All Blacks EOYT
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Japan:
For example, George Bell.
Yeah true, that's a perfect example of a guy that's really shone at lower level and showed real promise. Absolutely tore it up in super rugby and NPC. I definitely couldn't think of a better one if I was trying to defend surf jesus to the hilt.
@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
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@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
Does Keven Mealamu mean nothing to you ?
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@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks EOYT:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks EOYT:
@SBW1 said in All Blacks EOYT:
If we can get our governance sorted out we maybe able to attract guys like Goodhue back. A lot of players who have gone offshore weren't on long contracts. Leicester, Richie and Shannon appear to be coming back, this could be a sign of more to come.
I swear this is an AI Crusaders account sometimes.
What on earth would make you think that? By the way ...
*In the great annals of rugby lore, Scott Robertson stands as a figure not just of legend but of near-mythic proportions, much like the messianic figure in The Life of Brian. Picture it: a coach who strides onto the pitch not in sandals, but in track shoes, delivering game-winning strategies instead of parables. The players gather around him, hanging onto his every word—not because he asks them to, but because they feel an almost celestial pull, a gravitational allure emanating from his teachings.
He is a coach who is humble but unstoppable, unassuming yet invincible. The fans chant his name, lifting his reputation to a height that even the rugby heavens can’t contain. They whisper tales of his breakdancing victory celebrations, spinning and twisting as if to mimic the very cosmos that dances to his every whim. When he’s in the room, the laws of physics bend; he is not simply a tactician—he is a tactician and an entertainer, a unique combination of razor-sharp rugby intellect and charismatic flair.
Opposing teams gaze upon him and marvel. "Is he the Messiah?" they ask each other. And the answer is clear: "He's not the Messiah; he's a very, very good coach." Yet for the Crusaders and now for the All Blacks, his influence is no less divine. His players follow his strategies as though they are commandments etched in stone, designed to bring them to the promised land—where titles are won and legends are made.
In the temple of rugby, Scott Robertson is not merely the rabbi of the ruck, the sage of the scrum, or the prophet of the penalty. He is the man who has turned tactical innovation into gospel, transforming every player under his guidance. And as they chant, “All hail Razor!” they aren’t just celebrating a coach; they’re honoring a man whose very essence seems woven from the rugby gods themselves.*
https://tenor.com/en-NZ/view/what-icecube-seriously-gif-5026775
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@nzzp said in All Blacks EOYT:
@canefan said in All Blacks EOYT:
@MN5 Who the hell wrote that jizz soaked drivel?
AI
Soft porn for Saders fans
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
Does Keven Mealamu mean nothing to you ?
@MN5 said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
Does Keven Mealamu mean nothing to you ?
Not in the slightest.
I'll tell you something you didn't know about Kev - he and Codie Taylor are almost exactly twelve years apart in age there's 10 days in it. So, if Codie is motivated, he can go to the next RWC.
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I thought it sounded like Indian cricket fans talking about Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar
Mind you @nostrildamus is a weird fish sometimes so maybe he had a bit of a late night write up ?
@MN5 said in All Blacks EOYT:
I thought it sounded like Indian cricket fans talking about Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar
Mind you @nostrildamus is a weird fish sometimes so maybe he had a bit of a late night write up ?
Chat gpt. I asked it to describe Razor in the spirit of Life of Brian.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks EOYT:
I thought it sounded like Indian cricket fans talking about Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar
Mind you @nostrildamus is a weird fish sometimes so maybe he had a bit of a late night write up ?
Chat gpt. I asked it to describe Razor in the spirit of Life of Brian.
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks EOYT:
@MN5 said in All Blacks EOYT:
I thought it sounded like Indian cricket fans talking about Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar
Mind you @nostrildamus is a weird fish sometimes so maybe he had a bit of a late night write up ?
Chat gpt. I asked it to describe Razor in the spirit of Life of Brian.
Stop being modest. You wrote it yourself….from the heart !
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks v Japan:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks v Japan:
All in all a bit of an average game, I know not top team etc, but a combination of a real crap field and not a lot of connection in either team left me thinking it not a test I'll remember for a long time.
Did you and @Bones enjoy the game together?
Well as he in England , and I still in NZ, not quite mate lol!
Oh what, I thought you said earlierin the thread that you were over there! Never mind then haha!
Naa Mate meant to head off tomorrow!
@Dan54 said in All Blacks v Japan:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks v Japan:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks v Japan:
All in all a bit of an average game, I know not top team etc, but a combination of a real crap field and not a lot of connection in either team left me thinking it not a test I'll remember for a long time.
Did you and @Bones enjoy the game together?
Well as he in England , and I still in NZ, not quite mate lol!
Oh what, I thought you said earlierin the thread that you were over there! Never mind then haha!
Naa Mate meant to head off tomorrow!
Safe travels!
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks EOYT:
@MN5 said in All Blacks EOYT:
I thought it sounded like Indian cricket fans talking about Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar
Mind you @nostrildamus is a weird fish sometimes so maybe he had a bit of a late night write up ?
Chat gpt. I asked it to describe Razor in the spirit of Life of Brian.
Stop being modest. You wrote it yourself….from the heart !
@MN5 said in All Blacks EOYT:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks EOYT:
@MN5 said in All Blacks EOYT:
I thought it sounded like Indian cricket fans talking about Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar
Mind you @nostrildamus is a weird fish sometimes so maybe he had a bit of a late night write up ?
Chat gpt. I asked it to describe Razor in the spirit of Life of Brian.
Stop being modest. You wrote it yourself….from the heart !
