All Blacks 2026
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@Kiwiwomble I thought what we got with Robertson was a very impatient, helter skelter style with the players looking for miracle plays too often and not playing appropriately to their field position. Our exits were appalling.
isnt that the game plan the hansen started? the attack from anywhere, kick pass in our own 22 and open them up when they werent expecting it? the big difference is he did it with he class of 2015 so it had grounding in the skills of the players we had
I want a game plan that relies on our traditional strengths more and allows players time to think.
that would be revolutionary to what weve seen over the last several years, maybe i miss read your original post
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@Kiwiwomble Steve Hansen's game plan was about pressure rather than possession: punishing turnovers and opposition mistakes, using dual playmakers to make decisions on the field and change the structure of play, getting forwards to pass before contact and finally using loose forwards as finishers or to set up tries alongside back three players in wide channels.
With Robertson, it felt like the backrow player were being encouraged to act as playmakers wherever they were on the park.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@Kiwiwomble Steve Hansen's game plan was about pressure rather than possession: punishing turnovers and opposition mistakes, using dual playmakers to make decisions on the field and change the structure of play, getting forwards to pass before contact and finally using loose forwards as finishers or to set up tries alongside back three players in wide channels.
With Robertson, it felt like the backrow player were being encouraged to act as playmakers wherever they were on the park.
still feels like an evolution of that the last three coaches were doing...but like a photo copy of a photo copy its got rough and ugly
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
I want a game plan that relies on our traditional strengths more and allows players time to think.
I agree with this though
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
....we need some surprises....to get the other nations back on their toes not sure what we're going to do next
I thought we'd get some surprises in Robertson's 2nd year.
Sadly we did, but got the wrong ones.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
....we need some surprises....to get the other nations back on their toes not sure what we're going to do next
I thought we'd get some surprises in Robertson's 2nd year.
Sadly we did, but got the wrong ones.
100%....i even hoped we get it in year one...and then accepted he wanted to settle int he role.....and then.....just kept doing the same stuff
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
want a game plan that relies on our traditional strengths more and allows players time to think.
This was the frustration for me. We had the players to take it up the middle and tighten things when needed, but constantly looked for miracle plays.
Maybe just me, but countless times we were making progress thru the forwards but threw it out wide far too soon in an attempt to open up play. Usually ended up back where we started - or worse.
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@Victor-Meldrew and we did it predicably, i feel oppositions were knew after 2-3 phases we were going to go wide regardless and so were ready
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@Biorealism said in All Blacks 2026:
As I feared, he blames the ABs for a book written about them.
Then throws Napier and Savea under a bus 'Napier wrote that Savea was of a mind to forsake the All Blacks rather than continue under Robertson. That’s not something a reputable journalist would write without tacit approval from the player or his representatives.'So it better be true.
The same for his conclusion: 'New Zealand Rugby chose the player over the coach.' That's a reach. A reputable journalist would have info it was a single player who was crucial in the decision, making Kirk a liar.
Not to mention his 'logic' is buttressed with a starting article about golf and ends with a tv series. I read that he is 70, and was a character referee for Tom Humphries, that might explain some of the wandering.
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This is weird isn’t it?
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
This is weird isn’t it?
I loved KP as a player. Great swagger and talent to burn.
This obsession with the All Blacks is beyond weird though.
He should stick to Cricket.
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@MN5 i dont actually follow him, someone else posted this, does he post other stuff about the AB's...feels like ive only seen him posting about vaai
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@MN5 i dont actually follow him, someone else posted this, does he post other stuff about the AB's...feels like ive only seen him posting about vaai
Yeah I might be slightly exaggerating when I say "obsession" but even a couple of posts seems odd to put it mildly.
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@jimmyb said in All Blacks 2026:
So our alternates to the shit show are:
Jospeh: how has an objectively terrible coaching record. One super rugby title, five seasons of absolutely terrible results against Kiwi and South African super rugby teams and dropped Japans winning % by about 20% from Eddie Jones’ Japanese teamJones is half-Japanese with a Japanese wife and speaks Japanese, a bid of an advantage there.
Schmidt: Led Ireland to two RWC quarter final thrashing in a row and if you think Robertson’s selection mistakes were bad, look at Schmidt’s outdated and old 2019 Ireland squad!
Bloody hell that is selective! Irish depth wasn't great and might want to mention what Schmidt did with Foster's team!
Rennie: Couldn’t buy a super rugby title and the Wallabies were ok and is now coaching (wait for it) in Japan…
From Wiki: "Team and Year: He joined the Chiefs for the 2012 season and led them to their first-ever Super Rugby title. Record: Rennie became the first rookie Super Rugby coach to win the title. Other Successes: Before his time with the Chiefs, he also led the Wellington Lions to an NPC title in his first year as head coach in 2000."
