All Blacks 2025
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@Kiwiwomble People are moaning for moaning sake - it’s boring. The loosies went well against France, and the only changes are the addition of Parker and Lakai.
Papalii was only ever there as cover, as I say they want a fetcher at 7, and he is not that. The things Papalii did well, don’t compliment the rest of the trio.
I think the big positive is the coaches have actually identified what they want each position to do, they clearly want a huge blindside who is a lineout option (Vaa’i, Parker & Finau), a fetcher at 7, and a ball playing eight.
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@Stag yep no overwhelming cantab bias this season. Last year social media did go into rage when Fihaki and Bell were around the team. Truth is Taylor, Williams, Newell, Barrett & Jordan obviously in our best 23. Preston gets in as cover ok but he's just cover. Reece well here's hoping 1 of the chiefs wingers can leap ahead of him
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Reminds me of the Wayne Smith ABs, and also the Mitchell Blacks. They tried to play fast and wide, but IIRC we were undone by teams that took us to task up the guts. If the Lions series suggested anything, it's the importance of the collision area and the breakdown (surprise surprise)
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
If the coaches think Dalton Papalii isn't a fetcher, then coach him to be a fetcher. To dismiss him as "not a fetcher" shows a closed mindset.
Perhaps they tried that last year when he was in the squad and it didn't take
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The elephant in the room is we have 4 Chiefs loose forwards plus Vaa'i in the squad now and they failed to deliver in the quarter this year, the final this year, and multiple other finals over the last few years.
your focus it on wrong positions. we loss final because our reserve props struggled and our back three couldn't catch a bomb. the fact that two of the 3 back three are in this team is what you should be worried about.
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One other thing I don't get; if players are unavailable for selection during the TRC, why name them and then bring in "injury cover"?
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I’ve just watch Tupou Vaa’i put in some of the better back to back performances we’ve seen and Ardie Savea play great rugby back at openside, yet people are moaning about the loose forward mix?
Sititi was great last year, deservedly comes back in and gets a go at 8. Parker, who was everyone’s favourite bolter also comes in presumably as the backup 8.
Kirifi, who many wanted to be given a chance, is retained, and Lakai, who went past Papalii last year, and by most accounts is a very special player returns from injury.
Squabbling about Sotutu (and Akira Ioane!) is a waste of time. They want fetchers at 7, and Papalii isn’t that.
Jacobson possibly fortunate, but on paper he shapes as the last picked loosie anyway. This meltdown is crazy.
I don't think Ardie played anything special against France.
I'm pleased to see Kirifi get rewarded based on form, but I don't see the difference between him, Ardie and Lakai (except size). Jacobson is (slightly) a bigger body, but why bring in a (perennially injured) lock to cover for him?
Then a proper sized loose forward in Papali'i gets the arse despite his form against France.
None of this makes sense. And no, they don't "want fetchers at 7" because the way we play they aren't chasing from ruck to ruck anyway - those days are gone.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
One other thing I don't get; if players are unavailable for selection during the TRC, why name them and then bring in "injury cover"?
Something to do with contracts?
