All Blacks 2026
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@W32 said in All Blacks 2026:
Apologies if this has been asked, but if the ABs were rated #1 in the world instead of #2, does the fern think he still would have been canned? Has this happened because a NZ coach (TB) is assisting Nzeds biggest rival and Kirk et al are thinking this is a genius move? Word is that it wasn't a player revolt so one has to think it’s because the ABs are not number one.
Or is this shake up because NZ rugby as a whole is in a shambles and Razor has effectively been the scapegoat?In order:
Yes.
No
Yes, but No.So much more succinctly put than me.
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@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
@ploughboy said in All Blacks 2026:
be interesting to see were robertson ends up
to quote him from when he was courting for the job
bullaI saw some Harlequins fans commenting on Reddit yesterday that they’d like him to come to their club, and it was also mentioned by a Ferner yesterday that Quins were mentioned.
Harlequins rumour is all over the UK press - inc. the quality papers.
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Looking forward I've had a thought about appointing a captain and whether that is necessary.
May have mentioned it and I'm sure the eventual head coach will take this on board but ... don't appoint a captain.
Appoint a senior leadership group.
Allows you to pick a XV/XXIII free from being obliged to pick certain bloke. Once you've got your team, then appoint a captain(s). And feel free to sub any of them on or off.
Am thinking along the lines of (retaining) Scooter, Paddy T, Ardie, Codie, someone in the backs...
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
Looking forward I've had a thought about appointing a captain and whether that is necessary.
May have mentioned it and I'm sure the eventual head coach will take this on board but ... don't appoint a captain.
Appoint a senior leadership group.
Allows you to pick a XV/XXIII free from being obliged to pick certain bloke. Once you've got your team, then appoint a captain(s). And feel free to sub any of them on or off.
Am thinking along the lines of (retaining) Scooter, Paddy T, Ardie, Codie, someone in the backs...
Maybe bring some of the younger guys through too ... Vaa'i, Sititi, Roigard...
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@booboo yeah i think both Fozzie and Razor painted themselves into a corner by announcing Captains before the season started (was it even before picking the 1st squad??)
This season looks to be the most "exciting" for some time.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2026:
The team needs a fresh start. I'd pick Wallace Sititi. ( despite a less than impressive second season )
He doesn't look like captain material to me yet
Taylor is 35 this year. S Barrett isn't up to it. Ardie is trouble.
I reckon Sititi is a definite option.
Other options aren't exactly aplenty.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2026:
The team needs a fresh start. I'd pick Wallace Sititi. ( despite a less than impressive second season )
When Dalton Papalii is there to do the heavy lifting he'll shine again.
Too early for Wallace and Roigard IMHO but they def. need to be in the Snr Mgmnt group. Scooter never looked comfortable to me and wonder if he'd like to give it up.
Think they'll want to have some stability so probably stick with Scooter,r Ardie or take a punt on Codie.. If JJ gets the nod then Paps a possibility.
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@hikastags said in All Blacks 2026:
No thank you on Wayne Smith coming back. He was helping Razor during the SA games.
Hansen & Fozzie's team in Japan is crap (they almost faced relegation to D2).
All these guys coaching is outdated IMO.
Take your point, but we do need a few grey-hairs in the camp - even if not assistants.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb said in All Blacks 2026:
Fairly biting remakes from Smith. Not saying I agree it was a bad decision, but interesting nonetheless
For me that's sufficient evidence that the benefit of Wayne's presence has exhausted itself. He's tainted as a mentor by the outcome of the review when he fixates on the winning percentage and not the manner of the play on the field.
He may be a nice guy who genuinely feels for Razor, but he's also the person who said it's what the stats don't tell you you see for yourself.
I like how Razor's win percentage keeps increasing.
But yes, time to move on from Wayne Smith. The issues behind the scenes were damning and you don't just lose your gig as head coach for no reason.
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@hikastags said in All Blacks 2026:
No thank you on Wayne Smith coming back. He was helping Razor during the SA games.
Hansen & Fozzie's team in Japan is crap (they almost faced relegation to D2).
All these guys coaching is outdated IMO.
Exactly. Coaches become past it too. The game keeps moving.
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@hikastags Evolution rather than revolution is what we need.
I've always been really impressed with Steve Hansen's skills as a selector and in man management so I'd love to see him with something like the selector/mentor role that Brian Lochore had early in the Graham Henry era, although he's no longer a Head Coach.
Steve Hansen was voted by his peers World Rugby Coach of the Year four times.
We have guys with knowledge of leading successful World Cup campaigns, we'd be stupid not to tap into that a bit.
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Two positives to having Tana involved in the set up is 1) he was instrumental in the AB culture change in 2004 under Ted and 2) if there is a big divide in the squad based on ethnicity/descent his presence on the coaching staff could be very useful
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
if there is a big divide in the squad based on ethnicity/descent his presence on the coaching staff could be very useful
I absolutely hope that isn't the case. One of the great strengths of AB Rugby thru the decades has been welcoming diversity but, above all, insisting on unity.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
Two positives to having Tana involved in the set up is 1) he was instrumental in the AB culture change in 2004 under Ted and 2) if there is a big divide in the squad based on ethnicity/descent his presence on the coaching staff could be very useful
My brother bought up Tana as coach and I laughed, but the more I thought about, the more I thought that his influence in camp could be handy behind the scenes.
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@jimmyb said in All Blacks 2026:
Fairly biting remakes from Smith. Not saying I agree it was a bad decision, but interesting nonetheless
That is interesting, because Smith was - I think - still in his performance coach role with the ABs so surely someone who was interviewed and presumably had supportive things to say.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
Two positives to having Tana involved in the set up is 1) he was instrumental in the AB culture change in 2004 under Ted and 2) if there is a big divide in the squad based on ethnicity/descent his presence on the coaching staff could be very useful
If anyone's read Dan Carters book, he says Tana was the alpha and the most influential player on the squad at the time (04/05).
Said he had the mana and was massive in driving the standards for the team.
