All Blacks 2025
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Holland feels the obvious addition to the squad, he's been a bright spot for the Landers. His defensive workrate has been pretty fucking good - 207 tackle attempts at 92% effectiveness, 10% dominant. He has hit nearly 250 rucks on attack at about 80% effectiveness. A total of 75 carries, 21% dominant.
That stacks up very well against the other options.
Vaai has 96 tackle attempts at 88% effectiveness, 4% dominant. He has hit about 210 rucks on attack at about 90% effectiveness. A total of 106 carries, 31% dominant.
Barrett has 154 tackle attempts at 88% effectiveness, 8% dominant. He has hit about 220 rucks on attack at about 85% effectiveness. A total of 78 carries, 20% dominant.
Certainly seems that the boy has a motor and big dominant tackler around the ruck sounds really nice, alongside his line out work.
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Holland feels the obvious addition to the squad, he's been a bright spot for the Landers. His defensive workrate has been pretty fucking good - 207 tackle attempts at 92% effectiveness, 10% dominant. He has hit nearly 250 rucks on attack at about 80% effectiveness. A total of 75 carries, 21% dominant.
That stacks up very well against the other options.
Vaai has 96 tackle attempts at 88% effectiveness, 4% dominant. He has hit about 210 rucks on attack at about 90% effectiveness. A total of 106 carries, 31% dominant.
Barrett has 154 tackle attempts at 88% effectiveness, 8% dominant. He has hit about 220 rucks on attack at about 85% effectiveness. A total of 78 carries, 20% dominant.
Certainly seems that the boy has a motor and big dominant tackler around the ruck sounds really nice, alongside his line out work.
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Holland feels the obvious addition to the squad, he's been a bright spot for the Landers. His defensive workrate has been pretty fucking good - 207 tackle attempts at 92% effectiveness, 10% dominant. He has hit nearly 250 rucks on attack at about 80% effectiveness. A total of 75 carries, 21% dominant.
That stacks up very well against the other options.
Vaai has 96 tackle attempts at 88% effectiveness, 4% dominant. He has hit about 210 rucks on attack at about 90% effectiveness. A total of 106 carries, 31% dominant.
Barrett has 154 tackle attempts at 88% effectiveness, 8% dominant. He has hit about 220 rucks on attack at about 85% effectiveness. A total of 78 carries, 20% dominant.
Certainly seems that the boy has a motor and big dominant tackler around the ruck sounds really nice, alongside his line out work.
@gt12 Barrett has certainly got more active in the latter half of the season. I do think that his program was a little different given what is to come later this year for the AB captain. Not too dissimilar to what I saw from McCaw and Read previously with how they built during super rugby.
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
If they go with 5 locks then add Tuipoluto and Darry to above 3.
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@gt12 Barrett has certainly got more active in the latter half of the season. I do think that his program was a little different given what is to come later this year for the AB captain. Not too dissimilar to what I saw from McCaw and Read previously with how they built during super rugby.
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
If they go with 5 locks then add Tuipoluto and Darry to above 3.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
Who would be your lineout caller in a Barrett-Holland combination? As far as I'm aware, Dunshea is the regular caller at the Highlanders and Barrett really struggled with his calls early in the 2024 Test season. The lineout against England was, at times, comical and Barrett even had the benefit of his long-term hooker Taylor throwing. It would make me nervous to see him restored as the caller.
The AB lineout only improved in my eyes when Vaa'i became the primary caller. It's what's made him such an integral part of the team during the second half of the 2024 Test season.
(I'm aware that Vaa'i is the Chiefs caller and that they've struggled this season. To me, it indicates that Vaa'i is good at Test preparation but struggles more with the spontaneous, week-to-week prep of Super Rugby. At least, that's my hypothesis.)
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean Ethan's bigger and with more endurance.
https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Liam-Messam-AB-1082
190 cm; 109kg
https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Ethan-Blackadder-AB-1195
190cm 111kg2kg? That's just Ethan's bandages!
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
Who would be your lineout caller in a Barrett-Holland combination? As far as I'm aware, Dunshea is the regular caller at the Highlanders and Barrett really struggled with his calls early in the 2024 Test season. The lineout against England was, at times, comical and Barrett even had the benefit of his long-term hooker Taylor throwing. It would make me nervous to see him restored as the caller.
The AB lineout only improved in my eyes when Vaa'i became the primary caller. It's what's made him such an integral part of the team during the second half of the 2024 Test season.
(I'm aware that Vaa'i is the Chiefs caller and that they've struggled this season. To me, it indicates that Vaa'i is good at Test preparation but struggles more with the spontaneous, week-to-week prep of Super Rugby. At least, that's my hypothesis.)
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
Who would be your lineout caller in a Barrett-Holland combination? As far as I'm aware, Dunshea is the regular caller at the Highlanders and Barrett really struggled with his calls early in the 2024 Test season. The lineout against England was, at times, comical and Barrett even had the benefit of his long-term hooker Taylor throwing. It would make me nervous to see him restored as the caller.
The AB lineout only improved in my eyes when Vaa'i became the primary caller. It's what's made him such an integral part of the team during the second half of the 2024 Test season.
(I'm aware that Vaa'i is the Chiefs caller and that they've struggled this season. To me, it indicates that Vaa'i is good at Test preparation but struggles more with the spontaneous, week-to-week prep of Super Rugby. At least, that's my hypothesis.)
