All Blacks 2024.. locked

sparky

Okay my first stab at a 2024 AB team, obviously we have a whole Super Season before then.

De Groot
Sami T
Lomax
Vaai
S. Barrett (vc)
Finau
Papalii
A. Savea (c)
Roigard
DMac
Telea
J. Barrett (vc)
R. Ioane
S. Stevenson
W. Jordan

Bench: Taylor, Williams, Newell, Lord, Blackadder, Fakatava, Perofeta, Proctor.

MN5

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

So fair to say we’re not expecting the next Retallick and Whitelock then ?

sparky

Lock and First Five look to be the positions where we have the least depth. Losing Aaron Smith denies us a massive amount of leadership and experience at Half Back.

nostrildamus

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

So fair to say we’re not expecting the next Retallick and Whitelock then ?

I'm surprised there aren't teenage Whitelocks runnning around looking about 30 years old..

booboo

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:

Okay my first stab at a 2024 AB team, obviously we have a whole Super Season before then.

De Groot

Sami T

Lomax

Vaai

S. Barrett

Finau

Papalii

A. Savea (c)

Roigard

DMac

Telea

J. Barrett

R. Ioane

S. Stevenson

W. Jordan

Bench: Taylor, Williams, Newell, Lord, Jacobson, Fakatava, Perofeta, Proctor.

Lord to start
Scooter skipper
Any option but Jacobsen ... not that he's not up to it ... but just want more... looking for more in our back up lock/6.
Stevenson ... yeah nah

booboo

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

So fair to say we’re not expecting the next Retallick and Whitelock then ?

Not from those two

sparky

@booboo Yep, Blackadder and Grace ahead of Jacobson. Maybe Harmon and Flanders too. There is lots of back row depth.

booboo

Yep, both the Cantabs.

And keeping an eye out through Super Rugby.

Bones

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Yep, both the Cantabs.

And keeping an eye out through Super Rugby.

If we discover a proper 6/lock, something interesting to see might be Kirifi on the bench.

sparky

We should have enough in the Back Three. Mark Telea will have one Wing spot stitched up for a bit. Will Jordan will be in there for sure. I think I read somewhere that Leicester Fainga’anuku’s deal with Toulon is only until June so he may be back for the 2024 EOYT.

Caleb Clarke went backwards in 2023, but has huge potential. Shaun Stevenson is great in attack but will need to learn not to be a defensive liability.

Reuben Love will be an AB sooner or later. Narawa may get another shot. Sevu Reece and Braydon Ennor should be back from injury in 2024. Kini Naholo is worth keeping an eye on.

sparky

Midfield - an area of strength.

Pen in the Jordie Barrett and Reiko Ioane partnership for the next few years.

Behind them we’ve got ALB, Billy Proctor, David Havili, Quinn Tupaea, Dallas McLeod and Braydon Ennor.

MN5

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:

Midfield - an area of strength.

Pen in the Jordie Barrett and Reiko Ioane partnership for the next few years.

If you don’t mind I’ve just edited this post to get rid of superfluous and blatantly untrue crap. Hope you don’t mind.

sparky

First Five - NZ Rugby looks thin here.

DMac is the obvious pick to start. Both Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga are off to Japan for a bit and could be back by 2027 to be RWC squad members, but younger options are needed.

I’d like to see more of David Havili at First Five to see if he is a Test option. Stephen Perofeta looked great at Ten for the All Blacks XV, but needs more time playing there at Super Level.

Beyond that, the cupboard looks rather bare.

sparky

Half Back - Time for a bit of a rethink.

We’re losing our greatest ever Half Back. Thanks Nuggie. Brad Webber’s off too, a good guy who should have been there in France for the RWC.

Finlay Christie, we’ve seen what you can offer. Thanks, but no thanks.

So what have we got instead?

Cam Roigard, obviously. I honestly think he could develop into one of the World’s best half backs in the next few years.

Fakatava - worth another look if he can stay fit and sharp.

Drummond - Just the Seven Super Titles with the Crusaders. You don’t play 100+ games for the Crusaders if there is not something about you. Enough said, a winner. He should have received a lot more All Blacks caps than he already has.

Ratima - Lots of potential. If he works hard he could be a quality Test player.

Canes4life

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:

Midfield - an area of strength.

Pen in the Jordie Barrett and Reiko Ioane partnership for the next few years.

Behind them we’ve got ALB, Billy Proctor, David Havili, Quinn Tupaea, Dallas McLeod and Braydon Ennor.

Riley Higgins will put pressure on all of them if he gets plenty of game time.

sparky

@Canes4life Maybe, let’s judge him again when we’ve seen him more at Super Rugby level.

sparky

Locks - Scott Barrett for sure.

And then?

I’m really not sure. Josh Lord, Patrick Tuipolutu and Tupou Vaii are the incumbents, but each needs to kick on a bit if they are to keep being selected.

Beyond that, maybe Sam Darry? Selby-Ricket? Ah Kuoi? Strange? Dunshea? Gallagher? PPP? Walker- Laewere? Josh Dickson?

Lots of guy who are okay, but not really who’d want facing the Spingboks, England, France or Ireland. Heaps of work to be done.

MN5

@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:

Midfield - an area of strength.

Pen in the Jordie Barrett and Reiko Ioane partnership for the next few years.

Behind them we’ve got ALB, Billy Proctor, David Havili, Quinn Tupaea, Dallas McLeod and Braydon Ennor.

Riley Higgins will put pressure on all of them if he gets plenty of game time.

Given they’re all either unproven or not up to it that shouldn’t be hard

sparky

Props - We’re in a really good place here.

Ethan De Groot, Tyrell Lomax, Tamati Williams and Fletcher Newell are all young enough to go again in the next RWC cycle and if they can mostly stay fit develop into the best combo around by 2027.

Ofa T will be around for a bit and covers both sides, but I suspect French and British clubs will be calling when his contract next runs out.

Beyond that, Numia and Ainsley are quality players and should get Test game time.

Duluth

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:

Josh Dickson?

He’s gone to Japan

If McWhannell is fit I expect him to play ahead of Darry. So I guess he could be added to your list

The Silver Fern

All Blacks 2024.. locked