All Blacks 2025
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Yep, it really feels like we have lost our All Blacks to the corporate world and perhaps for good.
Fozzie's book says as much; the Commercial team at NZR is increasingly driving decisions to ensure profitability... and if it's anything like RA, for the benefit of their own KPIs.
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@NTA The long golden era of NZ Rugby was great while it lasted. But it's gone.
My hope is that there are still enough people involved in the grassroots of the game in New Zealand who understand its core values who will eventually wrestle back control from the corporate muppets.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@NTA The long golden era of NZ Rugby was great while it lasted. But it's gone.
My hope is that there are still enough people involved in the grassroots of the game in New Zealand who understand its core values who will eventually wrestle back control from the corporate muppets.
Well, when you talk to people involved in the grassroots, it isn't exactly shining.
School programs warehousing players, club scene struggling particularly in regional areas, and more competition from weekend work, other sports, and people not having the time to volunteer.
I think at the top level it is still going to be good, in terms of winning percentage etc, but difficult to re-create the McCaw years.
Sounds like Australia and the Macqueen era TBH.
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@brodean was more than one occasion on Saturday when more than 1 player went for the ball, and IIRC it was a forward trunddling back and interfering with our back coming forward. Do they not call anymore?
The forwards should be working back be in position to secure the ball from the catch, not getting in the way, just more evidence these guys are not on the same page.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Read one earlier where Richard Loe was questioning SB as well, form and leadership.
Said when watchign several times in the 'huddles' too many people were talking, he wasnt the 'leader'
I'm not disagreeing, but I think that captain change suits the media. It seems incredibly hard for them to even consider that Razor isn't the right guy for the role.
I think the main difference with the media between fozzie and razor ,
With Fozzie they believed we had a super coach in waiting ( razor ) and he will have all the solutions
Now they are dumbfounded it isn’t looking so good and they don’t have a plan B to speak of
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@upthelanders said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean I 100% agree with this, Leicester at 12, Jordie to 15, Will and Carter on the wings.
He needs a Super Rugby season to show what he has there at least. I don't really see him being better than Lam at 12 and I don't see either of them moving JB from there.
and unlike Jordie Lam can play wing. And has played 13 as well at a pinch.
But:I don't really see <Crusader> being better than <Blues> at 12 and I don't see either of them moving <not Crusader but Captain Crusader's brother> from there.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@Kirwan said in All Blacks 2025:
@upthelanders said in All Blacks 2025:
Will has 2 bad games under the high ball and everyone goes into a panic
Correct me if I’m wrong but I didn’t see him drop one high ball the other day and his defence was very strong. Still the best outside back in NZ by a long shot.
Not just this game, ask @Bones, he mentions it over and over again. He makes poor mistakes that a lot of people forget because he makes a great run.
He's a winger.
Asking Bones about Will Jordan is like asking Hilary Clinton about the 2016 US election outcome….
Will is still growing into the full back position at this level. I see a lot of similarities with what happened with Ben Smith and his up and down performances when they shifted him from the right to fullback.
We will never win a world cup with Jordan starting in the outside backs. Maybe he could ask Ben Smith for a signed picture of him holding it?
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
Ant Strachan one of the few calling for Barrett to be moved aside. He called for Scott to be removed as captain and Ardie be made captain, Jordie be moved to 15, and a big movement on defense and aerially. Could have gone further as he clearly has some thoughts on change there, but wouldn't elucidate.
In response to questions about the background (i.e., coaches) he questioned the attitude towards defense and how that is coming out as a lack of defensive integrity.
He also questioned the clarity for players of their understanding of the jersey, their role, and commitment to it over the entire course of the game. He was still not prepared to say anything negative about specific coaches or players though.
Interviewer straight out asked him if Razor should go, and he avoided it. He talked about Razor's focus on culture and said that he should get more time in comparison to Foster. He is the second person to respond by saying that Foster got more shit because there was a 'ready to go' replacement in the wings (Jamie Wall was saying the same on another pod).
Putting Savea as captain is literally ignoring the elephant in the room. He is part of the problem.
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At this stage Cody is the only guy who fits the veteran captain criteria for me. Ardie is an amazing athlete, but the back row lacks balance because we can't seem to build complementary pieces around him. I don't know how vocal he is though. JB is definitely more vocal during games than SB
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
At this stage Cody is the only guy who fits the veteran captain criteria for me. Ardie is an amazing athlete, but the back row lacks balanace because we can't seem to build complementary pieces around him. I don't know how vocal he is though. JB is definitely more vocal during games than SB
Codie should have been named captain after 2019.
