All Blacks 2025
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I don't think his passing is as bad as made out. Both Barrett and Mckenzie hamper their teams by more often than not running sideways before passing.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
I don't think his passing is as bad as made out. Both Barrett and Mckenzie hamper their teams by more often than not running sideways before passing.
It's not dire, it's not even poor, but it is lagging behind other parts of his game.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
He has vision and a reasonably big, accurate boot. Passing is a skill that can be quickly improved.
For all the awesome fast 10s with sniper's passing, that doesn't translate well into Test rugby as we've seen in the last decade. Especially where your forwards are well matched and each metre is hard earned in lung busting efforts where you're likely to drop the ball or be beaten to the ruck. Then everything becomes about who can apply pressure through territory, who can effectively place the ball so there's a contest for possession.
Players running sideways looking for gaps achieve fuck all against willing, accurate defences. Our top two have a bloke whose pact with the devil has run its course with an inaccurate boot and another who can't stamp authority on the game when he's on the back foot.
So why not invest in the bloke that brings something worthwhile to the table and see how he develops?
We had Plummer last year, similar skillset, albeit older. He got about 2 minutes in black and just tackled. We have been in love with shifty ball running 10s that lack an Orthodox kicking game and distribution skills since we lost DC. This kid wears a different jersey of course, so maybe he'll actually get a fair go
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
He has vision and a reasonably big, accurate boot. Passing is a skill that can be quickly improved.
For all the awesome fast 10s with sniper's passing, that doesn't translate well into Test rugby as we've seen in the last decade. Especially where your forwards are well matched and each metre is hard earned in lung busting efforts where you're likely to drop the ball or be beaten to the ruck. Then everything becomes about who can apply pressure through territory, who can effectively place the ball so there's a contest for possession.
Players running sideways looking for gaps achieve fuck all against willing, accurate defences. Our top two have a bloke whose pact with the devil has run its course with an inaccurate boot and another who can't stamp authority on the game when he's on the back foot.
So why not invest in the bloke that brings something worthwhile to the table and see how he develops?
We had Plummer last year, similar skillset, albeit older. He got about 2 minutes in black and just tackled. We have been in love with shifty ball running 10s that lack an Orthodox kicking game and distribution skills since we lost DC. This kid wears a different jersey of course, so maybe he'll actually get a fair go
Exactly this.
If our AB coaches are half decent they should be able to develop Reihana in camp - he's not exactly a kid - he's 25 and played 70 odd first class games. Get him in there.
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The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
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DMac is thinking a mile a minute feeling like he's gotta do something magic on every play when the best option is often quite simple. Very unconventional and flighty player whose enormous natural ability means he tries too much. Can he tone it down a bit? Hope so.
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I actually don’t think Plummer is a natural 10. For me he looked at his best at 12. Now for the Blues I admit he was a better 10 option than Barrett and Perofeta, but he was good at taking on the line but not a spectacular passer going left. I was a fan.
I think we need to get Love some decent minutes. If he’s not starting then we play him in the Cruden role when he started out.
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DMac is thinking a mile a minute feeling like he's gotta do something magic on every play when the best option is often quite simple. Very unconventional and flighty player whose enormous natural ability means he tries too much. Can he tone it down a bit? Hope so.
@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
DMac is thinking a mile a minute feeling like he's gotta do something magic on every play when the best option is often quite simple. Very unconventional and flighty player whose enormous natural ability means he tries too much. Can he tone it down a bit? Hope so.
He definitely over played his hand last night. He was the third equal for carries from both teams.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
I'd like to see both Love and Reihana in the squad. I agree that Love should be ahead of Reihana and we should be giving Love more time over Reihana.
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I actually don’t think Plummer is a natural 10. For me he looked at his best at 12. Now for the Blues I admit he was a better 10 option than Barrett and Perofeta, but he was good at taking on the line but not a spectacular passer going left. I was a fan.
I think we need to get Love some decent minutes. If he’s not starting then we play him in the Cruden role when he started out.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I actually don’t think Plummer is a natural 10. For me he looked at his best at 12. Now for the Blues I admit he was a better 10 option than Barrett and Perofeta, but he was good at taking on the line but not a spectacular passer going left. I was a fan.
I think we need to get Love some decent minutes. If he’s not starting then we play him in the Cruden role when he started out.
Pretty good assessment. I do think Plummer was ideally suited to Vernball at 10 but we'll never know how he would have gone in test rugby without him getting a real chance. Direct running at 10 is what I think we've been missing since 2015.
Even just running straight onto the ball and passing Plummer did better than Barrett and Mckenzie.
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
I'd like to see both Love and Reihana in the squad. I agree that Love should be ahead of Reihana and we should be giving Love more time over Reihana.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
I'd like to see both Love and Reihana in the squad. I agree that Love should be ahead of Reihana and we should be giving Love more time over Reihana.
It would help Love if his Canes coach would actually show some brains and stick with him at 10.
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I mean all of our issues with the balance of the loosies is because the coaches didn't want Akira, despite being a super talented big body with AB experience and in career best form. Their personal beef with Akira is really, really hurting them now.
