All Blacks 2026
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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to two RWC quarter final thrashing in a row and if you think Robertson’s selection mistakes were bad, look at Schmidt’s outdated and old 2019 Ireland squad!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.
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This thread is for discussion of the 2026 All Blacks team. People come to it for news of coaches, squads etc. Not to read tedious garbage about Mark Hammett or colours of boots.
Here is a thread for irrelevant bullshit:
https://www.forum.silverfern.rugby/topic/7711/irrelevant-rugby-bs
Keep this thread on topic.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb That's a negative spin on things.
Here are their coaching career highlights:
Jamie Joseph: 2015 Super Rugby Champion with the Highlanders; Led Japan to their first-ever Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 2019; Popular and successful coach of the All Blacks XV in 2025 on their undefeated northern tour.
Joe Schmidt: Won two Pro12 titles with Leinster; Won three Six Nations titles with Ireland, a Grand Slam in 2018; Guided Ireland to world Number 1 ranking; Assistant Coach of the All Blacks who made the World Cup Final in 2023.
Dave Rennie: Coached Wellington to their first NPC win in 14 years; Coached New Zealand under 20s to three consecutive world titles; Coached the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Titles; Coached the Wallabies to back-to-back victories over the Springboks in 2021 and second place in the Rugby Championship.
Vern Cotter: Won European Challenge Cup and the Top 14 with Clermont Auvergne, Runners Up in the Heineken European Cup; Reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals with Scots before going out to Australia in a controversial manner, coached the Blues to their first Super title in 20 years.
Funny, but jamie Jospeh may have the least impressive record of those four.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb That's a negative spin on things.
Here are their coaching career highlights:
Jamie Joseph: 2015 Super Rugby Champion with the Highlanders; Led Japan to their first-ever Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 2019; Popular and successful coach of the All Blacks XV in 2025 on their undefeated northern tour.
Joe Schmidt: Won two Pro12 titles with Leinster; Won three Six Nations titles with Ireland, a Grand Slam in 2018; Guided Ireland to world Number 1 ranking; Assistant Coach of the All Blacks who made the World Cup Final in 2023.
Dave Rennie: Coached Wellington to their first NPC win in 14 years; Coached New Zealand under 20s to three consecutive world titles; Coached the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Titles; Coached the Wallabies to back-to-back victories over the Springboks in 2021 and second place in the Rugby Championship.
Vern Cotter: Won European Challenge Cup and the Top 14 with Clermont Auvergne, Runners Up in the Heineken European Cup; Reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals with Scots before going out to Australia in a controversial manner, coached the Blues to their first Super title in 20 years.
Funny, but jamie Jospeh may have the least impressive record of those four.
getting the highlanders up to the Super title is epic. Like NZ winning the WTC. It's monstrous and won't be repeated for a very long time (if ever).
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
I don't think Henry or Hansen had particularly impressive CVs (if titles were the only metric) when they were appointed, did they?
I take it you're talking about a Henry and Hansen who hadn't won multiple championships between them from opposite ends of the country nor tried their luck overseas?
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
I don't think Henry or Hansen had particularly impressive CVs (if titles were the only metric) when they were appointed, did they?
Graham Henry had been Head Coach when Auckland won the NPC four times in a row in the 1990s and when the Blues won the Super 12 in 1996 and 1997 and then "Technical Adviser" when they won in 2003. He did so well at Wales initially that he was known by the locals as "The Great Redeemer".
It didn't go so well for him with the British and Irish Lions in 2001 and when he got sacked by Wales in 2002. He has since said he was suffering from burnout and clinical depression at the time.
Steve Hansen had coached Canterbury to a couple of NPC wins and been assistant at the 1999-2001 Threepeat Crusaders. His time at Wales was much less successful, but he had been All Blacks Assistant from 2004 to 2011 and was the continuation candidate after the 2011 World Cup win and was clearly liked and respected by the players.
Sorry, wasn't clear but I was being slightly tongue in cheek following the assessment of the current crop from @jimmyb.
What I mean is that the results achieved by the likes of Rennie and Joseph are fairly comparable to those of Henry and Hansen.
Their great successes were largely in NZ, and certainly in Hansen's case, either at NPC level or as assistant coaches.
Henry only had one good season with Wales (and even then, they only finished third in the Six Nations and didn't make it past the quarter-finals of the RWC) while Hansen managed a paltry four wins from 19 matches. It wasn't the results or trophies in Europe that made them good options for the All Blacks, it was simply the experience. Rennie has similar experience, as do all of the other options (though Joseph's is in Japan, which is a different kettle of fish, and I'm not sure if that would count against him).
It's also why, as mentioned above, I'd argue for someone like McMillan to be involved in the set-up in an assistant role in the future. Almost beat the Lions in 2017 with a scratch NZ Barbarians side, achieved some very consistent results with the Chiefs (even if they didn't manage a title during his time in charge), four wins from four matches leading the All Blacks XV (and one from two as an assistant), similar success with the Maori All Blacks (including beating Ireland in 2022), and took over BOP in 2015 following a bottom-placed finish the prior year, taking them to Championship winners in 2019 and peaking at third in the Premiership in 2020. That, in my book, is a good enough CV to justify bringing him into the fold as an assistant with an eye to the future, once he's has a few years of experience in Europe.
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@mariner4life oh, him
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I don't have a problem with most of the coaches mentioned but note a few were criticised for being average to bad selectors (Schmidt in Ireland and Rennie in Australia for example don't know about Joseph) but for all I know that was regional bias.. But as for Joseph while he did well with the NZ XV is England A the team, the only team giving us a good comparison?
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2026:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb That's a negative spin on things.
Here are their coaching career highlights:
Jamie Joseph: 2015 Super Rugby Champion with the Highlanders; Led Japan to their first-ever Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 2019; Popular and successful coach of the All Blacks XV in 2025 on their undefeated northern tour.
Joe Schmidt: Won two Pro12 titles with Leinster; Won three Six Nations titles with Ireland, a Grand Slam in 2018; Guided Ireland to world Number 1 ranking; Assistant Coach of the All Blacks who made the World Cup Final in 2023.
Dave Rennie: Coached Wellington to their first NPC win in 14 years; Coached New Zealand under 20s to three consecutive world titles; Coached the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Titles; Coached the Wallabies to back-to-back victories over the Springboks in 2021 and second place in the Rugby Championship.
Vern Cotter: Won European Challenge Cup and the Top 14 with Clermont Auvergne, Runners Up in the Heineken European Cup; Reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals with Scots before going out to Australia in a controversial manner, coached the Blues to their first Super title in 20 years.
Funny, but jamie Jospeh may have the least impressive record of those four.
getting the highlanders up to the Super title is epic. Like NZ winning the WTC. It's monstrous and won't be repeated for a very long time (if ever).
And that’s the problem with comparing coaches purely on the number of titles they’ve won. You have to take each coach’s achievements in the context of the team or teams they had at their disposal. It’s impossible to say what Joseph would’ve done with the Crusaders or what Robertson would’ve done with the Highlanders, but it would be silly not to acknowledge that one of those franchises is far better set up for success.
In any case, coaches should be assessed on more than just results, especially given the current situation and the ongoing discussion around player division. The question is who is best equipped to address the existing problems and get the All Blacks performing again.
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@ShaquilleOatmeal Worth noting that when Joseph did have some superstars with big personalities on board, the team capitulated.