Now doing very well over there in Japan
I'd say leading a mid-ranked team to their first championship and in his first year as coach is highly relevant!Crotter: Never finished above 4th in the six nations, had an ok record in France, got one super rugby title before usual service resumed once the Crusaders sorted themselves out.
You mean once ex-Crusaders coaches got the good Blues players kicked out of the ABs and considering emigrating...
Don’t pretend any of these guys will be any good. 2027 will be a shit show and 2028 will have to be a full reboot
Terrible analysis. Glass full cyanide.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
I feel the opposite, we had evolution with Henry > Hansen > Foster and i thought there was pretty universal acceptance it was time for change with Razor...but got more evolution (same players trying variations of the same game plan)
I would say from the last year or two of hansens time onwards it was flat or downhill....and i think thats because the rest of the world has had 15 years or more to work out how to break down our "evolving" gameplan...we need some surprises....to get the other nations back on their toes not sure what we're going to do next
I realise this is covering old ground, but there are a few misconceptions or things that were forgotten.
My recollection of the last few years of Hansen:
- we had depth in some areas (front row, half back, first five, wings and full back)
- Cane/Savea and Read at 8 gave us some flexibility
- we were looking for a replacement 6 but they kept getting injured aside from S Barrett who covered lock/6
- we were looking for more locking depth beyond Retallick and Whitelock. Retallicks injury going into the RWC left us looking a little nervous with Whutelock and Read as targets.
- we were looking for a replacement for SBW but they kept on getting injured
- we were looking for a 13, but they kept on getting injured
- in 2019, the "two 10's plan" with Barrett and McKenzie ruined by McKenzie getting injured. Mo'unga at 10/Barrett at 15 was the compromise(?) as Mo'unga wasn't a 15.
Overview: not terrible but the inability to find more locks, an "enforcer" 6 and a midfield hinted at a depth issue in NZ rugby. Particularly given some of the New Zealanders playing in other international teams. There legacy was being outmuscled in the RWC2019 semi's by England.
My recollection of Foster:
- front row/wing stocks looked good for a RWC2023 campaign although there were some wobbles addressed by coaching replacements
- no progress in locking department - we were OK a long as we could play Whitelock/Retallick with S Barett as a sub. Other players who were tried didn't seem to step up until post-Foster.
- named Cane as Caption/7. Canes form/injuries would cause this to be questioned
- Ardie played at 8. Arguably should have been 7 as his strength and speed allowed him to attack the ball versus Cane's approach of getting himself and opposition player on the ground.
- multiple players tried at 6 but between discipline and injuries, we largely settled on S.Barrett
- halfback stocks looked good until 2023 when we had Smith and then daylight
- 10 was never really settled - Barrett was seemingly allowed to operate as he wished that provided great attacking opportunities but also fragility if it went wrong. Mo'unga was used in a more tactical manner but that depended on the pack being able to compete with the opposition - something we often struggled with when players were carded or we were weakened by injuries.
- 12 was a lottery until Jordie moved from fullback
- 13 filled by Reiko/ALB. While both looked OK, the constant change at 12 prior to Jordie meant no solid centre partnership developed.
- wings, lots of depth
- fullback. Solid options with Jordie/Jordan/McKenzie when he returned from injury
Overview: I think we had the players to make decent teams, but we didn't have a clear strategy for what we were trying to achieve. While that is best encapsulated in the battle for 10 where it felt like we would pendulum from one style to the other in the first 2.5 years. Discipline (cards) meant that it was often difficult to see what the coaching staff were attempting as plans would need to be changed mid-game, revealing new weaknesses. Making the RWC final was a surprise after the lead up to the RWC and losing to France in the opener. How much was RWC and other success down to Foster and how much could be attributed to Schmidt? We also had key players retiring leaving big gaps to fill (half back and locks) in coming years and unanswered questions in the loose forwards (where should Ardie play and who should he play with) and centre to partner Jordie.
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@PecoTrain i think i agree with that, the only small critique i had of hansen was it didn't feel we changed the plan we had to use different players...was the start of game plan and cattle not being aligned....and foster just kept diverging the two
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
Oh look another bitter load of bollocks article from the Sunday Times about the All Blacks.
Keen to know what the antics were.
But I'd say the article is likely to say more (or more aptly less) about the writer.
I've already given it too much attention.
David Walsh is an unbelievably arrogant flog who credits himself with bringing down Lance Armstrong as if it was he, and he alone, that identified drugs in cycling. Just an enormous douchebag.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
Oh look another bitter load of bollocks article from the Sunday Times about the All Blacks.
Keen to know what the antics were.
But I'd say the article is likely to say more (or more aptly less) about the writer.
I've already given it too much attention.
David Walsh is an unbelievably arrogant flog who credits himself with bringing down Lance Armstrong as if it was he, and he alone, that identified drugs in cycling. Just an enormous douchebag.
And then imbedded himself in team sky for a season and wrote a puff piece about them.
Easily bought.
