All Blacks 2026
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
Lucas Casey will be a loosie to keep an eye on this year
im afraid hes going to be a new savea, played very well at 7 for otago....but played 8 on the weekend and i believe historically hes played 8 through ages grade.....i can just see him getting a shot down the road but plitting his time between 7 and 8 and not perfecting either
@Kiwiwomble think positive. Who knows - Jamie Joseph might be AB coach and might see him as an 8
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Lakai
Potential to be a superb international 7, however after claiming the 8 jersey last year his future might be there.
Personally, I'd like to see the ABs persist with Lakai at 7, and Sititi at 8, alongside a bigger 6. Ardie as impact loosie off the bench.
The problem with this is the same as Savea + Sititi though. It relies on a 3rd member who doesn't exist.
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Lakai
Potential to be a superb international 7, however after claiming the 8 jersey last year his future might be there.
Personally, I'd like to see the ABs persist with Lakai at 7, and Sititi at 8, alongside a bigger 6. Ardie as impact loosie off the bench.
The problem with this is the same as Savea + Sititi though. It relies on a 3rd member who doesn't exist.
Hopefully someone puts their hand up in Super this year. Definitely a key missing piece for the ABs right now.
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Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan Agreed. And if the rumours have any substance, it’d be more than fair if he’s just had enough and wants to head overseas.
Probably felt that NZR failed to support him. Letting the championship winning Blues back 3 leave will be a stain on Razor's tenure, not to mention he let Plummer leave as well without even properly kicking the tyres
I can understand if they thought Plummer was not quite up to AB standard (whatever that is) but he arguably was more valuable, in-form, and test-quality that season than the Blues 10 they did pick.
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan Agreed. And if the rumours have any substance, it’d be more than fair if he’s just had enough and wants to head overseas.
Probably felt that NZR failed to support him. Letting the championship winning Blues back 3 leave will be a stain on Razor's tenure, not to mention he let Plummer leave as well without even properly kicking the tyres
I can understand if they thought Plummer was not quite up to AB standard (whatever that is) but he arguably was more valuable, in-form, and test-quality that season than the Blues 10 they did pick.
If they picked him they should have given him a decent go. He was never the Carlos or DC type, but maybe he could have been a poor man's Mehrts. I would have taken that. We'll never know now
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The thinking around Casey should be part of the evolution of how we view players. As a hybrid player, he is probably best suited to the no20 jersey.
May start in Super. His future in international footy can be split across the 7/8 role as an 25/30 minute impact player.
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Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
If we are to believe online stats he is already bigger than Kwagga Smith.
And I'd have Smith in my team. -
Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
@ShaquilleOatmeal and thats the problem, we have far too many hybrid players already and the ABs suffer from it, we need specialists.
I know some players always say I'll play where they want me too, but often I think this is doing them a disservice long term.
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@ShaquilleOatmeal and thats the problem, we have far too many hybrid players already and the ABs suffer from it, we need specialists.
I know some players always say I'll play where they want me too, but often I think this is doing them a disservice long term.
@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
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Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
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Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
@nostrildamus Whether that changed when he took over, I am not sure, but they did do that by running at Pocock, forcing him to make tackles and thus largely nullifying his turnover work
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Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
Exactly this, we played at times like a very limited team that kept trying to limit itself.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
Exactly this, we played at times like a very limited team that kept trying to limit itself.
@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
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@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
This is one of my hatiest things. Chiefs used Taumoefalau on a blind wing crash ball on the weekend!
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@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
If they just choose the strongest player for each starting spot, chances are some of them will be capable in other positions too. Hunting for David Havili-type players solely for their versatility is just silly.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
If they just choose the strongest player for each starting spot, chances are some of them will be capable in other positions too. Hunting for David Havili-type players solely for their versatility is just silly.
@ShaquilleOatmeal yes...but....."the strongest" needs to be evaluated against how they want to play rather than like fantasy rugby rating or something....and it might mean we start the "second best" player in a position if a particular attribute is key to the gameplan or the combination with other players brings another strength
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@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
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@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
@taniwharugby yeah, even selecting someone like christie at 9 and BB at 10 when we're trying to get the ball wide...too slow....and we end up resorting to kick passes and stuff
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@ShaquilleOatmeal yes...but....."the strongest" needs to be evaluated against how they want to play rather than like fantasy rugby rating or something....and it might mean we start the "second best" player in a position if a particular attribute is key to the gameplan or the combination with other players brings another strength
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal yes...but....."the strongest" needs to be evaluated against how they want to play rather than like fantasy rugby rating or something....and it might mean we start the "second best" player in a position if a particular attribute is key to the gameplan or the combination with other players brings another strength
I agree, although I'd add that sometimes the game plan they want to play might not be possible with the players available to them, whether they're the first, second or third best. The game plan comes first, for sure, but it might need to be adjusted.
I'm not sre there's been much of a game plan at all recently.
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@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
Doesn't help when the game plan isn't a particularly good one either...
