All Blacks 2025

mariner4life

i swear i am being gaslit

No Quarter

Does he have Aderns PR team or something?

antipodean

I'm interested in the perspectives of others when it comes to the point of difference our loose forwards bring as individuals.

After his debut season I'm happy for Sititi to come back when fit. But Savea, Kirifi and Lakai (and to a lesser extent Lio-Willie) appear to be much the same.

No doubt Parker will get an opportunity once for, so he can join Finau and Vaai.

I'd like to see Beehre also in that mix as his cameos in the tight were always noticeably positive.

We have the bodies to have an imposing pack, despite the preferences of the coach.

Nepia

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:

Does he have Aderns PR team or something?

Maybe we need the politics section back so you righty tighties can keep it in your pants on the sports threads.

sparky

ALB has signed through to 2028, but he will be in Japan rather than with the Chiefs next season.

Anton Lienert-Brown recommits to New Zealand Rugby to 2028

All Black midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby (NZR), the Gallagher Chiefs and Waikato through to the end of 2028.

mariner4life

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:

But Savea, Kirifi and Lakai (and to a lesser extent Lio-Willie) appear to be much the same.

can't agree with this point because Savea continues to be an enigma.

The ruck attendance stats posted in the other thread don't seem to match the eye test so i would be interest as to how many of those he arrived at 3rd and leaned on. He absolutely cleaned a couple later in the test, memorable for their exception.
But he's getting picked, he's playing 80, and he is going to do his own thing. The bigger question is what shirt should he wear?

The other 3 are small busy loose forwards without a real point of difference.

With Vaai and Finau playing the dirty stuff, Savea doing his thing, what do we need from the #8? Is it purely a worker? If so, then that guy can't be another smaller body, he needs to make a difference when contact is required.

I tell you what, a Finau, Savea, Vaai starting trio with Sititi off the bench would be tough to handle.

No Quarter

@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:

Does he have Aderns PR team or something?

Maybe we need the politics section back so you righty tighties can keep it in your pants on the sports threads.

It wasn't meant as a political post, she did have a good PR team probably not as good as Beauden's though TBH!

sparky

@booboo I fed those names into Chat GTP and asked it if they would be available for the start of the Rugby Championship.

^Here’s the updated availability status for the listed New Zealand players ahead of the Rugby Championship (starting early August 2025), with the latest news on Scott Barrett and Beauden Barrett included:

Unavailable for Start of Championship

^Ofa Tu’ungafasi – Undergoing neck surgery and ruled out for the rest of Super Rugby Pacific, making him unlikely to return by early August oai_citation:0‡SuperSport.
^Beauden Barrett – Suffered a fractured right hand in early March. Expected 6–8 weeks of recovery, which means he’ll be close to match fitness in May–June; likely fully fit by August oai_citation:1‡RUGBY.com.au oai_citation:2‡SABC Sport oai_citation:3‡RugbyPass.
^Sam Darry – Season-ending shoulder injury at the tail end of Super Rugby; no turnaround in time for August.
^Wallace Sititi – Long-term knee injury still ruling him out.

Mid-Term/Conditional – Likely Fit by August

Fit or Uninjured

Scott Barrett, Tamati Williams, Tyrell Lomax, Asafo Aumua, Luke Jacobsen, Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Reiko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta—all expected to be available once their minor issues settle.

Summary Table

Player	Status	Likely Available in August
Ofa Tu’ungafasi	Out rest of Super Rugby (neck surgery)	No
Beauden Barrett	Fractured hand (6–8 weeks)	Yes
Sam Darry	Season-ending shoulder	No
Wallace Sititi	Long-term knee	No
Tyrell Lomax	Ankle injury (short-term)	Yes
Asafo Aumua	Concussion (returned)	Yes
Luke Jacobsen	Minor nose issue	Yes
Scott Barrett	Broken finger, back in training	Yes
Josh Lord	Mid-term knee	Probably
Ethan Blackadder	Quad injury	Likely
Peter Lakai	Fit	Yes
Simon Parker	Fit	Yes
Reiko Ioane	Fit	Yes
Caleb Clarke	Minor thigh issue	Yes
Stephen Perofeta	Calf strain (short)	Yes
Tamati Williams	Fit	Yes

Final Take

Definitely unavailable: Tu’ungafasi, Darry, Sititi.
Uncertain depending on recovery: Blackadder, Lord.
Likely fit: Beauden Barrett (prior hand issue), Scott Barrett, Lomax, Aumua, Jacobsen, Williams, Parker, Ioane, Clarke, Perofeta, Lakai.

So by early August, most of the squad should be ready—except for the long-term injured trio and two players who are the last to fully recover.

Nepia

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:

@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:

Does he have Aderns PR team or something?

Maybe we need the politics section back so you righty tighties can keep it in your pants on the sports threads.

It wasn't meant as a political post, she did have a good PR team probably not as good as Beauden's though TBH!

No one has good a PR team as the Barrett family.

Chris

Sam Darry I hear will be fit for Rd 1 of NPC for Canterbury,
And of course Beuden Barrett has broke his hand again probably out for a month to 6 weeks.

Bovidae

@sparky Sititi had surgery on his ankle, not a knee injury. When I posted a couple of weeks back that he would be in his moon boot for 3 weeks that was directly from him.

zedsdeadbaby

AI slop

sparky

@Bovidae Good to see the Fern's collective intelligence beating AI.

sparky

@zedsdeadbaby It's also missed Caleb Clarke's injury.

AAP / Jul 14

Injured NZ winger to miss part of Rugby Championship

An ankle injury means All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke could miss up to eight weeks, which may include some of the Rugby Championship.

canefan

I guess quad injury is CGPT code for grade 4 vaginal tear

Mr Fish

Is Scott Parker an AI error or a @sparky error?

Bones

In a couple of FB groups I'm in, AI slop on it's own is banned for a reason...

gt12

@mariner4life

He was absent from the discussion of first / second to the breakdown in the discussion on the rugby pod (no idea if by design or not).

They did mention stat hunters who go to many rucks as the third when they shouldn’t be needed….

antipodean

@mariner4life much like the post 2am dancefloor hunt it's no secret I prefer big bodies.

Vaai, Finau and Savea is probably the best we can hope for with the current administration.

But I view with great scepticism stats suggesting Ardie does much at ruck time other than try to be the next person to carry.

Mauss

@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:

The ruck attendance stats posted in the other thread don't seem to match the eye test so i would be interest as to how many of those he arrived at 3rd and leaned on. He absolutely cleaned a couple later in the test, memorable for their exception.

Looking at the attacking rucks throughout the game, I thought Savea was physical at the breakdown. He had one particularly poor clean in the first half, going off his feet too quickly to move Fickou - who was already out of the play - which led to the Guillard penalty in the 35th minute.

But if it wasn't for Savea, with Kirifi looking a bit overwhelmed in the first half and Finau being positioned out wide, the AB attacking breakdown would've become a massacre.

I'll agree that Savea was not good enough at the attacking ruck in 2024. But I think he was more than good enough in this area during this Test series, while also being one of the biggest attacking threats in the team (chip-kick not included).

The Silver Fern