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@jimmyb said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
Ant Strachan one of the few calling for Barrett to be moved aside. He called for Scott to be removed as captain and Ardie be made captain, Jordie be moved to 15, and a big movement on defense and aerially. Could have gone further as he clearly has some thoughts on change there, but wouldn't elucidate.
In response to questions about the background (i.e., coaches) he questioned the attitude towards defense and how that is coming out as a lack of defensive integrity.
He also questioned the clarity for players of their understanding of the jersey, their role, and commitment to it over the entire course of the game. He was still not prepared to say anything negative about specific coaches or players though.
Interviewer straight out asked him if Razor should go, and he avoided it. He talked about Razor's focus on culture and said that he should get more time in comparison to Foster. He is the second person to respond by saying that Foster got more shit because there was a 'ready to go' replacement in the wings (Jamie Wall was saying the same on another pod).
Putting Savea as captain is literally ignoring the elephant in the room. He is part of the problem.
Smacks of the NZRU commercial department having a say on who should be playing to help with their social media content generation and strategic objective to win hearts and minds
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@stodders said in All Blacks 2025:
@jimmyb said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
Ant Strachan one of the few calling for Barrett to be moved aside. He called for Scott to be removed as captain and Ardie be made captain, Jordie be moved to 15, and a big movement on defense and aerially. Could have gone further as he clearly has some thoughts on change there, but wouldn't elucidate.
In response to questions about the background (i.e., coaches) he questioned the attitude towards defense and how that is coming out as a lack of defensive integrity.
He also questioned the clarity for players of their understanding of the jersey, their role, and commitment to it over the entire course of the game. He was still not prepared to say anything negative about specific coaches or players though.
Interviewer straight out asked him if Razor should go, and he avoided it. He talked about Razor's focus on culture and said that he should get more time in comparison to Foster. He is the second person to respond by saying that Foster got more shit because there was a 'ready to go' replacement in the wings (Jamie Wall was saying the same on another pod).
Putting Savea as captain is literally ignoring the elephant in the room. He is part of the problem.
Smacks of the NZRU commercial department having a say on who should be playing to help with their social media content generation and strategic objective to win hearts and minds
Honestly, if I see one more social media video that mentions either Savea prattling on about Jesus, the Barrett’s doing something thick, or someone being Dutch, I’m throwing myself out the window
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Ant explained his reasoning as Ardie plays much better as captain (e.g., at MP) as he seems to want and enjoy the extra responsibility- in contrast to Barrett who seems to carry it as extra weight.
I agree with the comments above that Taylor makes a better option, but this coaching group will not drop Ardie. He’s also an 80 minute player so I can understand the reasoning and I do think they should have gone that way.
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@Kiwiwomble
The replacements would be within the squad and already on the payroll and anyone outside is presumably on a super contract with the NZRU and therefore on the payroll. -
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
Ant explained his reasoning as Ardie plays much better as captain (e.g., at MP) as he seems to want and enjoy the extra responsibility- in contrast to Barrett who seems to carry it as extra weight.
I agree with the comments above that Taylor makes a better option, but this coaching group will not drop Ardie. He’s also an 80 minute player so I can understand the reasoning and I do think they should have gone that way.
But the thing with Ardie is that his captaincy and leadership skills is 100% emotion and passion. Which is incredibly up and down. It doesn’t work long term and doesn’t work when the pressure is on because it’s a fragile way of leading.
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I’m not sure I watched enough MP games to say that his passion as a captain got in the way of his decision making, but I know that I’d like more passion from our captain than we got last weekend.
If captaincy improves his play, all the better as well.
I’d also like to make it clear that I would prefer Taylor.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
Ant Strachan one of the few calling for Barrett to be moved aside. He called for Scott to be removed as captain and Ardie be made captain
Ant is an idiot.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
Ant explained his reasoning as Ardie plays much better as captain (e.g., at MP) as he seems to want and enjoy the extra responsibility- in contrast to Barrett who seems to carry it as extra weight.
I can't wait for an All Black captain that enjoys the responsibility so much he chip kicks possession away putting us under immediate pressure...
