All Blacks 2025
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Back to Marc Hinton.
He's a journo whose opinion columns I invariably disagree with.
Loved it when Kane Hames put him in his place (MH challenged him about his scrummaging ability, KH replied something like he gets paid to work as hard as he can to do his job well, unlike some journalists).
I'd personally disregard anything Hinton spouted.
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@voodoo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
Some interesting info about what the top tier rugby players can earn. You can understand why an overseas contract is so attractive to the level below that.
Lendrum said NZ Rugby’s wage structure offered elite talent up to a $1 million a year before Super Rugby and provincial pay and test assembly fees - which can add more than $300,000 - were included.
“but all players who choose to stay in New Zealand are often staying for between 30% and 100% less of what is on offer abroad.”
I’d hate to earn 100% less than I could potentially early somewhere else
That article made me wonder if the overseas eligibility rule is realistically sustainable.
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
Some interesting info about what the top tier rugby players can earn. You can understand why an overseas contract is so attractive to the level below that.
Lendrum said NZ Rugby’s wage structure offered elite talent up to a $1 million a year before Super Rugby and provincial pay and test assembly fees - which can add more than $300,000 - were included.
“but all players who choose to stay in New Zealand are often staying for between 30% and 100% less of what is on offer abroad.”
I’d hate to earn 100% less than I could potentially early somewhere else
That article made me wonder if the overseas eligibility rule is realistically sustainable.
Yep, but not really ABs who are losing the 100%, they more the 30% ones.
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And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
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And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026. -
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae for me Jacobson has quite a wiry shape he is athletic which means he can play in all 3 positions and is extremley mobile but i dont see him as an out and out impact player , Blackadder very similar ..
Gee i look at what the Wallabies can have got in terms of impact in the loose forwards off the bench and i have got to say it looks better than what we haveJacobsen, Blackadder and Papalii are all much of a muchness in terms of size but none of them really consistently play like it.
Judging by this I'd put the average weight of the three of them at about 108.15kg.
I'd have a more accurate gauge if Nepo Laulala got out of the photo
That photo reminds me how much we are going to miss Wallace this test season
I reckon.
How many scoops of vanilla can a team tolerate ?
We show no imagination in our bench selections. All of these guys, ALB, DH, they are not impact players. The saffas are so much more in tune with the impact concept, which is depressing
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae for me Jacobson has quite a wiry shape he is athletic which means he can play in all 3 positions and is extremley mobile but i dont see him as an out and out impact player , Blackadder very similar ..
Gee i look at what the Wallabies can have got in terms of impact in the loose forwards off the bench and i have got to say it looks better than what we haveJacobsen, Blackadder and Papalii are all much of a muchness in terms of size but none of them really consistently play like it.
Judging by this I'd put the average weight of the three of them at about 108.15kg.
I'd have a more accurate gauge if Nepo Laulala got out of the photo
That photo reminds me how much we are going to miss Wallace this test season
I reckon.
How many scoops of vanilla can a team tolerate ?
We show no imagination in our bench selections. All of these guys, ALB, DH, they are not impact players. The saffas are so much more in tune with the impact concept, which is depressing
Yeah but those three are all much the same size as Kieran Read, wouldn't it be nice if one of them had a similar impact as he did ?
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Ruben Love should be in the main squad this year. Absolutely ready for the big time.
I have a horn on me a cat wouldnt scratch to see him play 10.
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Ruben Love should be in the main squad this year. Absolutely ready for the big time.
I have a horn on me a cat wouldnt scratch to see him play 10.
Gets an audition at fly half this weekend if the rumours are true.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026.@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026.I have just been watching the highlights of the game from weekend, and genuinely think I may have been a bit generous to LF in some ways. As I said, only highlights, and was watching LF because of what I thought last week.
Although he looked pretty good in attack, his work in defence in first half was pretty woeful at times, to the point he actually look disinterested. -
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026.I have just been watching the highlights of the game from weekend, and genuinely think I may have been a bit generous to LF in some ways. As I said, only highlights, and was watching LF because of what I thought last week.
Although he looked pretty good in attack, his work in defence in first half was pretty woeful at times, to the point he actually look disinterested.@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026.I have just been watching the highlights of the game from weekend, and genuinely think I may have been a bit generous to LF in some ways. As I said, only highlights, and was watching LF because of what I thought last week.
Although he looked pretty good in attack, his work in defence in first half was pretty woeful at times, to the point he actually look disinterested.I have not seen his latest game. But I have been keeping an eye on his other games this season and last and he was very good on D and on attack ,interesting on your comments on his latest game.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026.I have just been watching the highlights of the game from weekend, and genuinely think I may have been a bit generous to LF in some ways. As I said, only highlights, and was watching LF because of what I thought last week.
Although he looked pretty good in attack, his work in defence in first half was pretty woeful at times, to the point he actually look disinterested.I have not seen his latest game. But I have been keeping an eye on his other games this season and last and he was very good on D and on attack ,interesting on your comments on his latest game.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
And speaking of players overseas , and really I think he will be 2026, I was watching Toulon game other day, and Leicester Fainga'anuku is certainly looking very good at 13. I know it's only one game etc, but he certainly looked very comfortable and good there.
He has been very good at 13 for Toulon all season and last season.
the Crusaders are looking to use him at 13 as well as wing in 2026.I have just been watching the highlights of the game from weekend, and genuinely think I may have been a bit generous to LF in some ways. As I said, only highlights, and was watching LF because of what I thought last week.
