All Blacks 2025
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2025:
Nonu was appreciated in his time. But I think his stature has grown exponentially over the last decade since his international retirement.
Carter’s stature has probably remained the sameThat’s what I mean. Everyone knew he got better and better but once he’d retired he did so as arguably the best 12 ever.
Most complete 12 I've ever seen. Had everything in his game and lot of that came from hard yakka. off the field.
All the skills and a physical beast with it.
Fuck Tim Horan, Nonu is the GOAT
I think there were players with more natural talent and skills. None had his work ethic,
When he debuted for the Canes Nonu was raw powerful and exciting but he tended to make fundamental errors that were exposed when he first played for the All Blacks. Over time he polished those edges and also added a decent kicking game and a very good passing game, two things that he never had at the start. Combined with his brutal physicality Nonu was a complete midfielder for the second half of his all black career. He also had a durability that is evident to this day as he still continues to play professionally
All seemed to click for him when he became a full time 12 as well , the early days of him playing 13 was when he was exposed defensively.
I think that also coincided with him getting very fit, from memory? The AB coaches asked / sent him to sevens and he came back and much fitter and more involved player. Hanson has talked a bit about that being a key turning point.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2025:
Nonu was appreciated in his time. But I think his stature has grown exponentially over the last decade since his international retirement.
Carter’s stature has probably remained the sameThat’s what I mean. Everyone knew he got better and better but once he’d retired he did so as arguably the best 12 ever.
Most complete 12 I've ever seen. Had everything in his game and lot of that came from hard yakka. off the field.
All the skills and a physical beast with it.
Fuck Tim Horan, Nonu is the GOAT
I think there were players with more natural talent and skills. None had his work ethic,
When he debuted for the Canes Nonu was raw powerful and exciting but he tended to make fundamental errors that were exposed when he first played for the All Blacks. Over time he polished those edges and also added a decent kicking game and a very good passing game, two things that he never had at the start. Combined with his brutal physicality Nonu was a complete midfielder for the second half of his all black career. He also had a durability that is evident to this day as he still continues to play professionally
All seemed to click for him when he became a full time 12 as well , the early days of him playing 13 was when he was exposed defensively.
I think that also coincided with him getting very fit, from memory? The AB coaches asked / sent him to sevens and he came back and much fitter and more involved player. Hanson has talked a bit about that being a key turning point.
I remember seeing him get arrested on C place in the wee small hours back in 2004 ( I think ) his career was a bit sporadic for a few years after that but whatever boot in the arse he got ( or gave himself ) worked wonders after that.
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@taniwharugby if I was Fakatava I'd be on the phone to my agent. Finding out you're seventh in line for All Blacks call up must be really frustrating. Especially after NZ rugby came out and called him a 'potential all black' when he signed on for two more years a few months back.
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@taniwharugby I genuinely can't understand it. In my opinion he's one of the best game managing halfbacks in New Zealand at the moment and he's a constant threat around the ruck.
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@jamsb said in All Blacks 2025:
Leicester to join the ABs as injury cover
Which based on how Willie was injury cover then started v France might mean him in the 13 jersey, I'm guessing.
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@jamsb said in All Blacks 2025:
Leicester to join the ABs as injury cover
Is that a prediction or..? I can't imagine how the fuck that turnstile would be even mentioned.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@jamsb said in All Blacks 2025:
Leicester to join the ABs as injury cover
Is that a prediction or..? I can't imagine how the fuck that turnstile would be even mentioned.
It's confirmed. He's been called in
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Check out the comments! I'm fucked if I know what these people are seeing in him.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Check out the comments! I'm fucked if I know what these people are seeing in him.
I’m excited about him bollocking through tackles
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@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Check out the comments! I'm fucked if I know what these people are seeing in him.
I noticed someone arguing he was the best choice because he was the 'most qualified', i.e. he's played a handful of tests, a couple of which against minnows. This idea that experience trumps all else has seeped into the public consciousness in the last year or so and it's incredibly frustrating. I am so sick of hearing this as reasoning for selecting a player. Let's just completely ignore form, skill set and actual impact in favour of a box-ticking approach and create a self-perpetuating cycle where opportunities go to the same limited pool of players simply because they already have caps, while genuinely talented options are overlooked.
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@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Check out the comments! I'm fucked if I know what these people are seeing in him.
I noticed someone arguing he was the best choice because he was the 'most qualified', i.e. he's played a handful of tests a couple of which against minnows. This idea that experience trumps all else has seeped into the public consciousness in the last year or so and it's incredibly frustrating. I am so sick of hearing this as reasoning for selecting a player. Let's just completely ignore form, skill set and actual impact in favour of a box-ticking approach and create a self-perpetuating cycle where opportunities go to the same limited pool of players simply because they already have caps, while genuinely talented options are overlooked.
Plus he’s a Crusader who went overseas so they instantly become better players and massive reasons why the ABs struggle in their absence….
See also: Mo’unga, Richie
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
WEL you are bagging him with out seeing how he goes in the ABs after playing in France maybe wait and see aye.
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Given the play of 11, 13 & 14 has been sub optimal this year for the All Blacks his inclusion in the squad would seem to be a good thing.
Not that he is the panacea but it's good to have this sort of option at your disposal if you are in Razors shoes, imo.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
WEL you are bagging him with out seeing how he goes in the ABs after playing in France maybe wait and see aye.
No, let's judge him on his form. Was he poor defensively as a winger before he left and poor defensively as a centre in France?
Otherwise let's just pick any fluffybunny and see how they go too.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Otherwise let's just pick any fluffybunny and see how they go too.
welcome to the Fern!
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