All Blacks 2025
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Cotter prefers Christies kicking game over Funaki.
As for Plummer he started 4 of the first 5 Blues games this year at 10 so he was preferred. Then through the middle of the season Barrett, Plummer and Perofeta all got a go because we were losing under Plummer before Cotter settled on Barrett to close out the season.
To me Plummer seemed to already have one foot on the plane mentally this year.
Yeah, Plummer did struggle a bit last season. He did seem to have his mind elsewhere.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Wasn't Plummer preferred almost more at 12 than 10 for Blues? Or am I not recalling correctly, just I thought he played quite a bit at 12 . I always thought he quite a good player, who tended to be a bench player quite a bit as he never really named nailed down 10 or 12 except in case of injuries.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Wasn't Plummer preferred almost more at 12 than 10 for Blues? Or am I not recalling correctly, just I thought he played quite a bit at 12 . I always thought he quite a good player, who tended to be a bench player quite a bit as he never really named nailed down 10 or 12 except in case of injuries.
He was a big reason why they won the title. Outdueled DMac in the final, played very well in the second half of the season
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@nonpartizan said in All Blacks 2025:
One thing has become crystal clear in the last few days to me......
Razor was a massive beneficiary of being involved in a perennially successful club environment in Canterbury and the Crusaders. His coaching bona fides were inflated because of that.
If he had coached outside of Christchurch where he had had to build something from scratch or had had no cattle or tradition to work with I can only assume that his flaws would have come to the fore earlier.
The key takeaway on this for the NZR has to the that the recruitment process for an All Black head coach has to be extensive and thorough and they should be looking for a candidate with proven success in a variety of different environments. Being wildly successful in Christchurch is obviously still an achievement but replicating that elsewhere or at least showing the ability to achieve something outside of that domain would have proven Razors qualities.
That's essentially the argument put forward about 3 years ago by those with doubts about Razor's experience, which was shouted down - by many on here - as anti-Cantab bias.
It would be fun to look back at some of the posts from 2023 - 2024 talking about how he would turn things around straight away.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Ratima is in a funk he cant get out of., He is a shadow of the player he was before he started playing for the ABs. He used to have a dynamic running game which no longer exists.
How many in the current squad have improved?
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
No real argument, I must admit I haven't taken notice of Blues 9s enough to argue about Funaki etc, but I quite happy for other posters to see it that way. I was mainly responding to your post that suggested I not qualified to comment, because I had different opinion than yours about Christie.
Don't get too hung up on the hyperbole.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Ratima is in a funk he cant get out of., He is a shadow of the player he was before he started playing for the ABs. He used to have a dynamic running game which no longer exists.
How many in the current squad have improved?
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
Our game plan doesn't seem to suit any of his strengths so it's not clear to me why he's there (I haven't watched the Wales game yet).
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Ratima is in a funk he cant get out of., He is a shadow of the player he was before he started playing for the ABs. He used to have a dynamic running game which no longer exists.
How many in the current squad have improved?
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
Our game plan doesn't seem to suit any of his strengths so it's not clear to me why he's there (I haven't watched the Wales game yet).
When we get it moving over multiple phases I didn't notice him in a good way. But his box kicks lack accuracy
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
No real argument, I must admit I haven't taken notice of Blues 9s enough to argue about Funaki etc, but I quite happy for other posters to see it that way. I was mainly responding to your post that suggested I not qualified to comment, because I had different opinion than yours about Christie.
Don't get too hung up on the hyperbole.
Fair enough mate.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Christie because he suits the close game plan, BB because Plummer was leaving and BB signed on until 2027?
To me playing BB over Plummer because one is leaving is not a good excuse. You are trying to win a SR title and need to play the best. And it's not like BB was a young up and comer needing reps
Yep, but we don't know if that was why he was played, isn't that just speculation by a poster?
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Christie because he suits the close game plan, BB because Plummer was leaving and BB signed on until 2027?
To me playing BB over Plummer because one is leaving is not a good excuse. You are trying to win a SR title and need to play the best. And it's not like BB was a young up and comer needing reps
Yep, but we don't know if that was why he was played, isn't that just speculation by a poster?
It's all speculation. If you want facts you've come to the wrong place
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.
Just about the perfect guy for this situation.I mean, selecting a culturist as your HC FFS.
The height of arrogance; doubt any of our opposition are going to be following that trend any time soon.
Wouldn't get rid of Robertson yet, unfortunately his basic win/loss isn't bad enough. The nature of the losses are so bad tho!
Let him start next season, and put a contingency plan in place; in case things go very, very badly.Get a new CEO, and tell him his first job will be to clean out the HP dept.
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
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Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I'll find him.
And protect him from the Cantabs.
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I'll find him.
And protect him from the Cantabs.
If Hansen is actually the HC then his head should roll. D has been so bad, so Ellison should be bye bye. Ryan might be saved, but hopefully they have a robust debrief
