2025 All Blacks v France series

[antipodean]

@Frank said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bones said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Frank said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

I don't mind a weaker French side. Gives the coaches more scope for experimentation.

Nah, gives them scope to lose to a terrible french side and say "see, looks what happens when you experiment, fuck that - give Dave, Ethan, George, Cullen , Tom and Dallas a call."

Won't happen negative Nelly.

:hundred_points:

We're going to munt them. The only time they're going to look good will be when it's obvious we're still adapting to new structures and players within those positions.

[Lancaster Park]

The other element of improvement for Jordan this year is in his leadership and communication.
Probably easier to see whats going on from FB rather than wing.

[ACT Crusader]

@nonpartizan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Amidst the disappointing news of a weak French team I got the personal good news today that I would like to share.

I was able to get tickets to attend the captains run in Hamilton and it will be either Conrad Smith or Stephen Donald hosting and discussing their career etc. Beyond excited. Just two weeks till we fly to NZ to visit for the first time and the time can't rush by soon enough.

You now have the solemn responsibility to share stories from the event, name drop who was there, start a rumour and tell the Fern that you’ve been invited to breakfast.

[game_film]

@brodean Of course, but the damage won’t be felt immediately.

Have to protect the product.

[mariner4life]

@voodoo said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Last time Lions did a tour in 2021 France sent a weakened squad to Australia and nearly won the series with 3 tests that all went down to the wire.

That was an absolute ripper of a series

Played Wednesday nights for midweek beers as well!

[voodoo]

@mariner4life said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@voodoo said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Last time Lions did a tour in 2021 France sent a weakened squad to Australia and nearly won the series with 3 tests that all went down to the wire.

That was an absolute ripper of a series

Played Wednesday nights for midweek beers as well!

Like we needed an excuse for Wednesday beers…

[ACT Crusader]

@voodoo said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Last time Lions did a tour in 2021 France sent a weakened squad to Australia and nearly won the series with 3 tests that all went down to the wire.

That was an absolute ripper of a series

Will never forget it. Just 4 days after the second test at AAMI Park, Melbourne went into lockdown #5, having been off the leash for just a month.

And the first test was moved from Sydney.

Least we had some rugby to help us through that disgraceful time.

[Bones]

@Lancaster-Park said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

The other element of improvement for Jordan this year is in his leadership and communication.
Probably easier to see whats going on from FB rather than wing.

Played fullback most of last year I thought?

[mariner4life]

@ACT-Crusader yeah over and above the super important Wednesday beers

The rugby was incredibly entertaining. It sort of brought me back to the game.

[DMX]

@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

The pressure will be on Robertson and the ABs to win 3-0.

Hopefully people/press see the series as a real opportunity for Robertson to put his stamp on things and chance his arm a bit. Ideal scenario is getting 2-0 up and having the confidence to give people like Proctor & Love plenty of game time.

I would really be hoping that Proctor is in pole position and starts all three tests.

[Victor Meldrew]

@DMX said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

The pressure will be on Robertson and the ABs to win 3-0.

Hopefully people/press see the series as a real opportunity for Robertson to put his stamp on things and chance his arm a bit. Ideal scenario is getting 2-0 up and having the confidence to give people like Proctor & Love plenty of game time.

I would really be hoping that Proctor is in pole position and starts all three tests.

Don't think he will. Probably be Roigard/BB/JB/RI/WJ with Caleb Clarke & Reece on the wings to start Frog 1. Maybe Ratima/DMac will start. Conservative for first Test

Hopefully see Proctor& QT given plenty of game time and start in Frog 3

[Jet]

@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@voodoo said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Last time Lions did a tour in 2021 France sent a weakened squad to Australia and nearly won the series with 3 tests that all went down to the wire.

That was an absolute ripper of a series

Will never forget it. Just 4 days after the second test at AAMI Park, Melbourne went into lockdown #5, having been off the leash for just a month.

And the first test was moved from Sydney.

Least we had some rugby to help us through that disgraceful time.

Dan Andrews is a fluffybunny.

[Darren]

@brodean

If those stats are correct, thats a pretty massive tight 5

All their locks are above 2.00m

[nostrildamus]

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Overall there seems to be some height and weight in the locks/backrow.

The backs don't seem particularly big.

There are not too many very young players. There are a lot of players in their mid twenties which should be hitting their peak.

Actually I thought the flankers look on paper tall but light and apart from locks and some props that looks like a very light team. Probably very fast though

[DMX]

@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@DMX said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

The pressure will be on Robertson and the ABs to win 3-0.

Hopefully people/press see the series as a real opportunity for Robertson to put his stamp on things and chance his arm a bit. Ideal scenario is getting 2-0 up and having the confidence to give people like Proctor & Love plenty of game time.

I would really be hoping that Proctor is in pole position and starts all three tests.

Don't think he will. Probably be Roigard/BB/JB/RI/WJ with Caleb Clarke & Reece on the wings to start Frog 1. Maybe Ratima/DMac will start. Conservative for first Test

Hopefully see Proctor& QT given plenty of game time and start in Frog 3

You may be right but it would be disappointing to me. I think this is the perfect time to give him an extended run.

[gt12]

@Darren said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean

If those stats are correct, thats a pretty massive tight 5

All their locks are above 2.00m

They're not, at least two of them are quite a bit shorter than that.

[MN5]

@nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Overall there seems to be some height and weight in the locks/backrow.

The backs don't seem particularly big.

There are not too many very young players. There are a lot of players in their mid twenties which should be hitting their peak.

Actually I thought the flankers look on paper tall but light and apart from locks and some props that looks like a very light team. Probably very fast though

Irrelevant. The game is played on a field, not on paper.

[Chris B.]

@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@DMX said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks Squad v France:

The pressure will be on Robertson and the ABs to win 3-0.

Hopefully people/press see the series as a real opportunity for Robertson to put his stamp on things and chance his arm a bit. Ideal scenario is getting 2-0 up and having the confidence to give people like Proctor & Love plenty of game time.

I would really be hoping that Proctor is in pole position and starts all three tests.

Don't think he will. Probably be Roigard/BB/JB/RI/WJ with Caleb Clarke & Reece on the wings to start Frog 1.

That's most likely, but it wouldn't be too surprising if Proctor played centre and they pushed Rieko to the wing. I think that's the only way they can cover every position effectively against injury - assuming ALB isn't fit.

QT can probably cover midfield otherwise, but if Rieko (at centre) got injured in the first 10 minutes, you're asking plenty of him to play most of a test at centre.

Similarly, with Billy Proctor covering 2nd five. I recall last year vs Oz they didn't want to do that.

[Number 10]

[zedsdeadbaby]

Well this makes the loose forward mix for the first test very interesting.

It would be perhaps unlikely Jacobson will play too.

So are we looking at Finau, Kirifi, Savea with Lio-Willie off the bench?