2025 All Blacks v France series
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@Mr-Fish Bower will be the third LHP, but the rest looks right. It wouldn't surprise me if Christian Lio-Willie makes the squad. They might go with Christie for the ABs and Hotham for the Māori.
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It’s only flawed if you don’t have the players to execute it. Crotty, ALB and SBW all had good passing games but more importantly used angles to create opportunities and space.
Jordie and Ioane are quite different and that’s one of the reasons things aren’t humming.
I think we have players currently running around that have been and could be ABs that possess the skill sets to use what ball the forwards provide to create and exploit space in the wider channels.
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
It’s only flawed if you don’t have the players to execute it. Crotty, ALB and SBW all had good passing games but more importantly used angles to create opportunities and space.
Jordie and Ioane are quite different and that’s one of the reasons things aren’t humming.
I think we have players currently running around that have been and could be ABs that possess the skill sets to use what ball the forwards provide to create and exploit space in the wider channels.
Ball in two hands too. Always creating doubt.
Surprising so many pro's still get this wrong and just "tuck and truck".
See Tom Wright for his no try against the chiefs (DMAC's miracle play).
If Wright carries the ball in his left hand he scores.
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@Mr-Fish Bower will be the third LHP, but the rest looks right. It wouldn't surprise me if Christian Lio-Willie makes the squad. They might go with Christie for the ABs and Hotham for the Māori.
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Mr-Fish Bower will be the third LHP, but the rest looks right. It wouldn't surprise me if Christian Lio-Willie makes the squad. They might go with Christie for the ABs and Hotham for the Māori.
I think Bower might be in as injury cover if either of Tamaiti Williams or Fletcher Newell is unavailable, but they'll otherwise go with Fusitu'a as the 'apprentice' to back up Williams and De Groot.
Suspect Lio-Willie will be in as cover for Luke Jacobson.
Just on the basis that Hotham moved ahead of Christie in the pecking order last year, I assume he'll hold his spot given his longer-term upside, but it's entirely possible that Hotham is 'held back' for the series so that he can get two starts for the Maori.
I'm also still not convinced that Narawa will be selected. Can see Razor going for Ennor instead, given Ioane, Tupaea and Ennor could all cover wing.
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@Mr-Fish said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
PROPS:
Tamaiti Williams (Crusaders)
Ethan de Groot (Highlanders)
Josh Fusitu'a (Blues)
Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes)
Fletcher Newell (Crusaders)
Pasilio Tosi (Hurricanes)HOOKERS:
Codie Taylor (Crusaders)
Samisoni Taukei'aho (Chiefs)
George Bell (Crusaders)LOCKS:
Scott Barrett (c) (Crusaders)
Tupou Vaa'i (Chiefs)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues)
Fabian Holland (Highlanders)LOOSE FORWARDS:
Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders)
Samipeni Finau (Chiefs)
Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika)
Peter Lakai (Hurricanes)
Dalton Papalii (Blues)
Wallace Sititi (Chiefs)
Luke Jacobson (Chiefs)HALFBACKS:
Cameron Roigard (Hurricanes)
Cortez Ratima (Chiefs)
Noah Hotham (Crusaders)FIRST FIVES:
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
Beauden Barrett (Blues)MIDFIELDERS:
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)
Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs)
Rieko Ioane (Blues)
Billy Proctor (Hurricanes)
David Havili (Crusaders)OUTSIDE BACKS:
Caleb Clarke (Blues)
Emoni Narawa (Chiefs)
Sevu Reece (Crusaders)
Will Jordan (Crusaders)
Ruben Love (Hurricanes)Unavailable due to injury: Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes), Simon Parker (Chiefs), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs)
Personally I'd have Ollie Norris ahead of Fusitu'a but the signs are there that the latter is getting the nod. Would also have Brodie McAlister ahead of Bell.
I think if the Maori All Blacks weren't playing then Rivez Reihana would be in this squad at the expense of David Havili. If I were in charge of selecting I'd also go for Folau Fakatava ahead of Hotham for much the same reason.
I can see Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Reihana and a fit Simon Parker and Caleb Tangitau all playing a role on the EOYT.
Ahead of the squad naming, pretty confident with this selection.
Potential additional injury cover: George Dyer, George Bower, Christian Lio-Willie.
Can also see Finlay Christie and Braydon Ennor squeezing in ahead of Hotham and Tupaea, who can both play for the Maori.
@Mr-Fish That looks pretty close to me.
I've gone a bit cold on my earlier picks of Carter and Norris after Saturday night - and Dave Havili has firmed in the betting (for me).
I still think AJ Lam is a good chance - replacing Narawa in your selection, but that's really a 50/50 call.
Razor will have a couple of surprises!
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@Mr-Fish That looks pretty close to me.
I've gone a bit cold on my earlier picks of Carter and Norris after Saturday night - and Dave Havili has firmed in the betting (for me).
I still think AJ Lam is a good chance - replacing Narawa in your selection, but that's really a 50/50 call.
Razor will have a couple of surprises!
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Nothing as of yet team. NZR are keeping it extremely tight lipped as a lot of the players won’t actually be finding out until the rest of us do during the live squad naming. Quite cool of them to do that I reckon, shit for providing early oil on the fern though.
Hoping to get some of the debutants at least but not looking likely with just over 40mins until announcement.
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@Mr-Fish That looks pretty close to me.
I've gone a bit cold on my earlier picks of Carter and Norris after Saturday night - and Dave Havili has firmed in the betting (for me).
I still think AJ Lam is a good chance - replacing Narawa in your selection, but that's really a 50/50 call.
Razor will have a couple of surprises!
@Chris-B said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Mr-Fish That looks pretty close to me.
I've gone a bit cold on my earlier picks of Carter and Norris after Saturday night - and Dave Havili has firmed in the betting (for me).
I still think AJ Lam is a good chance - replacing Narawa in your selection, but that's really a 50/50 call.
Razor will have a couple of surprises!
I’d be surprised if Narawa is not selected. His improvement has been very good.
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Surely a few players would have turned up at NP airport. A Barrett family presser would be so boring.
@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Surely a few players would have turned up at NP airport. A Barrett family presser would be so boring.
However a Blackadder, Havili, Fihaki and Reece presser would certainly send the Fern into a new level of “excitement”
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@Chris-B I'd like to see Lam there, but is he the obvious casualty of the talk of Rieko as a wing/midfielder?
@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
@Chris-B I'd like to see Lam there, but is he the obvious casualty of the talk of Rieko as a wing/midfielder?
I think they'll only select three specialist wings - and Clarke and Reece pretty certain to be two of them.
Quite a few contenders for the third spot.
Narawa, Lam, Carter - I don't really see Fihaki making it, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Don't think Timoci is fast enough to be picked there - but, who knows - there's been some drums beating, so Razor might balance things quite a bit differently than I expect.
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@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:
Kirifi is a New Plymouth boy.
Imagine that spanner - 'Kirifi named as new AB captain'
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Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister
Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi
Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland
Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson
Halfbacks: Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham
First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie
Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai
Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, Ruben LoveInjury cover: Christian Lio-Willie (for Luke Jacobson), Emoni Narawa (for Anton Lienert-Brown)
Unavailable due to injury: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Sam Darry, Peter Lakai, Stephen Perofeta.
Here we are team. Brodie Mcalastair the big bolter here.
