All Blacks 2025
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Clarke a very odd one - hasn’t scored a try in SR, wouldn’t be many starting wingers who have achieved that feat.
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@KiwiMurph I think Narawa is a certainty.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@KiwiMurph I think Narawa is a certainty.
Is he signing for Canterbury?
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@KiwiMurph I think Narawa is a certainty.
Is he signing for Canterbury?
The oil is good
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@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2025:
Clarke a very odd one - hasn’t scored a try in SR, wouldn’t be many starting wingers who have achieved that feat.
Has he just not had much opportunity? Blues were poor early in the season. Ran hard and used EB as a judder bar last night
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@ARHS said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan I feel Clarke has been a bit sloppy most of the season, watching on and off the ball. Was much better last season. Maybe the issue is his connection with the midfielders?
He's not as switched on. This year the Blues wings didn't look for work as much.
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Actually maybe with Tele'a leaving, and Jordan possibly being picked at 15 for once, the wing selection could get very interesting.
And legends like George Bridge will be back on this side of the world ... (looks for coat)... -
@KiwiMurph There's lots of contenders for not many open places.
Given the amount of utility we have in the backs, I'd be very tempted to go for a 20 forwards/15 backs split.
Three halfbacks, three first fives (all covering fullback): BB, DMac, Love.
9 remaining spots of whom I think Jordie, Rieko, Proctor, Clarke, Reece and Jordan are near certainties (6 spots).
Three spots remain.
At least one more midfielder.
I think Quinn Tupaea is a good shot to replace ALB in the midfield - can play 12 and 13 and they'll likely want that on the bench.
Dave Havili will be looked at closely, but I don't think he's a certainty.
They need at least one more wing - Narawa and/or Lam? Or someone else?
I think AJ's utility value is pretty unique - he'll be very close if he doesn't make it. Covering wing and both midfield positions.
I reckon there will be a few extras called in for training, as well.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
Actually maybe with Tele'a leaving, and Jordan possibly being picked at 15 for once, the wing selection could get very interesting.
And legends like George Bridge will be back on this side of the world ... (looks for coat)...Will Jordan started 7 tests last year at fullback.
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Dalton Papalii has been for me the Blues most consistent performer this season. I hope he makes the AB squad.
Reiko Ioane and Beauden Barrett have done enough to justify their retention. Patrick Tuipolutu will be there or there about. He's one of the best leaders we've got. AJ Lam must be close to getting selected, especially if there is another midfield injury.
Beyond that it's hard to see many Blues in the AB squad. Mark Telea, Harry Plummer and Ricky Riccitelli are going overseas so should only be picked in an emergency. Caleb Clarke's form is horrific. Stephen Perofeta has been anonymous this year. Finlay Christie's pass is too slow. I don't see his defence as better than Hotham's. Hoskins Sotutu doesn't make the right decisions at key moments. Ofa T is injured. So is Sam Darry. Angus Taavao is well past his best.
Josh Fusitua, Josh Beehre, Anton Segner and Zarn Sullivan are all young guys with lots of potential. But don't make the top 35 players in New Zealand IMHO.
So I think there'll only be 5 or 6 Blues players in the AB squad.
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@canefan For me it depends on the position, for a backrow player or a First Five AB experience and test quality is far more important. At Test level those positions have a very different role to Super Rugby.
But for a winger SR form matters. If you can't finish in Super Rugby, you won't be able to finish in Test Rugby either. It's unfair to pick Caleb Clarke and shove him in the Test arena when he's nowhere near his best.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
The Blues back play was diabolically bad for most of the season but I feel Clarke wasn't particularly sharp. As some one said he has some runs on the board for tests so he should be in there.
Um that was me....
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
Actually maybe with Tele'a leaving, and Jordan possibly being picked at 15 for once, the wing selection could get very interesting.
And legends like George Bridge will be back on this side of the world ... (looks for coat)...Will Jordan started 7 tests last year at fullback.
Oh stop it with all your facty facts!
