All Blacks 2025
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
But Savea, Kirifi and Lakai (and to a lesser extent Lio-Willie) appear to be much the same.
can't agree with this point because Savea continues to be an enigma.
The ruck attendance stats posted in the other thread don't seem to match the eye test so i would be interest as to how many of those he arrived at 3rd and leaned on. He absolutely cleaned a couple later in the test, memorable for their exception.
But he's getting picked, he's playing 80, and he is going to do his own thing. The bigger question is what shirt should he wear?The other 3 are small busy loose forwards without a real point of difference.
With Vaai and Finau playing the dirty stuff, Savea doing his thing, what do we need from the #8? Is it purely a worker? If so, then that guy can't be another smaller body, he needs to make a difference when contact is required.
I tell you what, a Finau, Savea, Vaai starting trio with Sititi off the bench would be tough to handle.
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
Does he have Aderns PR team or something?
Maybe we need the politics section back so you righty tighties can keep it in your pants on the sports threads.
It wasn't meant as a political post, she did have a good PR team
probably not as good as Beauden's though TBH!
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@booboo I fed those names into Chat GTP and asked it if they would be available for the start of the Rugby Championship.
Unavailable for Start of Championship
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^Ofa Tu’ungafasi – Undergoing neck surgery and ruled out for the rest of Super Rugby Pacific, making him unlikely to return by early August oai_citation:0‡SuperSport.
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^Beauden Barrett – Suffered a fractured right hand in early March. Expected 6–8 weeks of recovery, which means he’ll be close to match fitness in May–June; likely fully fit by August oai_citation:1‡RUGBY.com.au oai_citation:2‡SABC Sport oai_citation:3‡RugbyPass.
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^Wallace Sititi – Long-term knee injury still ruling him out.
Mid-Term/Conditional – Likely Fit by August
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^Josh Lord – “Mid-term” knee concern; unclear timeline but expected back pre-championship.
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^Ethan Blackadder – Quad injury with unspecified timeline, but recovery likely before August.
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^Scott Barrett – Despite recent breaks (missed two tests vs France due to a broken finger), he's training and expected to be match-ready well before the Rugby Championship oai_citation:4‡Reddit oai_citation:5‡Reddit oai_citation:6‡Reuters.
Fit or Uninjured
- Scott Barrett, Tamati Williams, Tyrell Lomax, Asafo Aumua, Luke Jacobsen, Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Reiko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta—all expected to be available once their minor issues settle.
Summary Table
Player Status Likely Available in August Ofa Tu’ungafasi Out rest of Super Rugby (neck surgery) No
Beauden Barrett Fractured hand (6–8 weeks) Yes
Sam Darry Season-ending shoulder No
Wallace Sititi Long-term knee No
Tyrell Lomax Ankle injury (short-term) Yes
Asafo Aumua Concussion (returned) Yes
Luke Jacobsen Minor nose issue Yes
Scott Barrett Broken finger, back in training Yes
Josh Lord Mid-term knee Probably
Ethan Blackadder Quad injury Likely
Peter Lakai Fit Yes
Simon Parker Fit Yes
Reiko Ioane Fit Yes
Caleb Clarke Minor thigh issue Yes
Stephen Perofeta Calf strain (short) Yes
Tamati Williams Fit Yes
Final Take
- Definitely unavailable: Tu’ungafasi, Darry, Sititi.
- Uncertain depending on recovery: Blackadder, Lord.
- Likely fit: Beauden Barrett (prior hand issue), Scott Barrett, Lomax, Aumua, Jacobsen, Williams, Parker, Ioane, Clarke, Perofeta, Lakai.
So by early August, most of the squad should be ready—except for the long-term injured trio and two players who are the last to fully recover.
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
Does he have Aderns PR team or something?
Maybe we need the politics section back so you righty tighties can keep it in your pants on the sports threads.
It wasn't meant as a political post, she did have a good PR team
probably not as good as Beauden's though TBH!
No one has good a PR team as the Barrett family.
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AI slop
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@zedsdeadbaby It's also missed Caleb Clarke's injury.
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He was absent from the discussion of first / second to the breakdown in the discussion on the rugby pod (no idea if by design or not).
They did mention stat hunters who go to many rucks as the third when they shouldn’t be needed….
