All Blacks 2022

[Kiwiwomble]

@booboo you would know :man_shrugging_light_skin_tone:

but its not on the "official" announcement?

[Bovidae]

@Kiwiwomble The article I posted is only for the home test schedule. The ABs play SA in SA (Nelspruit and Johannesburg).

[Duluth]

[Tim]

@Duluth First 90 s of that were just embarrassing. What a clown show from Sky.

[Kirwan]

@Tim said in All Blacks 2022:

@Duluth First 90 s of that were just embarrassing. What a clown show from Sky.

I don't mind them being casual or light hearted. It's just sport.

One person speaking at time would be nice though, especially with Zoom lag.

[kiwi_expat]

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2022:

My backline at moment is:

Smith
Beauden
Reece
Goodhue
Rieko
Jordan
Jordie

Christie
Mo'unga
ALB

Would happily swap Clarke for Reece if he starts to recapture the form that got him selected in the first place.

It's almost guaranteed that Goodhue & Ioane will be Foster's midfield pairing.

It's probably too late at this stage to bring in TUJ, Nankivell, while Tupaea & Fainga'anuku (both just 22) aren't anywhere near the finished product yet, as both are woeful defensively, but they're definitely ones for the future. The only absolute certainty come 2023 is that (barring injury) Reiko will be our starting 13.

[KiwiMurph]

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

It's probably too late at this stage to bring in TUJ, Nankivell, while Tupaea & Fainga'anuku (both just 22) aren't anywhere near the finished product yet, as both are woeful defensively

I don't understand the thinking that it's too late to bring in new talent when there's nearly 20 tests before the RWC.

Is Leicester that bad defensively? According to the All Black app he has a better tackle % (85%) than Ennor (83%).

[Dan54]

@No-Quarter Agree up to a point, want to see more from Goodhue , picking on one game is a bit extreme.

[sparky]

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2022:

https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-and-black-ferns-announce-bumper-international-home-test-schedule/

2022 Steinlager Series
All Blacks vs Ireland, Saturday 2 July, 7.05PM, Eden Park, AUCKLAND
All Blacks vs Ireland, Saturday 9 July, 7.05PM, Forsyth Barr Stadium, DUNEDIN
All Blacks vs Ireland, Saturday 16 July, 7.05PM, Sky Stadium, WELLINGTON

The Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship
All Blacks vs Argentina, Saturday 27 August, Kick-off time TBC, Orangetheory Stadium, CHRISTCHURCH
All Blacks vs Argentina, Saturday 3 September, 7.05PM, FMG Stadium Waikato, HAMILTON

The Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup
All Blacks vs Australia, Saturday 24 September, 7.05PM, Eden Park, AUCKLAND

Six Tests at home in 2022 is fewer than all the other major Rugby nations. The All Blacks will play most of their tests in 2022 on the road. Hardly a bumper set of home tests. Poor spin by NZR.

[kiwi_expat]

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2022:

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

It's probably too late at this stage to bring in TUJ, Nankivell, while Tupaea & Fainga'anuku (both just 22) aren't anywhere near the finished product yet, as both are woeful defensively

I don't understand the thinking that it's too late to bring in new talent when there's nearly 20 tests before the RWC.

Does it not concern you at all - the fact that (ever since Wayne Smith left after the 2017 season) there has been zero effort made to establish an established backrow, midfield, back-three or halves combination?

Ian Foster has continually opted for rotation and 'options' over cohesion and established combinations. For some reason he ignored the fact that our success from 2011-2015 was largely based on the fact that we had an established XV that everyone knew. There were no surprises and for important tests everyone knew what our best team was.

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, selection is Ian Foster's biggest flaw. It's his Achilles heel. He is obsessed with experimentation and with rotation. He is obsessed with keeping all of his players happy. I suspect part of this is because he knows he's a dud coach and any whiff of a player rebellion would be the end of his career.

What Ian Foster should be focused on is building cohesion and combinations. Ma's Nonu and Conrad Smith didn't become the world's best midfield overnight. They gelled over many seasons of playing together. The Read/McCaw/Kaino backrow would never have been as good if players were constantly rotated in and out, and uncertain of their positions. They became the best in the world over time because they had time to grow and gel as a trio.

[Machpants]

@sparky said in All Blacks 2022:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2022:

https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-and-black-ferns-announce-bumper-international-home-test-schedule/

2022 Steinlager Series
All Blacks vs Ireland, Saturday 2 July, 7.05PM, Eden Park, AUCKLAND
All Blacks vs Ireland, Saturday 9 July, 7.05PM, Forsyth Barr Stadium, DUNEDIN
All Blacks vs Ireland, Saturday 16 July, 7.05PM, Sky Stadium, WELLINGTON

The Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship
All Blacks vs Argentina, Saturday 27 August, Kick-off time TBC, Orangetheory Stadium, CHRISTCHURCH
All Blacks vs Argentina, Saturday 3 September, 7.05PM, FMG Stadium Waikato, HAMILTON

The Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup
All Blacks vs Australia, Saturday 24 September, 7.05PM, Eden Park, AUCKLAND

Six Tests at home in 2022 is fewer than all the other major Rugby nations. The All Blacks will play most of their tests in 2022 on the road. Hardly a bumper set of home tests. Poor spin by NZR.

