All Blacks 2026
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@junior said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
It's hardly news that a number of All Blacks over the years have enjoyed having a few roots away from home on a tour.
And I've met pious, religious types who turn out to be into crazy stuff nocturnally.
The bit about a player being a Machiavellian genius and manipulating twenty other people against the coach is the part I find significantly harder to believe.
That would also imply that Ardie's kava sessions are more open and inclusive than has been suggested.
The video I saw had Ardie leading a few PI blokes doing their PI thing with Jordie and Will J clapping along with them. Didn't look cliquey to me,
And the big Dutchmam
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Just to add gasoline to the fire and I know he isn't in the ideal position but my other choice for future captain (if he can stay relatively injury-free) is a back! And worse, the C* word!
*Cane.
Roigard…?
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@junior said in All Blacks 2026:
@dnomyar said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus 4 deep as a concept is fine.
But it should be based on knowing your top 15-23 first, ensuring they play enough together to have a rock solid team dynamic and then, and only then deepening the pool.
It also has to be aimed towards something - having four deep for the sake of having four deep is pointless if it doesn't lead to any greater success.
Exactly. You can only win with the 15 on the field, plus reserves in any given game.
They should be the priority, not your 4th choice in a position just in case they're needed.
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@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2026:
On Ma’a - I don’t think he’d work with Jamie Joseph, not sure the stint at the Highlanders ended that well. But I’d love to have him involved somewhere. I remember Wayne Smith praising his tactical brain.
Shag recalls a team meeting on tactics when he thought Ma'a looked bored. Ma'a - who generally didn't say much - then got up and explained why the tactics were wrong, and explained on the blackboard what they should do instead. He was 100% right and they changed the tactics as he suggested.
Not sure if he's the bloke to bet involved, but I'd like to see someone like Kevvy or Whitelock around the team.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@junior said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
It's hardly news that a number of All Blacks over the years have enjoyed having a few roots away from home on a tour.
And I've met pious, religious types who turn out to be into crazy stuff nocturnally.
The bit about a player being a Machiavellian genius and manipulating twenty other people against the coach is the part I find significantly harder to believe.
That would also imply that Ardie's kava sessions are more open and inclusive than has been suggested.
The video I saw had Ardie leading a few PI blokes doing their PI thing with Jordie and Will J clapping along with them. Didn't look cliquey to me,
And the big Dutchmam
Yep. Saw that as inviting people in and breaking down barriers than anything else. May be wrong.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@junior said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
It's hardly news that a number of All Blacks over the years have enjoyed having a few roots away from home on a tour.
And I've met pious, religious types who turn out to be into crazy stuff nocturnally.
The bit about a player being a Machiavellian genius and manipulating twenty other people against the coach is the part I find significantly harder to believe.
That would also imply that Ardie's kava sessions are more open and inclusive than has been suggested.
The video I saw had Ardie leading a few PI blokes doing their PI thing with Jordie and Will J clapping along with them. Didn't look cliquey to me,
'Thiiiissss littttle light of miiiiineeee'......
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@junior said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
It's hardly news that a number of All Blacks over the years have enjoyed having a few roots away from home on a tour.
And I've met pious, religious types who turn out to be into crazy stuff nocturnally.
The bit about a player being a Machiavellian genius and manipulating twenty other people against the coach is the part I find significantly harder to believe.
That would also imply that Ardie's kava sessions are more open and inclusive than has been suggested.
The video I saw had Ardie leading a few PI blokes doing their PI thing with Jordie and Will J clapping along with them. Didn't look cliquey to me,
'Thiiiissss littttle light of miiiiineeee'......
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2026:
On Ma’a - I don’t think he’d work with Jamie Joseph, not sure the stint at the Highlanders ended that well. But I’d love to have him involved somewhere. I remember Wayne Smith praising his tactical brain.
Shag recalls a team meeting on tactics when he thought Ma'a looked bored. Ma'a - who generally didn't say much - then got up and explained why the tactics were wrong, and explained on the blackboard what they should do instead. He was 100% right and they changed the tactics as he suggested.
Not sure if he's the bloke to bet involved, but I'd like to see someone like Kevvy or Whitelock around the team.
That was Wayne.
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This definitely rules Sir Wayne Smith out:
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I hope, with whoever the new coach is, they wait until after they have named the squad and had thier first full meeting/training at least before naming the captain.
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@taniwharugby that would go against tradition wouldn't it? But yeah, why not eh.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Biorealism said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
have to think someone like Mealamu who is obviously fairly close to things still would be well aware if one or two players are gettign too big for themselves and pull them back into line or be equally as keen to push them out the door if they are contributing to a toxic environment.
PLenty of these older players will be hurting from the past 5 or 6 years, regardless of Marshall being a twat, the issues he has had in the public eye with Akira stem from his love of the jersey and seeing it devalued, and probably like most, frustrated that someone as talented as Akira never quite turned that final corner and realised the immense talent he possessed.
Marshall was quite adamant that Razor was doing an ok job as coach, wasn't he?
I seem to recall Marshall becoming increasingly critical of the way the ABs were performing. But he drew the line at criticising Razor. Goldie and to a lesser extent Mils were also increasingly vocal. I suppose they weren't overly surprised when he got the chop, although they acted like they were. Maybe because no one had ever been fired mid cycle before?
I thought that too although then remembered Wayne Smith got replaced by John Mitchell mid WC cycle in 2001. Although in that case Smith may have only been on a two year contract (?) although it was expected he would be reappointed.
IIRC Smith went into his offseason review and basically questioned whether he was the right man for the job. The board read that as he was not the guy they wanted to run the ship and picked Mitchell
Yep and actually stood down, stood again, hoping to show he had support of NZR, but they chose Mitchell, who to be honest was a reasonably popular choice with rugby people at that stage. I think it was before Smith was properly appreciated, and could also of seen him move to specialist backs coach at test level
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@junior said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
It's hardly news that a number of All Blacks over the years have enjoyed having a few roots away from home on a tour.
And I've met pious, religious types who turn out to be into crazy stuff nocturnally.
The bit about a player being a Machiavellian genius and manipulating twenty other people against the coach is the part I find significantly harder to believe.
That would also imply that Ardie's kava sessions are more open and inclusive than has been suggested.
The video I saw had Ardie leading a few PI blokes doing their PI thing with Jordie and Will J clapping along with them. Didn't look cliquey to me,
And the big Dutchmam
And Codie Taylor
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@Bones tradition schmadition, seems a rather lame one for my mind, especially if you think based on last year, they are looking at SB or Ardie...be rather amusing if the new coach was announced then they announced Dalton as his captain.
New coach to stamp his authority on the squad, establish a new order.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
This definitely rules Sir Wayne Smith out:
Any chance you can summarise? Paywqll
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@taniwharugby just might make some of the preseason/buildup quite difficult, probably certain stuff you line up the captain to get in front of. But I quite like the idea of everyone coming in on somewhat of a level footing after the catastrophe of the last couple of years.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
This definitely rules Sir Wayne Smith out:
Any chance you can summarise? Paywqll
He's heading overseas to a professional club. As yet unknown