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@mariner4life much like the post 2am dancefloor hunt it's no secret I prefer big bodies.
Vaai, Finau and Savea is probably the best we can hope for with the current administration.
But I view with great scepticism stats suggesting Ardie does much at ruck time other than try to be the next person to carry.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
The ruck attendance stats posted in the other thread don't seem to match the eye test so i would be interest as to how many of those he arrived at 3rd and leaned on. He absolutely cleaned a couple later in the test, memorable for their exception.
Looking at the attacking rucks throughout the game, I thought Savea was physical at the breakdown. He had one particularly poor clean in the first half, going off his feet too quickly to move Fickou - who was already out of the play - which led to the Guillard penalty in the 35th minute.
But if it wasn't for Savea, with Kirifi looking a bit overwhelmed in the first half and Finau being positioned out wide, the AB attacking breakdown would've become a massacre.
I'll agree that Savea was not good enough at the attacking ruck in 2024. But I think he was more than good enough in this area during this Test series, while also being one of the biggest attacking threats in the team (chip-kick not included).
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Lakai, though heavily strapped up, was running around with the Wellington Lions today at training. Good signs. I feared he sustained a longer term injury in that last round robin game against the Brumbies. Razor will be happy after some of the comments he made about Lakai after his injury, comments that make me think he's high up in Razor's plan leading into the next WC.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo I fed those names into Chat GTP and asked it if they would be available for the start of the Rugby Championship.
Unavailable for Start of Championship
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^Ofa Tu’ungafasi – Undergoing neck surgery and ruled out for the rest of Super Rugby Pacific, making him unlikely to return by early August oai_citation:0‡SuperSport.
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^Beauden Barrett – Suffered a fractured right hand in early March. Expected 6–8 weeks of recovery, which means he’ll be close to match fitness in May–June; likely fully fit by August oai_citation:1‡RUGBY.com.au oai_citation:2‡SABC Sport oai_citation:3‡RugbyPass.
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^Wallace Sititi – Long-term knee injury still ruling him out.
Mid-Term/Conditional – Likely Fit by August
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^Josh Lord – “Mid-term” knee concern; unclear timeline but expected back pre-championship.
-
^Ethan Blackadder – Quad injury with unspecified timeline, but recovery likely before August.
-
^Scott Barrett – Despite recent breaks (missed two tests vs France due to a broken finger), he's training and expected to be match-ready well before the Rugby Championship oai_citation:4‡Reddit oai_citation:5‡Reddit oai_citation:6‡Reuters.
Fit or Uninjured
- Scott Barrett, Tamati Williams, Tyrell Lomax, Asafo Aumua, Luke Jacobsen, Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Reiko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta—all expected to be available once their minor issues settle.
Summary Table
Player Status Likely Available in August Ofa Tu’ungafasi Out rest of Super Rugby (neck surgery) No
Beauden Barrett Fractured hand (6–8 weeks) Yes
Sam Darry Season-ending shoulder No
Wallace Sititi Long-term knee No
Tyrell Lomax Ankle injury (short-term) Yes
Asafo Aumua Concussion (returned) Yes
Luke Jacobsen Minor nose issue Yes
Scott Barrett Broken finger, back in training Yes
Josh Lord Mid-term knee Probably
Ethan Blackadder Quad injury Likely
Peter Lakai Fit Yes
Simon Parker Fit Yes
Reiko Ioane Fit Yes
Caleb Clarke Minor thigh issue Yes
Stephen Perofeta Calf strain (short) Yes
Tamati Williams Fit Yes
Final Take
- Definitely unavailable: Tu’ungafasi, Darry, Sititi.
- Uncertain depending on recovery: Blackadder, Lord.
- Likely fit: Beauden Barrett (prior hand issue), Scott Barrett, Lomax, Aumua, Jacobsen, Williams, Parker, Ioane, Clarke, Perofeta, Lakai.
So by early August, most of the squad should be ready—except for the long-term injured trio and two players who are the last to fully recover.
I see AI can’t spell Jacobson!
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life much like the post 2am dancefloor hunt it's no secret I prefer big bodies.
Vaai, Finau and Savea is probably the best we can hope for with the current administration.
But I view with great scepticism stats suggesting Ardie does much at ruck time other than try to be the next person to carry.
I saw him do a solid clean out on Saturday, so seems he knows how to do it.