Although he looked pretty good in attack, his work in defence in first half was pretty woeful at times, to the point he actually look disinterested.I have not seen his latest game. But I have been keeping an eye on his other games this season and last and he was very good on D and on attack ,interesting on your comments on his latest game.
Yep Chris, I thought he was good on attack, just noticed his defence (or lack of)in a highlights package. I not judging him harshly on that, and that's why I made sure I said it was only highlights, not whole game. And they may of stood out because I was watching him,.
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I would be interested, now that we are a little over half way through the comp, what you blokes would pick as your AB 23 for a hypothetical first test.
Not interested in what you think the selectors would do, but who YOU would select.Be interesting to see if there are a lot of consensus picks
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I would be interested, now that we are a little over half way through the comp, what you blokes would pick as your AB 23 for a hypothetical first test.
Not interested in what you think the selectors would do, but who YOU would select.Be interesting to see if there are a lot of consensus picks
Dmac would be the first name we'd be most inline on, but after that it does get a little tricky. I'm not even sure that Roigard has been playing that well, but I think he still gets the 9 jersey.
I can see some shit fights at loosies, midfield, wing, well, fuck everywhere else.
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If one of the courses is Be Shit and Lose Park, then yes, BB is definitely the horse for that.
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I would be interested, now that we are a little over half way through the comp, what you blokes would pick as your AB 23 for a hypothetical first test.
Not interested in what you think the selectors would do, but who YOU would select.Be interesting to see if there are a lot of consensus picks
@mariner4life
Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vaa'i
Parker
Papalii
Savea
Roigard
Mckenzie
Tangitau
Tupaea.
Ioane
Jordan
Love
Reserves
Taukei'aho/Aumua
De Groot
Newell
Shalfoon
Kirifi
Ratima
B Barrett
Tavatavanawai.
Not factored J Barrett, Sitti, Darry, Proctor -
I would be interested, now that we are a little over half way through the comp, what you blokes would pick as your AB 23 for a hypothetical first test.
Not interested in what you think the selectors would do, but who YOU would select.Be interesting to see if there are a lot of consensus picks
@mariner4life on form, fitness to play (short term injuries) and capacity to come back to top form for established All Blacks I'd pick the following if we had a Test in four weeks:
Fletcher Newell
Tyrell Lomax
Tamaiti Williams
Ethan de Groot
Pasilio Tosi
Xavier Numia
Samisoni Taukei'aho
Asafo Aumua
Codie Taylor
Soane Vikena
Tupou Vaa’i
Josh Beehre
Patrick Tuipulotu
Isaia Walker-Leawere
Samipeni Finau
Sean Withy
Ardie Savea
Du'Plessis Kirifi
Hoskins Sotutu
Luke Jacobson
Cam Roigard
Cortez Ratima
Nathan Hastie
Damian McKenzie
Beauden Barrett
Quinn Tupaea
Bailyn Sullivan
Rieko Ioane
Anton Lienert-Brown
Caleb Tangitau
Will Jordan
Leroy CarterI think that's 32.
Unlucky are Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Ruben Love.
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I in no way suggesting this should or would be the 23, but if I just picked on who has caught my eye.
Lomax
Taylor
Williams (I think)
Vai'i
Ah Khoui
Finau
Kirifi
Savea
Roigard
DMac/BB (Dmac has looked great, but BB is the difference for winning games )
Reece
Havili
Sullivan
Clarke
JordanAumua
?
De Groot
Shaffoon
Jacobson
Hotham?
DMac of BB
IoaneAsk me in an end of weekend and it'll be different, that is just off top of head who I have liked look of, and realistically if I was picking actual team ,I would be thinking a lot differently.
Sullivan -
I would be interested, now that we are a little over half way through the comp, what you blokes would pick as your AB 23 for a hypothetical first test.
Not interested in what you think the selectors would do, but who YOU would select.Be interesting to see if there are a lot of consensus picks
For a First Test in early July, I'd have penciled in:
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T. Williams
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C. Taylor
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T. Lomax
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T. Vai'i
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S Barrett (c)
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S. Finau
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A Savea
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W. Sititi
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C. Roigard
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D McKenzie
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C. Clarke
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J. Barrett
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Q. Tupaea
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W. Jordan
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R. Love
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A. Aumua
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E. De Groot
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P. Tosi
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S. Darry
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P. Lakai
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C. Ratima
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S. Perofeta
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R. Ioane
Taukei'aho, Numia, Newell, Holland, Papalii, Jacobson, Hotham, B. Barrett, ALB, Telea and Reece would all be in the wider squad. Proctor too if he is fit to play. Caleb Tangitau's very much in the mix.
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- de Groot
- Taylor
- Lomax
- Vaa’i
- S Barrett (c)
- Parker
- Savea
- Sititi
- Roigard
- McKenzie
- Tangitau
- J Barrett
- Tupaea
- Jordan
- Love
- Aumua
- Williams
- Dyer
- Holland
- Kirifi
- Ratima
- B Barrett
- Tavatavanawai
Things to note:
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All to play for at loosehead, because all options have been below par. de Groot starts as of now, because he isn’t really a ‘finisher’
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Not necessarily convinced Parker at 6, but we need a big body. Haig one to watch on his injury return. Too soon for C Christie, and the other options are too small/not what we need IMO
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Tupaea the form midfielder so squeezes out Rieko. Tavatavanawai favoured as a bench option only due to his potential ability to be an impact sub
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Unsure on the back three, but Jordan is inked in at 14 (not 15) for me. Real lack of options at 15 outside of Love… I would give serious consideration to Jordie at 15, with Tupaea moving to 12, and having Rieko in 13.
