All Blacks 2025
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Hey, I'm not advocating for him. As you say there's plenty on front of him. I just noticed he did some good things. Something I've not noticed previously.
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
Hey, I'm not advocating for him. As you say there's plenty on front of him. I just noticed he did some good things. Something I've not noticed previously.
Setting the bar low for him then. He's 24, if he was going to make it I'd expect him to show more by now. He's got zero X factor
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About the only thing that Fihaki can do better than any other winger in NZ is 50+ metre kicks at goal. Says it all really.
Luckily for him, he is in the right colours to get the benefit of the doubt over wingers that are actually better than him in NZ.
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Quite interesting to go back and look at previous threads. At this stage last season, people had Iose and Ioane on course for the ABs, and there were no mentions for Sititi. Hardly a mention yet of Darry, Ratima or Tosi.
It is probably the form over the next two months that will truly decide the ABs squad. If the likes of Moananu, Kirifi, Parker etc. burn out, they will not be there.
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About the only thing that Fihaki can do better than any other winger in NZ is 50+ metre kicks at goal. Says it all really.
Luckily for him, he is in the right colours to get the benefit of the doubt over wingers that are actually better than him in NZ.
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2025:
About the only thing that Fihaki can do better than any other winger in NZ is 50+ metre kicks at goal. Says it all really.
Luckily for him, he is in the right colours to get the benefit of the doubt over wingers that are actually better than him in NZ.
A good skill to have but Isn't Stevenson considered a winger as well (at higher level anyway)? I won't be a smartarse and mention Jordie ..
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Quite interesting to go back and look at previous threads. At this stage last season, people had Iose and Ioane on course for the ABs, and there were no mentions for Sititi. Hardly a mention yet of Darry, Ratima or Tosi.
It is probably the form over the next two months that will truly decide the ABs squad. If the likes of Moananu, Kirifi, Parker etc. burn out, they will not be there.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Quite interesting to go back and look at previous threads. At this stage last season, people had Iose and Ioane on course for the ABs, and there were no mentions for Sititi.
Sititi only first started for the Chiefs about this time last year, so that is not surprising. I agree that the backend of SR will be more important for any newbie to be in with a chance of AB selection.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Quite interesting to go back and look at previous threads. At this stage last season, people had Iose and Ioane on course for the ABs, and there were no mentions for Sititi.
Sititi only first started for the Chiefs about this time last year, so that is not surprising. I agree that the backend of SR will be more important for any newbie to be in with a chance of AB selection.
@Bovidae Always has and always will be. Kirifi I suspect ends up being a great example of this. Assuming they see Savea & Lakai as opensides, he is going to be up against it against Blackadder and Papalii, and if the Canes form does not turn around he probably won't get to push his case in the finals.
FWIW, I would select him at this stage, but also, you compare him to say Tizzano or McReight, who are noted for their defensive capabilities/breakdown work, and I feel like they both offer more in possession than Kirifi. Lakai and Savea present a better all-round package.
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Probable Razor's pick :
Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vai'i
Blackadder
Savea
Sititi
Roigard
B. Barrett
Clarke
J. Barrett
Ioane
Reece
JordanTaukei'aho
De Groot
Newell
Tuipolutu
Finau
Hotham
ALB
MacKenzie@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Probable Razor's pick :
Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vai'i
Blackadder
Savea
Sititi
Roigard
B. Barrett
Clarke
J. Barrett
Ioane
Reece
JordanTaukei'aho
De Groot
Newell
Tuipolutu
Finau
Hotham
ALB
MacKenzieFinau has been the best six by a country mile. Would be outrageous to pick a seven ahead of him.
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@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Probable Razor's pick :
Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vai'i
Blackadder
Savea
Sititi
Roigard
B. Barrett
Clarke
J. Barrett
Ioane
Reece
JordanTaukei'aho
De Groot
Newell
Tuipolutu
Finau
Hotham
ALB
MacKenzieFinau has been the best six by a country mile. Would be outrageous to pick a seven ahead of him.
@KiwiInLondon
I think this is the team Razor will select, but this is not the team I would like to see for the June series. My team (but it won't happen) :Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vai'i
Finau
Savea
Sititi
Roigard
MacKenzie
Clarke
Barrett
Ioane
Jordan
LoveTaukei'aho
De Groot
Tosi
Beehre
Lakai
Hotham
Barrett
Tavatavanawai -
@KiwiInLondon
I think this is the team Razor will select, but this is not the team I would like to see for the June series. My team (but it won't happen) :Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vai'i
Finau
Savea
Sititi
Roigard
MacKenzie
Clarke
Barrett
Ioane
Jordan
LoveTaukei'aho
De Groot
Tosi
Beehre
Lakai
Hotham
Barrett
Tavatavanawai -
Jordie hasn't had much of a break has he? If not, I wonder if that will impact his effectiveness and or availability for selection?
@Crazy-Horse Jordie was Man of the Match for Leinster yesterday in the big European Cup QF win against Glasgow. He's not be used every game so he's had some rest time. He will be available for the AB tests and, if fit will be, the starting 12.
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@KiwiInLondon
I think this is the team Razor will select, but this is not the team I would like to see for the June series. My team (but it won't happen) :Williams
Taylor
Lomax
Barrett
Vai'i
Finau
Savea
Sititi
Roigard
MacKenzie
Clarke
Barrett
Ioane
Jordan
LoveTaukei'aho
De Groot
Tosi
Beehre
Lakai
Hotham
Barrett
Tavatavanawai -
The Media and hype around Jordie in the champions cup is insane, they absolutely love the guy and he seems to be lighting it up over there. To be fair that leinster team is absolutely stacked so makes his job easy but seems to have done him a world of good in a new environment
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@cgrant Starting 15 looks good. I wouldn't be using Beehre, but no real issues with the rest.
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@cgrant Starting 15 looks good. I wouldn't be using Beehre, but no real issues with the rest.
Based on form so far in SR I would.
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The Media and hype around Jordie in the champions cup is insane, they absolutely love the guy and he seems to be lighting it up over there. To be fair that leinster team is absolutely stacked so makes his job easy but seems to have done him a world of good in a new environment
@DurryMexted said in All Blacks 2025:
The Media and hype around Jordie in the champions cup is insane, they absolutely love the guy and he seems to be lighting it up over there. To be fair that leinster team is absolutely stacked so makes his job easy but seems to have done him a world of good in a new environment
The Barrett's have a weird cult of personality around them. It's hard to understand. It caused BB to rated his entire career on a 2 year purple patch, JB's notable error prone game to be mostly overlooked in a way other player's don't, and Scooter's bad form to be forgotten after one decent game.
That's some decent Cantab/Canes bait.
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it's good to see the Highlanders enthuiasm, but why do you think that Ethan de Groot will make the all blacks? He has been nailed in the scrum, he is really out of shape around the field. There is nothing that he does well. How delusional are you?