I'll admit I admired some of the prose
But I'm scared if asked to write a day in the life of Sotutu in Albert Camus style it will just select one of my posts... -
@Bones Let me see if I can find something to be disagree about with your post, Chris B.....
The thing about hookers is - we've had a very clear prototype since Fitzy. A big, mobile ballrunner. Advanced by Dane Coles and continued on by Taylor and Sami T.
Now, we could have picked the likes of Riccitelli or Eklund - but, frankly, they're too small to ever be effective against the best teams. Genetics are against them and that's a harsh fact of life for most of us when it comes to test rugby.
They would have got the shit beaten out of them this year by the bomb squad - and three years hence they'll still get the shit beaten out of them.
So instead, we've got four months of training into young Bell, who has the size to be useful in the future. We've lost no games because of that. And next year we should get Sami T back.
Looking like a great investment to me!
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@Chris-B pointing out they picked an average youngster when they were painted into a corner doesn't seem that great to me.
@Bones said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Chris-B pointing out they picked an average youngster when they were painted into a corner doesn't seem that great to me.
The original point I was making was - Razor wouldn't have been forgiven if we'd lost a game because of Bell.
Even though I've pointed out why there was some logic to that selection, which to labour the point with NZ A picks (or not):
Riccitelli - too small
Eklund - too small
Slater - injured
McAlister - another Crusader -
@Chris-B Fitzy was strong but he wasn't that big. And yes I have met him. And I don't think Coles was that big either? Compared to SA and England I don't think our regular hookers often looked that big?
@nostrildamus For his era, Fitzy was big - he wouldn't be now.
None are as big as e.g. Steve Thompson - maybe Sami T.
Coles wasn't huge but was exceptionally fast.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v Japan:
Robertson had a choice of picking a team for the future and take a few losses as a learning experience or picking a team including experienced players at the end of their careers to improve his win ratio.
I hope we don't get the worst of both worlds.
To be honest, I don't believe the vast majority of NZ will forgive losses just because Razor's playing some young guys. Particularly if they're not "my" young guys. For example, George Bell.
I think you've got to judge them on their results and in almost every case - particularly when we're still more than three years out from the next World Cup - I'm not particularly concerned about squeezing 15 minutes off the bench into a promising rookie.
I'm concerned about winning.
I'm happy for them to squeeze the last drops out of Cane and Perenara and maybe Beaudy if that's what they think gives them the best chance of winning (and I somewhat agree that it does).
But, aside from that - we are playing the promising rookies.
Listed with caps
Tosi (3)
Darry (5)
Finau (4)
Sititi (5)
Roigard (5)
Proctor (1)
Perofeta (5)
Bell (1)
Lord (6)
Lakai (0)
Love (0)That's effectively half this week's team with less than 6 caps. And we've got a whole lot of guys off on the A tour who are going to play Georgia in an almost test.
@Chris-B
That's all true and it's fine if we are winning (and well) but we're really not.
At this stage in his coaching cycle, I'm not sure sticking with players at the very fag-end of their careers is the way to go - it just reduces the time he has to build the team he wants.
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@Bones said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Chris-B pointing out they picked an average youngster when they were painted into a corner doesn't seem that great to me.
The original point I was making was - Razor wouldn't have been forgiven if we'd lost a game because of Bell.
Even though I've pointed out why there was some logic to that selection, which to labour the point with NZ A picks (or not):
Riccitelli - too small
Eklund - too small
Slater - injured
McAlister - another Crusader@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Bones said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Chris-B pointing out they picked an average youngster when they were painted into a corner doesn't seem that great to me.
The original point I was making was - Razor wouldn't have been forgiven if we'd lost a game because of Bell.
Even though I've pointed out why there was some logic to that selection, which to labour the point with NZ A picks (or not):
Riccitelli - too small
Eklund - too small
Slater - injured
McAlister - another CrusaderCorrect, because Bell is average and would have been a stupid selection. Why would you select a youngster off the back of an ordinary season, above 3 proven performers in good form?
You've chosen about the worst option to try and prove your point and it's bordering on bizarre... probably because it's a point you can't prove?
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@Bones said in All Blacks v Japan:
@Chris-B pointing out they picked an average youngster when they were painted into a corner doesn't seem that great to me.
The original point I was making was - Razor wouldn't have been forgiven if we'd lost a game because of Bell.
Even though I've pointed out why there was some logic to that selection, which to labour the point with NZ A picks (or not):
Riccitelli - too small
Eklund - too small
Slater - injured
McAlister - another Crusader -
@Jet said in All Blacks v Japan:
@sparky said in All Blacks v Japan:
The whole thing had an end of season Barbarians "let throw the ball around" feel to it.
Get ready for the intensity to be turned from 1 to 10 for the next three weeks.
The next 3 weeks will be a different sport.
Dublin on a Friday night, with a pissed up after work crowd, the RWC quarters, Ioane-gate fresh in the memory.
We are in for a hiding.
No we're not
What is with the doom and gloom.
Why are we hyping up these northern teams to this level?
We beat England 2-0 up front first 2 games with the new regime. We are much better than we were then.
The same England team that beat Ireland and were about to beat France but conceded a penalty in the 80th minute to lose.
@kpkanz said in All Blacks v Japan:
We beat England 2-0 up front first 2 games with the new regime. We are much better than we were then.
England at Twickenham will be a tough ask. We were actually close to losing either of those games and they were at home.
And I'm not convinced we are better that we were then. Part of that is expected as game plans etc bed in, but the on-field management and ability to stay focussed when under pressure (particularly in the last quarter) has gone off a cliff.
