All Blacks 2025
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Personally think there's the bones of a really good squad here, though the injury coverage definitely raises a few eyebrows.
I'm not surprised (nor hugely disheartened) that Christie is in the squad. Don't think there's any point in throwing out first caps willy nilly to young halfbacks when Roigard, Hotham and Ratima will all be expected to make the 2027 World Cup. I imagine that if only one of that trio had been injured, Preston would have received the call-up over Christie (although I'm not necessarily convinced he's the future either).
Front row remains strong. Suspect George Dyer is injured otherwise he would've been called up ahead of Mafileo.
Darry has played almost no rugby for 12 months so makes sense for him to get some more minutes under his belt before bringing him back into the fold and Lord is a known entity.
Glad to see Parker in the loosie mix. Knowing who was selected in the initial July squad, there aren't really any surprises here (i.e. the injury cover players have dropped out). Would personally have Papali'i in there ahead of Kirifi (or even Blackadder) but otherwise fairly consistent.
Backs are pretty much unchanged. Don't mind seeing Carter in there as injury cover, more just as a reward for a decent Super season, but can't imagine he'll actually get on the field.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
Personally think there's the bones of a really good squad here, though the injury coverage definitely raises a few eyebrows.
I'm not surprised (nor hugely disheartened) that Christie is in the squad. Don't think there's any point in throwing out first caps willy nilly to young halfbacks when Roigard, Hotham and Ratima will all be expected to make the 2027 World Cup. I imagine that if only one of that trio had been injured, Preston would have received the call-up over Christie (although I'm not necessarily convinced he's the future either).
Front row remains strong. Suspect George Dyer is injured otherwise he would've been called up ahead of Mafileo.
Darry has played almost no rugby for 12 months so makes sense for him to get some more minutes under his belt before bringing him back into the fold and Lord is a known entity.
Glad to see Parker in the loosie mix. Knowing who was selected in the initial July squad, there aren't really any surprises here (i.e. the injury cover players have dropped out). Would personally have Papali'i in there ahead of Kirifi (or even Blackadder) but otherwise fairly consistent.
Backs are pretty much unchanged. Don't mind seeing Carter in there as injury cover, more just as a reward for a decent Super season, but can't imagine he'll actually get on the field.
Leroy Carter strikes me as the kind of player, that if given the chance, will never look back.
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I’ve seen some questions around the precise value of Josh Lord and what he brings to the All Blacks so I thought it would be interesting to briefly take a closer look at his profile as a rugby player. Saturday’s Bulls’ game against the Taniwha provides, I think, a nice summation of Josh Lord’s style of play and how he’s able to impact the contest on the pitch.
Four aspects – lineout ability, general skillset, defence, and rugby intelligence – stand out to me, with Lord shaping essentially as a tight five glue player at Test level, someone who shows good understanding of the flow and rules of the game, which he uses to put pressure on the set piece and skillset of the opposition.
Lineout ability
The first aspect, lineout ability, speaks rather for itself. Lord has long arms and a good jump, so even when the timing of the lift and height of the throw is somewhat off (not an unlikely scenario with some of the hookers around), Lord is often still able to grab the ball.
If the French series has shown anything, it’s the importance of genuinely tall units who can provide lineout ball as well as get up high in the air for contestable restarts.
General skillset
A typical facet of the current AB game plan is ball movement, the ball being kept alive through the phases in a quick and swift manner. In this regard, the tall lock has shown smooth hands throughout his career, being both comfortable as a backdoor passer as well as willing to serve as makeshift 9 in order to keep the play moving.
Lord trusts his handling and passing skills, quickly moving into the halfback position with Lennox caught up in the ruck.Furthermore, Lord is comfortable with the ball in his hands in space, showing good technique in the 47th minute by holding the ball in his two hands, using multiple pass fakes in order to manipulate opposition defenders.
Defensive ability
The Taranaki lock is massive (2.03m) but remarkably agile for his frame. He moves well around the field and is versatile in the tackle, being both able to chop carriers around their ankles as well as wrap ball and man in upper-body hits with a strong shoulder.In the 24th minute, for example, Lord engages in a double tackle, with O’Neill going low and Lord going high on Alaimalo, the lock targeting the carrying arm with force and forcing the spill.
