All Blacks 2025
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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!
@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.
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@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.
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@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.
no I don't think he will or should get picked tomorrow, but if he keeps growing he has the game for test rugby in the future.One to keep an eye on.
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I'm fairly amazed at all the drums beating for Carter. International back 3 needs aerial prowess. He is going to be a massive defensive liability if picked.
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I’d be very surprised if Reihana makes this first squad. Firstly, because his name wasn’t in the email I sent to HQ, and secondly while we have two experienced heads and a relative newbie, there’s really no point in selecting another newbie.
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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
Exactly. Reihana or Love would be better to be playing for the Māori. Hohepa wouldn't be the answer.
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I'm fairly amazed at all the drums beating for Carter. International back 3 needs aerial prowess. He is going to be a massive defensive liability if picked.
@steelpotato said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm fairly amazed at all the drums beating for Carter.
He is still very raw and makes dumb mistakes. Unless he was injured, McMillan subbing Narawa and not Carter was a stupid decision.
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If Wallace Sititi is in a moonboot, that might add some spice for selection 2moro, depending on severity of injury.
@george33 i reckon Sititi did that injury against the Highlanders in the last round of regular season , he looked in a lot of discomfort and it was’nt a surprise to see him starting off the bench against the Blues in the first round of the playoffs.
I expected a bit more impact from Sititi in the finals series but this now puts a few things in perspective
Good chance we may not see Sititi,Newall or Williams against the French given the injuries they are carrying great opportunity for others -
If Wallace Sititi is in a moonboot, that might add some spice for selection 2moro, depending on severity of injury.
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@george33 i reckon Sititi did that injury against the Highlanders in the last round of regular season , he looked in a lot of discomfort and it was’nt a surprise to see him starting off the bench against the Blues in the first round of the playoffs.
I expected a bit more impact from Sititi in the finals series but this now puts a few things in perspective
Good chance we may not see Sititi,Newall or Williams against the French given the injuries they are carrying great opportunity for others@Steven-Harris George Bower and Christian Leo Willie big ins.
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@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.
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@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.
The ceiling for DMac and BB is set. In the case of BB, his best years are behind him. RM is a pipe dream and not getting any younger either. They need to be there, as they are the best we have. But we would be smart to have an eye on the near future, and work out who can take us forward at 10
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I'm fairly amazed at all the drums beating for Carter. International back 3 needs aerial prowess. He is going to be a massive defensive liability if picked.
@steelpotato said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm fairly amazed at all the drums beating for Carter. International back 3 needs aerial prowess. He is going to be a massive defensive liability if picked.
Yeah - I picked him in my squad earlier in the week, but after last night I've kind of revised that.
But, I also see people wanting to discard Reece a bit earlier in the thread - and others saying Caleb Clarke has had a poor season.
Makes you wonder who will get picked on the wing? For once we're looking pretty shallow there.
So @chchfanatic could well be right that they're thinking to push Rieko out there.
@george33 I reckon AJ is a good chance as a wing that can cover midfield. I don't like his chances as much a pure midfielder - Rieko, Proctor, Jordie, Tupaea, Havili and Timoci all in that mix.
(n.b. Big Leicester's Toulon got knocked out in France last night - he'll presumably be arriving on a plane at some point in the not too distant future).