Good for the team, if not the supporters. RWC ain't in NZ next year!

[broughie]

@Chris-B Isn’t Sullivan a center? We have centers up the wazoo. 2nd five is the problem.

[Kiwiwomble]

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2022:

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

It's probably too late at this stage to bring in TUJ, Nankivell, while Tupaea & Fainga'anuku (both just 22) aren't anywhere near the finished product yet, as both are woeful defensively

I don't understand the thinking that it's too late to bring in new talent when there's nearly 20 tests before the RWC.

Does it not concern you at all - the fact that (ever since Wayne Smith left after the 2017 season) there has been zero effort made to establish an established backrow, midfield, back-three or halves combination?

it does worry me (although there have been injuries that have cause problems)....but...i kind of think we're past the point where an established partnership can really become world class before the RWC...and so maybe its time to fall back on pure form. Its not like goodhue is nonu and you make room for him...so for me if someone like TUJ can remain injury free for the rest of the season and continue to look impressive in a misfiring highlanders backline...maybe he gets a shot

[Stargazer]

@broughie said in All Blacks 2022:

@Chris-B Isn’t Sullivan a center? We have centers up the wazoo. 2nd five is the problem.

Sullivan is a 13/wing. At this point of the comp, a better alternative to Ennor, basically. I can't see it happening.

[broughie]

@Stargazer Here what you say but 2nd five is void.

[Stargazer]

Also good to remember that they will select fewer players than last year, so they'll already have to leave out some players.

If they're going to add newbies, that means they'll have to leave out even more players from last year.

Some scratchings for the Steinlager Series will be easy, because players have gone overseas (Pat T, Dmac) or are injured (Frizell?, ALB?), others not so much (no matter how much the opinionated Ferner likes to think this or that player should or should not be in the squad).

[KiwiMurph]

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

For some reason he ignored the fact that our success from 2011-2015 was largely based on the fact that we had an established XV that everyone knew

Every man and his dog in NZ could have picked the XV from 2011 - 2015. The team picked itself.

I understand the rationale behind picking and sticking with a settled midfield but part of the issue is no one has grabbed the jerseys and say 'pick me'. Goodhue looked ok at 12 in 2020 I thought but there were plenty that thought he was limited there and shoe-horned in from 13.

Teams around the world are having success with physical 12s - think Kerevi, Danty, Aki etc. NZ rugby has a guy who fits that mould in TUJ who is standing out in a poor backline - if he stays fit and in form you pick him - not think 'well it's too late'.

[ACT Crusader]

@chimoaus said in All Blacks 2022:

This must also set some sort of record for only playing 3 nations at home in a season? (outside covid) and we don't have any warm up games for the All Blacks?

Ireland, a tier 2 nation, is our ‘warmup’

[Chris B.]

@broughie said in All Blacks 2022:

@Stargazer Here what you say but 2nd five is void.

Depends on how Fozzie is looking at it.

He's arguably got Goodhue, Havili and Tupaea available as 2nd fives (and maybe Jordie floating around) and only Rieko and ALB (injured) at centre.

I'm with those who think Ennor hasn't shown enough - but, he'll be in the frame - along with Big Leicester, the Umaga-Js, and maybe people like Sullivan and Nankivell.

Fozzie needs to decide where he's going to use Jack at the RWC and then he needs to play him there this year as a specialist and not fuck about moving him back and forth between 12 and 13.

[ACT Crusader]

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2022:

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2022:

It's probably too late at this stage to bring in TUJ, Nankivell, while Tupaea & Fainga'anuku (both just 22) aren't anywhere near the finished product yet, as both are woeful defensively

I don't understand the thinking that it's too late to bring in new talent when there's nearly 20 tests before the RWC.

Does it not concern you at all - the fact that (ever since Wayne Smith left after the 2017 season) there has been zero effort made to establish an established backrow, midfield, back-three or halves combination?

Ian Foster has continually opted for rotation and 'options' over cohesion and established combinations. For some reason he ignored the fact that our success from 2011-2015 was largely based on the fact that we had an established XV that everyone knew. There were no surprises and for important tests everyone knew what our best team was.

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, selection is Ian Foster's biggest flaw. It's his Achilles heel. He is obsessed with experimentation and with rotation. He is obsessed with keeping all of his players happy. I suspect part of this is because he knows he's a dud coach and any whiff of a player rebellion would be the end of his career.

What Ian Foster should be focused on is building cohesion and combinations. Ma's Nonu and Conrad Smith didn't become the world's best midfield overnight. They gelled over many seasons of playing together. The Read/McCaw/Kaino backrow would never have been as good if players were constantly rotated in and out, and uncertain of their positions. They became the best in the world over time because they had time to grow and gel as a trio.

Disagree on the establishing a midfield post Nonu/Smith. The main problem there has been health. We have had players that they wanted to cement but between Crotty, ALB and SBW we had three players that seemed to get injured and with some regularity.

Now we are trying to reestablish with Goodhue and ALB but again injury has been an issue. Havili is a good player but I see him as a stop gap / good squaddie.

So we are in a situation where we have Ioane, one of our best wingers and a very durable player, that can move to centre (still developing), but who partners him? Again injuries will dictate that given where we are in the cycle