Forcing the knock-on: Lord targets Alaimalo’s carrying arm, creating the turnoverA few minutes later, Lord goes low in the tackle on Caird, with Lennox and Poliko this time targeting the upper-body.
Lord going very low on Caird, stopping him in his tracksAdded to this tackle versatility is the ability to scan the opposition attack, anticipating overlaps and working hard to plug gaps in defence. Right after making the chop tackle on Caird, Lord spots that the Taniwha have numbers on the left and immediately starts sprinting towards the opposite side.
Lord gets up from the tackle, scans the Northland attack and starts sprinting to the other side of the fieldhttps://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExamlmandrZWprMngyYjFrZXR6Z21tMHV4eGRtb25sY3RkZ2xkZzk1cyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ntaFZuzhPJJeEqPvpu/giphy.gif
The sequence in full, which is Josh Lord in a nutshell: equal parts vision and mongrel. Keep your eyes on Lord in back playHere, we see the combination of Lord’s work rate and shithousery: after going full throttle in order to help stop the Northland line break, he first bumps Pasitoa out of the play without the ball (that’s a clear penalty and probable yellow card) before assisting Tikoisolomone with the tackle on Trainor. While he gets away with it here, Lord clearly pushes the boundaries. Then again, the anticipation of the opposition line break shows a remarkable rugby brain in action.
Rugby intelligence
Throughout the game, Lord showed signs of being quick on his feet, literally and figuratively. Another, more legal instance was in his understanding of the offside line, for example, by quickly moving into the Taniwha attacking line when the ref called the ball out of the ruck.
Lord (5, in the front) moves as soon as the ref indicates that the ball is out. Someone like Eben Etzebeth has shown the importance of knowing the nuances of the offside line and breakdown rules to be effective as a Test lockAnother example occurred during a Northland lineout: with the Taniwha throwing to the front, Lord reacts immediately to the ball being shifted to the 9 (and the lineout being effectively over), making him able to pressure Nock’s transfer to the backline.
Quick as a flash: Lord nearly catches Nock by being aware of the lineout rules on offsideSummary
Josh Lord doesn’t offer the work rate of a Barrett or Holland, the attacking instincts and footwork of a Vaa’i or the carrying power of a Patrick Tuipulotu. But what he does offer in spades is rugby intelligence and mongrel, as well as the traditional set piece abilities of a 2m+ lock.But while he has, I think, qualities which should really shine in Test rugby, his inability to simply stay on the field makes it doubtful whether we will ever see him for a long period in the black jersey. In this sense, Saturday’s match against the Taniwha was perhaps the most indicative yet, Lord watching from the side lines after getting a knock, his body not quite able to produce what his rugby brain wants it to.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
Personally think there's the bones of a really good squad here, though the injury coverage definitely raises a few eyebrows.
I'm not surprised (nor hugely disheartened) that Christie is in the squad. Don't think there's any point in throwing out first caps willy nilly to young halfbacks when Roigard, Hotham and Ratima will all be expected to make the 2027 World Cup. I imagine that if only one of that trio had been injured, Preston would have received the call-up over Christie (although I'm not necessarily convinced he's the future either).
Front row remains strong. Suspect George Dyer is injured otherwise he would've been called up ahead of Mafileo.
Darry has played almost no rugby for 12 months so makes sense for him to get some more minutes under his belt before bringing him back into the fold and Lord is a known entity.
Glad to see Parker in the loosie mix. Knowing who was selected in the initial July squad, there aren't really any surprises here (i.e. the injury cover players have dropped out). Would personally have Papali'i in there ahead of Kirifi (or even Blackadder) but otherwise fairly consistent.
Backs are pretty much unchanged. Don't mind seeing Carter in there as injury cover, more just as a reward for a decent Super season, but can't imagine he'll actually get on the field.
Tamaiti Williams is out for Pumas 1, and Lomax won’t travel. Mafileo can play either side, which helps with training.
I expect EDG, Bower, Fletch and Tosi to play first game. -
@pakman Not sure how Mafileo's ability to play either side makes much of a difference for trainings?
