All Blacks 2025
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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).
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Who’s ready for Tavatavanawi to get snubbed tomorrow
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Rivez was also playing second fiddle to Taha Kemara before he got injured. What is really impressive is the fact he played against the two first choice 10s in the All Blacks, two weeks in a row.
@SBW1 I think Rivez was also injured the first 3 or 4 games, but Kemara had stepped up early meaning they didn't need to change, until he got injured, which gave Rivez a shot.
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Maybe AB 10 expectations are a bit high. We have 4 candidates (I'm not counting Perofeta), and none are Dan Carter. But they'd have a good chance of leading other international sides. Just pick the best options balanced with an eye to the future!
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@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.
@tubbyj 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?
So kind of like Beauden Barret then except at least his kicking goes further than the hooker can throw it.
I am one of BB's biggest critics as a 10: he's crap there and always has been. But Beauden creates plenty, it's just that almost all of it is for himself - like a fullback. I haven't seen Reihana create for anyone else, or any magic chip kicks for himself. i haven't seen any real vision. He's kicked solidly, not made errors, kicked his goals - and also played in front of the best pack in the comp. Can someone point me to him identifying space and throwing a skip pass? To putting people in holes? To identifying mismatches and getting the ball there? Even to some 50/22s where he's seen gaps in the back field?
He's done well in a very limited role since Kemara was injured: and look, fucking well done to him for that, especially after last year when behind a mediocre pack his confidence looked shot and he was poor. But the ABs? A saviour? He's bloody miles away from that at this stage. -
Maybe AB 10 expectations are a bit high. We have 4 candidates (I'm not counting Perofeta), and none are Dan Carter. But they'd have a good chance of leading other international sides. Just pick the best options balanced with an eye to the future!
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
Maybe AB 10 expectations are a bit high. We have 4 candidates (I'm not counting Perofeta), and none are Dan Carter. But they'd have a good chance of leading other international sides. Just pick the best options balanced with an eye to the future!
Precisely. In Love and Reihana we can see options worth developing as opposed to sticking with the two failed candidates we've got. Where's the harm in seeing how they progress? The two incumbents aren't getting any better and we're losing games as a result.
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Rivez was also playing second fiddle to Taha Kemara before he got injured. What is really impressive is the fact he played against the two first choice 10s in the All Blacks, two weeks in a row.
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
Rivez was also playing second fiddle to Taha Kemara before he got injured. What is really impressive is the fact he played against the two first choice 10s in the All Blacks, two weeks in a row.
He was actually injured when Taha was playing he only came back from injury the week before Taha got injured so not true.
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There's a lot of straw men in this thread. Has anyone anointed Reihana as the answer?
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
There's a lot of straw men in this thread. Has anyone anointed Reihana as the answer?
you are spot on, people are saying he maybe an option in the future, the more options we have the better.
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@tubbyj 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?
So kind of like Beauden Barret then except at least his kicking goes further than the hooker can throw it.
I am one of BB's biggest critics as a 10: he's crap there and always has been. But Beauden creates plenty, it's just that almost all of it is for himself - like a fullback. I haven't seen Reihana create for anyone else, or any magic chip kicks for himself. i haven't seen any real vision. He's kicked solidly, not made errors, kicked his goals - and also played in front of the best pack in the comp. Can someone point me to him identifying space and throwing a skip pass? To putting people in holes? To identifying mismatches and getting the ball there? Even to some 50/22s where he's seen gaps in the back field?
He's done well in a very limited role since Kemara was injured: and look, fucking well done to him for that, especially after last year when behind a mediocre pack his confidence looked shot and he was poor. But the ABs? A saviour? He's bloody miles away from that at this stage.I've definitely seen him put players on the outside shoulder into space.
Given our three best SR teams resort to 10 man rugby when there is something on the line maybe his game is best suited for test rugby?
It's not like Pollard was putting guys into gaps in the last two RWC finals.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
There's a lot of straw men in this thread. Has anyone anointed Reihana as the answer?
you are spot on, people are saying he maybe an option in the future, the more options we have the better.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
There's a lot of straw men in this thread. Has anyone anointed Reihana as the answer?
you are spot on, people are saying he maybe an option in the future, the more options we have the better.
I see several people saying pick him for the squad now.
Barrett, McKenzie, Love, Reihana.
They're only going to pick three of them. If they pick Reihana, who misses out? (That's not actually a question for you - I agree, he's an option for the future) - but, I agree with Steven Harris - it would be a huge surprise if he gets picked tomorrow. Maybe a candidate for the EOYT, but again there would be the question of who misses out if everyone is fit.
