All Blacks EOYT

Bones

If Proctor doesn't start against Japan I'll eat my hat

If he does I reckon not to be seen again until something like Tonga next year.

But get some hat seasoning.

BorderJB

Questions:
Did BB play well??? he had a large influence on the game and seemed in the pocket more with Jordan at FB, we didn't start as well but finished better with Dmac coming on. Could we develop that on the tour?

Bones

@BorderJB said in All Blacks EOYT:

Questions:
Did BB play well??? he had a large influence on the game and seemed in the pocket more with Jordan at FB, we didn't start as well but finished better with Dmac coming on. Could we develop that on the tour?

I like the sound of developing a fullback at fullback.

BorderJB

@Bones yep and that was a better game from Jordan, BB let him have the back spot, not that the Wallabies kicked much, but he joined the line well.

pakman

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks EOYT:

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

Squad needs freshening up.

Id be looking at Lakai, Sotutu, Hotham, an outside back, and maybe another bolter or two.

Agreed, get rid of Cane, TJP, rest Savea

Lakai for Cane, Sotutu for one of Jacobsen, Finau, Paps or Blackadder. Hotham for TJ, with Roigard getting 3rd spot.

Then maybe a Narawa or Kneepkens or Zarn for a bit of zest.

Is Hotham not already in?

ploughboy

going by the selections in the loose farwards over the RC if they wanted to bring Lakai in i would think it would be for Finau or Paps

BerniesCorner

What isn't Paps getting more game time

booboo

@Mr-Fish Fihaki in the mix somewhere

family man

Do we know what size the eoyt squad will be? I’m guessing a little more than rugby championship squad

Jet

@pakman said in All Blacks EOYT:

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks EOYT:

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

Squad needs freshening up.

Id be looking at Lakai, Sotutu, Hotham, an outside back, and maybe another bolter or two.

Agreed, get rid of Cane, TJP, rest Savea

Lakai for Cane, Sotutu for one of Jacobsen, Finau, Paps or Blackadder. Hotham for TJ, with Roigard getting 3rd spot.

Then maybe a Narawa or Kneepkens or Zarn for a bit of zest.

Is Hotham not already in?

As in retains his place instead of TJP with a view to being used. With Roigard easing back into test rugby against Italy.

canefan

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

@pakman said in All Blacks EOYT:

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks EOYT:

@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:

Squad needs freshening up.

Id be looking at Lakai, Sotutu, Hotham, an outside back, and maybe another bolter or two.

Agreed, get rid of Cane, TJP, rest Savea

Lakai for Cane, Sotutu for one of Jacobsen, Finau, Paps or Blackadder. Hotham for TJ, with Roigard getting 3rd spot.

Then maybe a Narawa or Kneepkens or Zarn for a bit of zest.

Is Hotham not already in?

As in retains his place instead of TJP with a view to being used. With Roigard easing back into test rugby against Italy.

The performances of Ratima and Hotham give us the luxury of not rushing Cam back. If they take TJP at Hotham's expense I could see that though

Mr Fish

@booboo said in All Blacks EOYT:

@Mr-Fish Fihaki in the mix somewhere

Very true, probably in place of Wrampling.

Mr Fish

@BorderJB said in All Blacks EOYT:

Questions:
Did BB play well??? he had a large influence on the game and seemed in the pocket more with Jordan at FB, we didn't start as well but finished better with Dmac coming on. Could we develop that on the tour?

I don't think he played particularly well.

We can't sacrifice our good starts for good finishes. If McKenzie is our best 10 (which I think he pretty clearly is) then he should be starting. If Barrett's not good enough to come on make an impact (at 10 or 15) then we need to find someone who is.

Frank

When's the squad named?

Chris

@Frank said in All Blacks EOYT:

When's the squad named?

Oct 7th

tubbyj

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks EOYT:

Assuming the All Blacks follow a similar approach to 2022, I'm expecting something along the lines of the below...

All Blacks (37)
Hookers (3): Codie Taylor, Asafo Aumua, George Bell
Props (6): Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi
Locks (4): Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Sam Darry, Patrick Tuipulotu
Loose forwards (7): Wallace Sititi, Dalton Papali'i, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson
Halfbacks (3): Cortez Ratima, Cam Roigard, Finlay Christie
First fives (3): Damian McKenzie, Beauden Barrett, Harry Plummer
Midifeld (5): Jordie Barrett, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Billy Proctor
Wings (4): Caleb Clarke, Emoni Narawa, Mark Tele'a, Sevu Reece
Fullbacks (2): Will Jordan, Stephen Perofeta

All Blacks XV (28)
Hookers (2): Ricky Riccitelli, Kurt Eklund
Props (5): Xavier Numia, George Bower, Aidan Ross, Marcel Renata, Saula Ma'u
Locks (3): Josh Lord, Fabian Holland, Max Hicks
Loose forwards (6): Cullen Grace, Cameron Suafoa, Malachi Wrampling, Peter Lakai, Hugh Renton, Hoskins Sotutu
Halfbacks (2): Noah Hotham, Folau Fakatava
First fives (1): Josh Jacomb
Midfield (3): Rameka Poihipi, Quinn Tupaea, Dallas McLeod, AJ Lam
Wings (4): Gideon Wrampling, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Kini Naholo
Fullbacks (2): Ruben Love, Zarn Sullivan

Unavailable: Samisoni Taukei'aho

After the All Blacks XV finish their tour, I'd expect Xavier Numia, Josh Lord, Peter Lakai, Noah Hotham and Ruben Love to join the All Blacks for their final two matches against France and Italy, and likely all getting an appearance off the bench in that final game. There's not much point those guys travelling with the full squad from the get-go when they're unlikely to get minutes, and there are already guys in the full squad who are more or less just holding tackle bags each week. It's possible that some of the XV guys travel to Japan too.

Is there a massive advantage to taking Finlay Christie over Noah Hotham? Not really, but Hotham is better off getting two starts for the XV against Munster and Georgia rather than just training with the All Blacks, especially when he's already been in camp with them so he's familiar with the environment already. It's a similar story for Love and Lord.

I suspect that Razor will take Sam Cane, just because he'll be gunning for at least four wins on the tour - which means beating two out of England, Ireland and France. Cane is tailor-made for those games.

Japan will be used as a chance to give guys minutes who either a) need some game time in key positions to get up to speed ahead of the three consecutive games against England, Ireland and France (e.g. Damian McKenzie, Codie Taylor, Cam Roigard), or b) have been with the squad but haven't had the chance for many minutes (e.g. Asafo Aumua, Sam Darry, Billy Proctor).

Basically the same 23 will then be rolled out each week against England, Ireland and France - it pretty much picks itself at this stage. Italy will then be used to once again get minutes for the squad members who haven't had many opportunities yet this year, and the additional guys who come in from the All Blacks XV.

Plenty of picks in the All Blacks XV are very contestable, particularly in the loose forward and midfield (there aren't any outside centres really staking claims during the NPC that I've noticed as yet).

Looks pretty close but I bet they drop Billy Proctor for Brayden Ennor and one of the outsides for Chay Fihaki.

nostrildamus

Is De Groot 100% and if not which prop might join them assuming Lomax Williams and Tosi are now locked in ..

African Monkey

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks EOYT:

Is De Groot 100% and if not which prop might join them assuming Lomax Williams and Tosi are now locked in ..

Bower.

family man

George bower

sparky

It has been a wet and cold September across the British Isles and northern France and the forecast for October looks like more wet weather. Conditions for the autumn internationals are probably going to be ideal for attritional Rugby.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks EOYT