All Blacks 2026
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
True. Really is make or break for him.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
Status quo will get ugly
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
True. Really is make or break for him.
But 2026 would be an uphill battle for almost any coach. Seems overkill to me. Hope it doesn't longterm injure any 2027 potential RWC ABs.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
True. Really is make or break for him.
But 2026 would be an uphill battle for almost any coach. Seems overkill to me. Hope it doesn't longterm injure any 2027 potential RWC ABs.
Agree about the level of difficulty. On paper it is as difficult a year for the ABs as I can remember
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@His-Bobness said in All Blacks 2026:
In conclusion, I really wouldn’t be surprised if Robertson is gone within months. In fact, I think the only argument against his sacking being expedited is the fact that NZR is still looking for a new CEO. My two cents worth.
I sense another factor on deciding his future is how much capital the NZR Snr management making that decision have invested in their wunderkind. Then there's the press who fawned over his appointment. Are currently reporting the problems within the camp, but aren't calling for him to be sacked - yet. If that changes, I think he'll be gone.
As an aside, i'm not convinced sacking Robertson now (esp. with next year) would be any more a magic solution than dumping Foster. If he stays, then a clear set of changes and appointing someone with a big stick is probably a better, more likely solution
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I think he's safe for now; partly for PR reasons.
Imagine the media storm that would be created; sacked after he went 10 and three this season.
The non-astute GP wont see anything else.
That's a negative image for NZR; the PR dept cant have that.I think a contingency plan will be put in place.
If things go badly next season, I think he could go at anytime.
Especially if the media turn on him. Then his sacking could be deemed as a positive move . . .As for the CEO; i'd say all candidates will be quizzed big-time about their thoughts on the HC/elite program situation.
And that's where Kirk will come in; the new CEO's thoughts on that, would be lining up with his own. -
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
True. Really is make or break for him.
But 2026 would be an uphill battle for almost any coach. Seems overkill to me. Hope it doesn't longterm injure any 2027 potential RWC ABs.
Agree about the level of difficulty. On paper it is as difficult a year for the ABs as I can remember
And not just the programme. Unless the reports of in-camp problems are bullshit - or are true and solved - it could be carnage.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
But no fluffybunny is not going to the ground because the beer is Lion Red or Tui ...
Afternoon games would help the gate.
So being able to have better and cheaper piss and food elsewhere while watching the game isn't a valid reason to tip people over into not going, but a 7pm kick-off being after their poor little bed times is?
The positives need to outweigh the negatives, and better and/or cheaper piss and food would be a positive - simple as that. So would afternoon games.
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I know we are getting off topic here, but I've always been in the camp of the day and k/o times are probably the biggest issue.
I mean, mid-winter, Thursday at 7pm is always gonna suck...I assume the powers that be have the data on average crowd numbers, what days they get better attendances, times etc...weather is always a factor too.
Choice of beer at a game is certainly not a factor for me, there are numerous quality food caravans in attendance, but often big queues so I rarely bother.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
But no fluffybunny is not going to the ground because the beer is Lion Red or Tui ...
Afternoon games would help the gate.
So being able to have better and cheaper piss and food elsewhere while watching the game isn't a valid reason to tip people over into not going, but a 7pm kick-off being after their poor little bed times is?
The positives need to outweigh the negatives, and better and/or cheaper piss and food would be a positive - simple as that. So would afternoon games.
"all of the above"
the casual fan if going to be swayed more by all the other small stuff around the rugby, the food and drink, stadium amenities, convenience, price and time etc
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
But no fluffybunny is not going to the ground because the beer is Lion Red or Tui ...
i would say when theyre 2-3 times the price of outside the ground....there very much are shit beers
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
But no fluffybunny is not going to the ground because the beer is Lion Red or Tui ...
Afternoon games would help the gate.
So being able to have better and cheaper piss and food elsewhere while watching the game isn't a valid reason to tip people over into not going, but a 7pm kick-off being after their poor little bed times is?
The positives need to outweigh the negatives, and better and/or cheaper piss and food would be a positive - simple as that. So would afternoon games.
"all of the above"
the casual fan if going to be swayed more by all the other small stuff around the rugby, the food and drink, stadium amenities, convenience, price and time etc
Exactly. The whole 'who cares about that aspect' is the marketing equivalent of not worrying about scrum training because lineouts and rucks are more important.
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The broadcasters have a big say in the kickoff times as they want as many eyes watching (and people subscribing) as possible. Remember they moved games back to 7 pm to be more "family-friendly". Afternoon games are great for the spectacle and comfort but not so much for Sky in NZ. It also clashes with other sports, which can remove a significant number of your audience. Let's see what TVNZ does. I expect plenty of ads.
It is different across the major rugby nations too. NZ, Aust and France play almost all tests in the evening while SA and the home nations tend to have afternoon tests.
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Legendary All Blacks coach Gilbert Enoka names the best player, captain & person that he's ever worked with...
. https://wetalkrugby.com/gilbert-enoka-all-blacks-dan-carter-mccaw-mealamu/ -
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
the problem will be, even if 2026 isnt good,
Who is going to want to take over the team 1 year out from the WC and be judged on that
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
the problem will be, even if 2026 isnt good,
Who is going to want to take over the team 1 year out from the WC and be judged on that
It's not without precedent. Cheika took over the Wallabies in 2014 and made the RWC final in 2015.
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
the problem will be, even if 2026 isnt good,
Who is going to want to take over the team 1 year out from the WC and be judged on that
Smithy
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
Not saying I'm a supporter of Razor - far from it infact, but I too, would be surprised if he went before the 2027 RWC.
He has a hell of a 2026 season to try and negotiate first.
the problem will be, even if 2026 isnt good,
Who is going to want to take over the team 1 year out from the WC and be judged on that
It's not without precedent. Cheika took over the Wallabies in 2014 and made the RWC final in 2015.
And of course who can forget a certain Rassie Erasmus, the year after the All Blacks shellacked the Boks 57-0 in Auckland, taking over as head coach of South Africa from the bumbling Alistair Coetzee? It was March 2018 that Erasmus took the reins. In September of that year, the Boks came back to beat the ABs in Wellington 36-34. Another year later in the World Cup final in Japan, the Boks fairly comprehensively beat England 32-12, the latter having played their final against the ABs in the semi. So there was a little over 18 months from Erasmus’ seemingly radical appointment till the World Cup final.
If NZR is going to rip off the plaster, the earlier they do it the better. Another ‘review’ piled on top of the current one would be a paper-shuffling exercise, would only prolong the agony and would leave Robertson’s successor an impossible task. ‘Consensus’, PR-driven, arse-covering, politically correct decision-making (which they seem to specialise in at the NZR) is a recipe for disaster. They need to move quickly.
“The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.” - Machiavelli.
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2026:
the problem will be, even if 2026 isnt good,
Who is going to want to take over the team 1 year out from the WC and be judged on that
A guy like Vern Cotter. He would be almost at retirement age and it would be his last gig
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NZ Rugby do now have a problem that there is a growing narrative around the discontent in the camp. True or not, that idea has been widely reported now.
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Rassie took over in 2018 and won the RWC one year later.