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Not buying the criticisms of Scott Barrett.
He was the best lock we had in 2023, being seen as more valuable than Whitelock and Retallick.
I am confident he will produce good form for the ABs this year.@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
Not buying the criticisms of Scott Barrett.
He was the best lock we had in 2023, being seen as more valuable than Whitelock and Retallick.
I am confident he will produce good form for the ABs this year.I get the impression he is on a McCaw esque style conditioning trajectory.
Warming into the season as it goes on with a view to be fully motoring come test season. -
Top three are clear: Vaa'i, Barrett, Tuipulotu. Darry is injured, and Lord hasn't played much in recent seasons, so 4th spot is wide open.
@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
Top three are clear: Vaa'i, Barrett, Tuipulotu. Darry is injured, and Lord hasn't played much in recent seasons, so 4th spot is wide open.
Holland is my pick/tip for 4th lock.
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@gt12 Barrett has certainly got more active in the latter half of the season. I do think that his program was a little different given what is to come later this year for the AB captain. Not too dissimilar to what I saw from McCaw and Read previously with how they built during super rugby.
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
If they go with 5 locks then add Tuipoluto and Darry to above 3.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 Barrett has certainly got more active in the latter half of the season. I do think that his program was a little different given what is to come later this year for the AB captain. Not too dissimilar to what I saw from McCaw and Read previously with how they built during super rugby.
I think the coaches will keep the faith with Vaa’i but I would really like to see Barrett and Holland get a couple of starts together.
If they go with 5 locks then add Tuipoluto and Darry to above 3.
fucking hell. Wrote that myself and then read your post.
It definitely looks like that on the eye test.
He is noticeably busier these days. -
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean Ethan's bigger and with more endurance.
https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Liam-Messam-AB-1082
190 cm; 109kg
https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Ethan-Blackadder-AB-1195
190cm 111kg2kg? That's just Ethan's bandages!
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean Ethan's bigger and with more endurance.
https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Liam-Messam-AB-1082
190 cm; 109kg
https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Ethan-Blackadder-AB-1195
190cm 111kg2kg? That's just Ethan's bandages!
I would have thought, my impression, messam was more impactful in contact, Blackadder more mobile getting to the next contest
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Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
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Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
@canefan not necessarily, I think if there are players 'incapable' of playing the patterns you need, then they dont fit...that said, I think most players are more than capable of playing varying styles, and when you have some players with an array of talents, you need to fit them...hell, look at Ardie, absolute star, yet has affected the balance of our loose trio for years, but they made it work for th emost part.
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@canefan not necessarily, I think if there are players 'incapable' of playing the patterns you need, then they dont fit...that said, I think most players are more than capable of playing varying styles, and when you have some players with an array of talents, you need to fit them...hell, look at Ardie, absolute star, yet has affected the balance of our loose trio for years, but they made it work for th emost part.
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan not necessarily, I think if there are players 'incapable' of playing the patterns you need, then they dont fit...that said, I think most players are more than capable of playing varying styles, and when you have some players with an array of talents, you need to fit them...hell, look at Ardie, absolute star, yet has affected the balance of our loose trio for years, but they made it work for th emost part.
For me it's about exploiting the various talents of players. As you suggest, these guys have a capacity to adapt. The coaches should too
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Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
Playing their part to weaken the Blues
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Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
Just in spouts a lot of piffle about various Crusaders, and those competing for same places. Sotutu was criticised last year for not being physical enough on defence and for shirking hard carries. He seems to have remedied that this year. Skill set still wider than other NZ 8s.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
Just in spouts a lot of piffle about various Crusaders, and those competing for same places. Sotutu was criticised last year for not being physical enough on defence and for shirking hard carries. He seems to have remedied that this year. Skill set still wider than other NZ 8s.
@pakman said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Justin Marshall believes Sotutu and Papaili's AB ship has sailed, in no small part because the Blues style of play is not the way that Razor wants his All blacks to play. If true, this makes me unhappy. Here I was thinking it was the job of the coach to pick players and mold them to play the style he wanted.....
Just in spouts a lot of piffle about various Crusaders, and those competing for same places. Sotutu was criticised last year for not being physical enough on defence and for shirking hard carries. He seems to have remedied that this year. Skill set still wider than other NZ 8s.
The reasons given for Sotutu were frankly rubbish. Ryan just didn't like him and I also suspect there was an element of bias due to the past losses against the Crusaders in finals.
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Not buying the criticisms of Scott Barrett.
He was the best lock we had in 2023, being seen as more valuable than Whitelock and Retallick.
I am confident he will produce good form for the ABs this year.@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
Not buying the criticisms of Scott Barrett.
He was the best lock we had in 2023, being seen as more valuable than Whitelock and Retallick.
I am confident he will produce good form for the ABs this year.The criticisms are hardly harsh - he's a really good player in just about every facet, but he's not really a world class lineout target / attacker of opposition ball. We also don't have great lineout loosies at present, which increases the emphasis on our locks' lineout work.
He also wasn't as good last year as he was in 2023, whereas Vaai improved a lot in 2024, and Holland has been eye-catching in 2025.
There's no doubt he'll be deservedly selected, and be captain.
