All Blacks 2025

[antipodean]

@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 Carter

I think that's 32.

Unlucky are Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Ruben Love.

[Dan54]

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
Jordan

Aumua
?
De Groot
Shaffoon
Jacobson
Hotham?
DMac of BB
Ioane

Ask 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

[SBW1]

BB had the ball on a shoestring, looking very Carter like in kicking with precision in general play. He can be very flakey in the early part of the season.

[sparky]

@mariner4life

For a First Test in early July, I'd have penciled in:

1. T. Williams

2. C. Taylor

3. T. Lomax

4. T. Vai'i

5. S Barrett (c)

6. S. Finau

7. A Savea

8. W. Sititi

9. C. Roigard

10. D McKenzie

11. C. Clarke

12. J. Barrett

13. Q. Tupaea

14. W. Jordan

15. R. Love

16. A. Aumua

17. E. De Groot

18. P. Tosi

19. S. Darry

20. P. Lakai

21. C. Ratima

22. S. Perofeta

23. 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.

[frugby]

1. de Groot
2. Taylor
3. Lomax
4. Vaa’i
5. S Barrett (c)
6. Parker
7. Savea
8. Sititi
9. Roigard
10. McKenzie
11. Tangitau
12. J Barrett
13. Tupaea
14. Jordan
15. Love
16. Aumua
17. Williams
18. Dyer
19. Holland
20. Kirifi
21. Ratima
22. B Barrett
23. Tavatavanawai

Things to note:

• 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’

• 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

• 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

• 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.

[sparky]

Noah Hotham did his ABs chances no harm tonight. Interesting calls ahead at 9.

[booboo]

@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:

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

I preface this with the comment that this is based on gut feels and if I was really selecting a team I'd probably pick something completely different if I had access to actual stats and video analysis. And I've picked some players over others because better bench impact (eg Tosi v Newell), and there are some positions where I'd be delighted with any number of combinations including some I haven't put on the bench (eg Hooker).

I've also assumed all named are injury free and available.

So.

1. Williams

2. Taylor

3. Lomax

4. Barrett

5. Vaa'i

6. Finau

7. Savea

8. Sititi

9. Roigard

10. McKenzie

11. Clarke

12. Barrett

13. Ioane

14. Jordan

15. Barrett

16. Taukei'aho

17. Groot

18. Tosi

19. Tuipulotu

20. Kirifi

21. Hotham

22. Tupaea

23. Narawa

Criticise away all.

[booboo]

@sparky good forward pack

[sparky]

@booboo I'd have Lakai ahead of Kirifi, but I like the rest. I think Love and Perofeta will move ahead of Beauden Barrett at some point.

The place where we look short of options in the midfield. We are going to have less creativity there than I'd like.

[sparky]

@booboo I think the ABs are in a good place in the forwards and will at least match anyone else there.

[Crazy Horse]

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

Noah Hotham did his ABs chances no harm tonight. Interesting calls ahead at 9.

So far he has been very tidy and is making clearing the ball under pressure look easy. His pass is so natural it looks effortless, and he gets to the ruck quickly. He has some things to work on but I think he has a game that could be useful long term at test level.

[frugby]

A few of the challengers for the ABs squad/starting spots had poor games last night… one poor game doesn’t change anything, though particularly for those Canes guys it is a missed opportunity. I do see an irony though, that a lot of people here moan at Razor’s selections, yet are now suggesting some of these guys aren’t good enough to replace the incumbents.

[booboo]

Quick aside here. Saw Williams go to TH at one stage when Bower came in for Newell's HIA. Developing on both sides? Good option to have.

[Landers92]

@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:

Quick aside here. Saw Williams go to TH at one stage when Bower came in for Newell's HIA. Developing on both sides? Good option to have.

Tams has always been capable of playing both sides. Over the last few years he has really just stuck to loosehead. Big bonus and massive flexibility when it comes to being selected in the 23. He’s already in it without a doubt before that is even considered though.

[sparky]

Another strong performance by Dalton Papalii. He deserves to wear the Black Jersey this year and to show what he can do for the international team.

[sparky]

Fabian Holland looking every inch an All Black in waiting.

[Machpants]

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

Fabian Holland looking every inch an All Black in waiting.

Only this match, not been that amazing up until now. More games the same required, one offs don't cut it, imo

[Victor Meldrew]

Only watched 2 games this WE, but Lakai, Hotham and Holland did there selection chances no harm at all. Roigard looked a bit off-kilter to me and was pulled late in teh game. Is there some low-level injury problem?

[booboo]

I'll say it.

Fihaki looked good last night ...

Given his lack of runs on the board he'll have to play like that for rest of the season to justify any sort of consideration ... but credit where it's due.

[sparky]

@booboo He finishes well. I think he could develop into a successor to Sevu Reece and Mark Telea.