All Blacks XV 2024
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Seems a real shame that they couldn't have organised games against meaningful oppo... even a couple of games against Aussie A would have been good. Playing Munster just feels a bit like a piss around.
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@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Are you being cereal?
It's s bunch of Super Rugby players playing a top European team.
In theory we should smoke them though. It is good to get these guys rugby at a next level up, but would be good to play a next level up oppo. Georgia is an outstanding opportunity, and would really prefer to stick to Tier 2 countries, or Tier 1 B teams.
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Munster sack their coach a few days before this match -
https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2024/10/29/graham-rowntree-departs-munster-rugby/
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@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Are you being cereal?
It's s bunch of Super Rugby players playing a top European team.
In theory we should smoke them though. It is good to get these guys rugby at a next level up, but would be good to play a next level up oppo. Georgia is an outstanding opportunity, and would really prefer to stick to Tier 2 countries, or Tier 1 B teams.
@frugby said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Are you being cereal?
It's s bunch of Super Rugby players playing a top European team.
In theory we should smoke them though. It is good to get these guys rugby at a next level up, but would be good to play a next level up oppo. Georgia is an outstanding opportunity, and would really prefer to stick to Tier 2 countries, or Tier 1 B teams.
Munster won the URC the previous season. They've previously beaten an AB team. I'd expect Munster to beat Georgia.
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Narawa was also a late withdrawal.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/update-to-all-blacks-xv-squad-for-northern-tour
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Narawa was also a late withdrawal.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/update-to-all-blacks-xv-squad-for-northern-tour
So Dallas McLeod likley to come into 13 for Narawa based on the 23 above.
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Undoubtedly the stand-out in the play-offs, although I thought the lenient refereeing of the breakdown suited him. Definitely plays above his weight, and the comparison to Laumape is accurate in that pocket powerhouse way at least.
Hope the stuff about his mental shift is accurate, because I've always thought of him as a bit of a thug previously.@reprobate said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Undoubtedly the stand-out in the play-offs, although I thought the lenient refereeing of the breakdown suited him. Definitely plays above his weight, and the comparison to Laumape is accurate in that pocket powerhouse way at least.
Hope the stuff about his mental shift is accurate, because I've always thought of him as a bit of a thug previously.Fair assessment on his previous approach, I agree he used to be a bit of a hot head but I feel like he's reigned a lot of that in after taking on more leadership.
If you jump to min 34 on the replay of the Breakdown you'll see what an asset Kirifi really is in terms of leadership and how much he's grown as a player.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Narawa was also a late withdrawal.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/update-to-all-blacks-xv-squad-for-northern-tour
So Dallas McLeod likley to come into 13 for Narawa based on the 23 above.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV 2024:
So Dallas McLeod likley to come into 13 for Narawa based on the 23 above.
Fihaki or Stevenson will be on one wing if Love starts at fullback. All the midfielders are more suited to 12 but maybe Lam plays at centre.
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Lam was very good at centre for the Blues this year - better than Rieko was who had a serviceable season after a bad concussion.
@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Lam was very good at centre for the Blues this year - better than Rieko was who had a serviceable season after a bad concussion.
A Higgins and Lam midfield would be fun to watch.
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You would also assume Slater would start at hooker given he trained with the All Blacks in Japan.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks XV 2024:
You would also assume Slater would start at hooker given he trained with the All Blacks in Japan.
I wasn't aware of that. That makes sense.
@brodean Bower, Slater, Haig, Holland, Lam and Plummer all went to Japan (as did Lio-Willie, who's now a permanent member of the All Blacks squad).
Though actually those guys were partially picked because they weren't involved in the NPC final so it's probably touch and go between Slater and Eklund.