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
He can't really pass fast or that accurately, and I haven't seen him create anything on attack. So you just mean he can kick?
So kind of like Beauden Barret then except at least his kicking goes further than the hooker can throw it.
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Some thoughts on the backs after another pretty dire game last night:
It's always good to see a young player being composed in a big game, and his kicking was good, but I really haven't seen anything from Reihana other than what Plummer delivered last year. McKenzie didn't do anything special either last night of course, but if you swapped the two players I don't think anyone really thinks the result changes? Love remains ahead of Reihana (and Barrett) for me.
Our supposed halfback depth looks like a bit of bullshit to me. Ratima's kicking was terrible last night, and Hotham did some good stuff but his errors were a big part of what kept a dominated Chiefs team in the contest. Roe and Preston were poor. Roigard didn't fire a shot against the Brumbies when the Canes got knocked out, and Fakatava not even invited to training camp.
Midfield is interesting. there's players with potential there, but our performance with Barrett and Ioane there were mediocre last year, so if they get picked again can we really expect anything different? Or will Robertson reward form and pick Tupaea and Proctor? Is Tavatavanawai being considered as a bench option or more than that?
Reece was good last night, unfortunately. I don't see small slow pick and go wingers being effective at test level, no matter how good the work rate etc: I want pace and strength. The Chiefs back 3 were pretty poor positionally. Jordan was very good. Still pissed about Tangitau's injury.@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
. McKenzie didn't do anything special either last night of course, but if you swapped the two players I don't think anyone really thinks the result changes
This. How would Reihana have gone last night with his team on the backfoot?
I'm good for him to get some game time with the ABs (or Love) but he's already getting messiah vibes in this thread all based on one game.
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It is a bit desperate but that is where years of midget 10s with pop gun boots has taken us. I think the fact that Reihana is not completely dissimilar in appearance and physique to the 10 Goat is adding to the second coming of the messiah clamour..
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The reason I like Reihana is he possesses a skillset that aligns well with Test rugby. Hopefully the coaches recognise this and bring him into the environment to accelerate his development.
I am not adverse to bringing him in as a project type player, but I would be concerned if the ABs had to play him in a big game. If push comes to shove I would rather Love in that scenario.
I like Love. But he had a promising half a SR season and that's all. It is a sign of how bare the cupboard is that he is our third test 10 playing option. Reihana did very well with a limited job description. This is smart, I feel like DMac and BB were expected to do too much in Razor's current set up
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
. McKenzie didn't do anything special either last night of course, but if you swapped the two players I don't think anyone really thinks the result changes
This. How would Reihana have gone last night with his team on the backfoot?
I'm good for him to get some game time with the ABs (or Love) but he's already getting messiah vibes in this thread all based on one game.
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
. McKenzie didn't do anything special either last night of course, but if you swapped the two players I don't think anyone really thinks the result changes
This. How would Reihana have gone last night with his team on the backfoot?
I'm good for him to get some game time with the ABs (or Love) but he's already getting messiah vibes in this thread all based on one game.
I can't speak for other posters. But I don't think he's the messiah. But Reihana is worth a shot, as was Plummer last year
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I would like to see Reihana run the cutter for the NZ Māori team , its always a good pointer that he can slot in with another group and manage a team around the paddock he will probably link up with his Northland 9 Sam Nock so they should have a combination if selected against the Japanese XV and Scotland
For me it would be a massive shock if hes selected for the ABs squad . -
It is a bit desperate but that is where years of midget 10s with pop gun boots has taken us. I think the fact that Reihana is not completely dissimilar in appearance and physique to the 10 Goat is adding to the second coming of the messiah clamour..
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2025:
It is a bit desperate but that is where years of midget 10s with pop gun boots has taken us. I think the fact that Reihana is not completely dissimilar in appearance and physique to the 10 Goat is adding to the second coming of the messiah clamour..
This is a confused post, BB isn't a midget and DMac doesn't have a pop gun boot.
Ah, so you're referring to Mo - the actual messiah. Carry on then.
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I think the reason Reihana is on people's radar, is both the inconsistency of BB and Dmac and the cupboard being bare behind them.
Sure Reihana was bloody good last night, last week and been playing well, but he has only really found his feet this year at super.
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I would like to see Reihana run the cutter for the NZ Māori team , its always a good pointer that he can slot in with another group and manage a team around the paddock he will probably link up with his Northland 9 Sam Nock so they should have a combination if selected against the Japanese XV and Scotland
For me it would be a massive shock if hes selected for the ABs squad .@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
I would like to see Reihana run the cutter for the NZ Māori team , its always a good pointer that he can slot in with another group and manage a team around the paddock he will probably link up with his Northland 9 Sam Nock so they should have a combination if selected against the Japanese XV and Scotland
For me it would be a massive shock if hes selected for the ABs squad .Yeah - a couple of months ago, he wasn't even first choice at the Crusaders.
He's been good (especially his goal kicking), but I want to see more before annointing him as "the answer".
e.g. according to the Super Rugby player stats, Havili and Jordan (6 apiece) both kicked more than Rivez (5).
