call. His skillset is wing and nothing else. Everything that he does well on the wing doesn't translate to the midfield. He does not set targets, he goes on random runs often going backwards to go forwards etc etc
@Duluth said in All Blacks 2025:
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
For Telea to be tried at centre, it would need to be something the Blues would try, at this stage of the comp and where they are now it is akin to Havilli being tried out as a 10
Or play league. Then you would suggest him
As for Nostrildamus suggesting Telea as a centre it really is a terrible call. His skillset is wing and nothing else. Everything that he does well on the wing doesn't translate to the midfield. He does not set targets, he goes on random runs often going backwards to go forwards etc etc
12 not 13. But I am overruled. Fair enough.
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All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
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All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
I'd argue Kirifi is probably the one that has done his time in the AB XV and is ready to step up. To me he's the best 7 in the country atm, he's matured so much in the last couple of years and the leadership skills he would bring to the ABs would be invaluable.
All this bullshit that he's too small is nonsense to me, just look at someone like Tizzano who's able to be impactful at test level and he's even smaller than Kirifi.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
I'd argue Kirifi is probably the one that has done his time in the AB XV and is ready to step up. To me he's the best 7 in the country atm, he's matured so much in the last couple of years and the leadership skills he would bring to the ABs would be invaluable.
All this bullshit that he's too small is nonsense to me, just look at someone like Tizzano who's able to be impactful at test level and he's even smaller than Kirifi.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
I'd argue Kirifi is probably the one that has done his time in the AB XV and is ready to step up. To me he's the best 7 in the country atm, he's matured so much in the last couple of years and the leadership skills he would bring to the ABs would be invaluable.
All this bullshit that he's too small is nonsense to me, just look at someone like Tizzano who's able to be impactful at test level and he's even smaller than Kirifi.
I certainly agree that he has improved hugely, and may well be the best 7 in the country. He could work well in a loose trio where you have bulk at 6 and 8, but that seems to be a major weakness in NZ depth right now - we spent last year getting beaten up in the loose most times we played, and I can't see a smaller 7 being a good option when our 6 and 8 are undersized too.
Totally sucks for Kirifi, in that effectively he is doing his job really well can't get a promotion because of the weaknesses of others, but that's the way I see it. -
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
I'd argue Kirifi is probably the one that has done his time in the AB XV and is ready to step up. To me he's the best 7 in the country atm, he's matured so much in the last couple of years and the leadership skills he would bring to the ABs would be invaluable.
All this bullshit that he's too small is nonsense to me, just look at someone like Tizzano who's able to be impactful at test level and he's even smaller than Kirifi.
I certainly agree that he has improved hugely, and may well be the best 7 in the country. He could work well in a loose trio where you have bulk at 6 and 8, but that seems to be a major weakness in NZ depth right now - we spent last year getting beaten up in the loose most times we played, and I can't see a smaller 7 being a good option when our 6 and 8 are undersized too.
Totally sucks for Kirifi, in that effectively he is doing his job really well can't get a promotion because of the weaknesses of others, but that's the way I see it.@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
All five of these look IMHO a better bet in 2025 for the All Blacks XV squad rather than the full ABs squad.
I'd argue Kirifi is probably the one that has done his time in the AB XV and is ready to step up. To me he's the best 7 in the country atm, he's matured so much in the last couple of years and the leadership skills he would bring to the ABs would be invaluable.
All this bullshit that he's too small is nonsense to me, just look at someone like Tizzano who's able to be impactful at test level and he's even smaller than Kirifi.
I certainly agree that he has improved hugely, and may well be the best 7 in the country. He could work well in a loose trio where you have bulk at 6 and 8, but that seems to be a major weakness in NZ depth right now - we spent last year getting beaten up in the loose most times we played, and I can't see a smaller 7 being a good option when our 6 and 8 are undersized too.
Totally sucks for Kirifi, in that effectively he is doing his job really well can't get a promotion because of the weaknesses of others, but that's the way I see it.Yeah that loose forward balance would definitely dictate selection but as Parson's said on the Aotearoa Rugby pod, Kirifi could be the perfect guy to bring on in the last 20-30 mins of a test.
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Tangitau I can see sneaking in and Kirifi is an option, but Robertson clearly likes bigger 7s (and if NZ are selecting a smaller 7, they might as well just shift Savea there and use a bigger 6 and 8).
TT will make the ABs XV for sure but don't think he's the 12 that NZ needs.
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Kirifi and Tangitau are two that deserve to get themselves in there.
The conversation around incumbents v uncapped is that the uncapped player has to be clearly better. If they are as good, then the incumbent stays.
As much as I really like Jim Tavatavanawai. I can't see him ever being an All Black. He is the perfect super rugby player. Just probably isn't an international quality 12 or winger. While his fetching may not be required if there are other players that bring the skillset in the team.
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Tangitau I think will be the one from that list that makes the All Blacks this year.
