All Blacks 2025
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Our loose forwards remain a problem. Lakai put in a lot of effort but his actual impact was Blackadder like. He has a slightly lower workrate than Blackadder but is more accurate. He has so far not been a high impact player at test level.
Its pretty disappointing when a back in Proctor makes the most tackles in the team and the starting loose forwards rank 5th, 6th and 7th in tackles completed in what was a poor defensive effort overall.
According to the rugbypass stats Sititi made zero tackles despite being on the field for 26 minutes.
Tupaea, Lord, and Newell made more tackles than Savea and Lakai despite the former three being subbed for the final quarter while the two loosies played the entire game.
The loosies did not pull their weight in defence and this is not the first time this year. Have they been told to hang off tackles and look for turnovers or is that the way they play at Super level too? Whatever it is it's not working.
Parker made nine tackles and apparently two runs for no metres. That's Owen Franks level impact with ball in hand.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Our loose forwards remain a problem. Lakai put in a lot of effort but his actual impact was Blackadder like. He has a slightly lower workrate than Blackadder but is more accurate. He has so far not been a high impact player at test level.
Its pretty disappointing when a back in Proctor makes the most tackles in the team and the starting loose forwards rank 5th, 6th and 7th in tackles completed in what was a poor defensive effort overall.
According to the rugbypass stats Sititi made zero tackles despite being on the field for 26 minutes.
Tupaea, Lord, and Newell made more tackles than Savea and Lakai despite the former three being subbed for the final quarter while the two loosies played the entire game.
The loosies did not pull their weight in defence and this is not the first time this year. Have they been told to hang off tackles and look for turnovers or is that the way they play at Super level too? Whatever it is it's not working.
Parker made nine tackles and apparently two runs for no metres. That's Owen Franks level impact with ball in hand.
Can that really be considered playing both sides of the ball?
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Our loose forwards remain a problem. Lakai put in a lot of effort but his actual impact was Blackadder like. He has a slightly lower workrate than Blackadder but is more accurate. He has so far not been a high impact player at test level.
Its pretty disappointing when a back in Proctor makes the most tackles in the team and the starting loose forwards rank 5th, 6th and 7th in tackles completed in what was a poor defensive effort overall.
According to the rugbypass stats Sititi made zero tackles despite being on the field for 26 minutes.
Tupaea, Lord, and Newell made more tackles than Savea and Lakai despite the former three being subbed for the final quarter while the two loosies played the entire game.
The loosies did not pull their weight in defence and this is not the first time this year. Have they been told to hang off tackles and look for turnovers or is that the way they play at Super level too? Whatever it is it's not working.
Parker made nine tackles and apparently two runs for no metres. That's Owen Franks level impact with ball in hand.
Can that really be considered playing both sides of the ball?
He gets selected so apparently it can. Great use of his size.
How is 0 metres from two runs even possible ? Do they round each metre down ?
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He came in to much fanfare. Now after such a poor performance this season it's time for Razor's crew to reap the whirlwind. I won't be satisfied with anything less than all of his assistants bar Ryan (I'd come close to firing him too after the way he (mis)managed Hoskins) getting shown the door
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@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2025:
The team needs to start with a blank sheet of paper,, forget what’s known, ignore players’ past exploits and design a plan from scratch. Then pick the players who fit, as if assessing them for the first time. Every tactic, role and structure should be rebuilt around what could actually work, not what’s been tried so far. .
All well and good but we are two years into a World Cup cycle.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
He came in to much fanfare. Now after such a poor performance this season it's time for Razor's crew to reap the whirlwind. I won't be satisfied with anything less than all of his assistants bar Ryan (I'd come close to firing him too after the way he (most)managed Hoskins) getting shown the door
I'll save my Scott Robertson's annual review post until after the final test, but yeah at a bare minimium the assistants bar Ryan need to go, we need an experienced voice on selection back on the panel (Grant Fox? Steve Hansen? Ian Foster? Vern Cotter?) and it needs be pointed out to Robertson that his management of certain talented players (Harry Plummer, Ruben Love, Hoskins Sotutu) has been absolutely appalling.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2025:
The team needs to start with a blank sheet of paper,, forget what’s known, ignore players’ past exploits and design a plan from scratch. Then pick the players who fit, as if assessing them for the first time. Every tactic, role and structure should be rebuilt around what could actually work, not what’s been tried so far. .
All well and good but we are two years into a World Cup cycle.
Yes, and they’re almost out of time. Would you rather they start from scratch now or continue with things as is?
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@ShaquilleOatmeal Big changes are needed that's for sure.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
He came in to much fanfare. Now after such a poor performance this season it's time for Razor's crew to reap the whirlwind. I won't be satisfied with anything less than all of his assistants bar Ryan (I'd come close to firing him too after the way he (mis)managed Hoskins) getting shown the door
my mate had a totally speculative theory that they broke the bank for assistant coaches moving Leon on ... and that's why we get cut rate Tamati and are loathe to pay out existing assistants.
Like I said. musings only. But interesting conspiracy theory

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Two years is enough to rejig and quite frankly 1/3 is good enough as a foundation, the front row. We have an excellent 9 and probably have some decent backup options. DMac is good enough for a year or two as 10 as others are also trialled, and our wings are decent (Clarke, Narawa, Jordan, possibly Tangitau, jury out on Carter at the moment). Loosies and midfield are the concern. Actually we have some decent loosies just missing the combos, right selection and depth at 6 and 8.
So it isn't back to square 1, except for most of the tactics. But it might be good to have new tactics going into the next RWC cycle. -
@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
low intelligence setup.
That, for me, is the heart of the problem. It's comfortably the least cerebral, low IQ approach to the game I can remember from an All Blacks team. The culture reeks of complacency and smug, self-satisfaction.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
A lot of players have gone backwards this year. e.g. Taueki'aho, Williams, Ratima.
A lot of duds selected. Certain very good players ignored.
Poor coaching, biased selections, low intelligence setup.
Taueki'aho has been disappointing for more than just this year, and Ratima I think played above himself last year ( he petered out last year) and has probably reverted to type. I will concede Williams.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Our loose forwards remain a problem. Lakai put in a lot of effort but his actual impact was Blackadder like. He has a slightly lower workrate than Blackadder but is more accurate. He has so far not been a high impact player at test level.
Its pretty disappointing when a back in Proctor makes the most tackles in the team and the starting loose forwards rank 5th, 6th and 7th in tackles completed in what was a poor defensive effort overall.
According to the rugbypass stats Sititi made zero tackles despite being on the field for 26 minutes.
Tupaea, Lord, and Newell made more tackles than Savea and Lakai despite the former three being subbed for the final quarter while the two loosies played the entire game.
The loosies did not pull their weight in defence and this is not the first time this year. Have they been told to hang off tackles and look for turnovers or is that the way they play at Super level too? Whatever it is it's not working.
Parker made nine tackles and apparently two runs for no metres. That's Owen Franks level impact with ball in hand.
Can that really be considered playing both sides of the ball?
Yes it turns out one can play both sides of the ball without actually affecting it.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet 09:30 in and Devlin drops another truth bomb. Two years in and who has Robertson coached to be a better player?
Maybe Fabian Holland, Tupou Vaii, Josh Lord and Peter Lakai but it's not a long list.
Newell has improved around the field but it wasn't a high bar. Still, good on him (up to this game, at least).