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.
-
@Old-Alleynians said in All Blacks 2025:
The NZRU aren't as rich as an epl team but players there on huge locked in contracts get sat down constantly. Why should we be any different - if the player is cooked - stand him down and if he isn't getting better or his replacement is knocking the cover off the ball offer yhe star a present value pay off (plus you are probably replacing him with a player that you have contracted at a lower rate?).
i think you answered your own questions....NZR would say they cant afford to pay players not to play
@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. -
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.
@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.
-
@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.
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.
-
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).
@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.
-
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.
@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...
-
What are the captaincy options?
S Barrett, Ardie, Taylor.
Any other realistic options? I'll create a poll
@Duluth said in All Blacks 2025:
What are the captaincy options?
S Barrett, Ardie, Taylor.
Any other realistic options? I'll create a poll
That's the list. I don't want a back as captain. And no one else commands their place. Richie McCaw had a strong leadership group. What the hell are the current leadership group doing?
-
@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...
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@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...
Supposedly, his play would improve....
Taylor for me but the truth is the cupboard is pretty bare.
I actually thought about 18 months ago that Papalii was in line to be captain.
-
What are the captaincy options?
S Barrett, Ardie, Taylor.
Any other realistic options? I'll create a poll
@Duluth said in All Blacks 2025:
What are the captaincy options?
S Barrett, Ardie, Taylor.
Any other realistic options? I'll create a poll
Under the current regime the option needs to not only be in the squad, but a certain starter. To bolster their credentials they'd need to be seen (and accepted) as a leader in SR/ NPC.
So while I'd contemplate Patty or Dalts, neither are realistic options.
On form that leaves Codie.
-
Justin Marshall thinks the loss is a sign we should relax the overseas eligibility rules. What a clown he is
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Justin Marshall thinks the loss is a sign we should relax the overseas eligibility rules. What a clown he is
No! A Razor apologist going for this argument, who would have thought!
-
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@Tim 'kakistocracy'. I thought you were making up words. Huh, learned a new thing today
-
Problem is, I can't remember the last time an AB captain was removed from the captaincy and stayed in the team. Has it happened before?
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Problem is, I can't remember the last time an AB captain was removed from the captaincy and stayed in the team. Has it happened before?
It happened last year with Cane.
Also I don't see Scooter being removed as captain and from the team as an issue. He just isn't producing for the form he did a few years back. He can be a squady.
-
@Duluth said in All Blacks 2025:
What are the captaincy options?
S Barrett, Ardie, Taylor.
Any other realistic options? I'll create a poll
Under the current regime the option needs to not only be in the squad, but a certain starter. To bolster their credentials they'd need to be seen (and accepted) as a leader in SR/ NPC.
So while I'd contemplate Patty or Dalts, neither are realistic options.
On form that leaves Codie.
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Duluth said in All Blacks 2025:
What are the captaincy options?
S Barrett, Ardie, Taylor.
Any other realistic options? I'll create a poll
Under the current regime the option needs to not only be in the squad, but a certain starter. To bolster their credentials they'd need to be seen (and accepted) as a leader in SR/ NPC.
So while I'd contemplate Patty or Dalts, neither are realistic options.
On form that leaves Codie.
If Dalts was captain it would solve a lot of issues. Codie would only be a stop gap at his age.
Anyway won't happen for Patty or Dalts. They will be lucky to get game time.
-
This current crop of players should be made to watch our comeback against Ireland in Dublin 2013. Every time we get under scoreboard pressure, our clowns do silly low percentage hail mary shit. That comeback was all about accuracy and everyone doing their jobs properly, and is what good players do when under pressure: up the intensity and accuracy, not go looking for an individual highlight reel moment. If we were in that same situation now, we'd lose / chip kick the ball away 3-4 times before we hit that many phases. Pretty sure Beauden watched it from on the field, which makes it extra disappointing that he is probably the main culprit.
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
This current crop of players should be made to watch our comeback against Ireland in Dublin 2013. Every time we get under scoreboard pressure, our clowns do silly low percentage hail mary shit. That comeback was all about accuracy and everyone doing their jobs properly, and is what good players do when under pressure: up the intensity and accuracy, not go looking for an individual highlight reel moment. If we were in that same situation now, we'd lose / chip kick the ball away 3-4 times before we hit that many phases. Pretty sure Beauden watched it from on the field, which makes it extra disappointing that he is probably the main culprit.
Interestingly Beauden Barrett is on the pitch (came on as a sub). He didnt look to kick it once.
In fact he notably took it into contact hard a few times when he came on, at one point busting Cian Healy the prop.I was at that game in the flesh.
Incredible scenes.
Our current crop would have shelled a pass or kicked it away after ten seconds of this clip.
-
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2025:
I can't believe people are calling for Jordie back to 15.
Do people forget how slow and laborious he was on the counter? Or trying to link up in the line to feed the wingers??
And he isn't that much better than Dmac in the air so why would we want to sacrifice so much offensive capability for near zero gain on the aerial side of the game?
I think JB would be top 3 in the air from the squad. Clarke being the best.
None are as good as Jane, Dagg, Kahui or Smith in the air. Its like we forgot the reason we went to those players.
something ive noticed, they all try and take high balls on their chest....and i know thats taught as the safer option...but i also cant help but think the best in the world should be able to do better than the safe option, especially when we see the regular situation of it bouncing off their chest forward...... when i look at AFL taking marks above their head...yes a smaller ball but also one without any grip....i wonder.....
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2025:
I can't believe people are calling for Jordie back to 15.
Do people forget how slow and laborious he was on the counter? Or trying to link up in the line to feed the wingers??
And he isn't that much better than Dmac in the air so why would we want to sacrifice so much offensive capability for near zero gain on the aerial side of the game?
I think JB would be top 3 in the air from the squad. Clarke being the best.
None are as good as Jane, Dagg, Kahui or Smith in the air. Its like we forgot the reason we went to those players.
something ive noticed, they all try and take high balls on their chest....and i know thats taught as the safer option...but i also cant help but think the best in the world should be able to do better than the safe option, especially when we see the regular situation of it bouncing off their chest forward...... when i look at AFL taking marks above their head...yes a smaller ball but also one without any grip....i wonder.....
Yeah but ... their successful marks aren't guaranteed and more contested marks go to ground than get caught. And plenty of marks are paid when we'd consider it dropped. Just when they do catch one it's amazing. (I get your point, just think it needs some qualification.)