If that quartet are the starters, Norris and Dyer could oppose them just as well as Norris and Mafileo.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
@pakman Not sure how Mafileo's ability to play either side makes much of a difference for trainings?
If that quartet are the starters, Norris and Dyer could oppose them just as well as Norris and Mafileo.
Based on Razor’s interview, Mafileo will also be packing down at LH at training. Something which Dyer isn’t able to do.
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I’ve seen some questions around the precise value of Josh Lord and what he brings to the All Blacks so I thought it would be interesting to briefly take a closer look at his profile as a rugby player. Saturday’s Bulls’ game against the Taniwha provides, I think, a nice summation of Josh Lord’s style of play and how he’s able to impact the contest on the pitch.
Four aspects – lineout ability, general skillset, defence, and rugby intelligence – stand out to me, with Lord shaping essentially as a tight five glue player at Test level, someone who shows good understanding of the flow and rules of the game, which he uses to put pressure on the set piece and skillset of the opposition.
Lineout ability
The first aspect, lineout ability, speaks rather for itself. Lord has long arms and a good jump, so even when the timing of the lift and height of the throw is somewhat off (not an unlikely scenario with some of the hookers around), Lord is often still able to grab the ball.If the French series has shown anything, it’s the importance of genuinely tall units who can provide lineout ball as well as get up high in the air for contestable restarts.
General skillset
A typical facet of the current AB game plan is ball movement, the ball being kept alive through the phases in a quick and swift manner. In this regard, the tall lock has shown smooth hands throughout his career, being both comfortable as a backdoor passer as well as willing to serve as makeshift 9 in order to keep the play moving.
Lord trusts his handling and passing skills, quickly moving into the halfback position with Lennox caught up in the ruck.Furthermore, Lord is comfortable with the ball in his hands in space, showing good technique in the 47th minute by holding the ball in his two hands, using multiple pass fakes in order to manipulate opposition defenders.
Defensive ability
The Taranaki lock is massive (2.03m) but remarkably agile for his frame. He moves well around the field and is versatile in the tackle, being both able to chop carriers around their ankles as well as wrap ball and man in upper-body hits with a strong shoulder.In the 24th minute, for example, Lord engages in a double tackle, with O’Neill going low and Lord going high on Alaimalo, the lock targeting the carrying arm with force and forcing the spill.
Forcing the knock-on: Lord targets Alaimalo’s carrying arm, creating the turnoverA few minutes later, Lord goes low in the tackle on Caird, with Lennox and Poliko this time targeting the upper-body.
Lord going very low on Caird, stopping him in his tracksAdded to this tackle versatility is the ability to scan the opposition attack, anticipating overlaps and working hard to plug gaps in defence. Right after making the chop tackle on Caird, Lord spots that the Taniwha have numbers on the left and immediately starts sprinting towards the opposite side.
Lord gets up from the tackle, scans the Northland attack and starts sprinting to the other side of the fieldhttps://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExamlmandrZWprMngyYjFrZXR6Z21tMHV4eGRtb25sY3RkZ2xkZzk1cyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ntaFZuzhPJJeEqPvpu/giphy.gif
The sequence in full, which is Josh Lord in a nutshell: equal parts vision and mongrel. Keep your eyes on Lord in back playHere, we see the combination of Lord’s work rate and shithousery: after going full throttle in order to help stop the Northland line break, he first bumps Pasitoa out of the play without the ball (that’s a clear penalty and probable yellow card) before assisting Tikoisolomone with the tackle on Trainor. While he gets away with it here, Lord clearly pushes the boundaries. Then again, the anticipation of the opposition line break shows a remarkable rugby brain in action.
Rugby intelligence
Throughout the game, Lord showed signs of being quick on his feet, literally and figuratively. Another, more legal instance was in his understanding of the offside line, for example, by quickly moving into the Taniwha attacking line when the ref called the ball out of the ruck.
Lord (5, in the front) moves as soon as the ref indicates that the ball is out. Someone like Eben Etzebeth has shown the importance of knowing the nuances of the offside line and breakdown rules to be effective as a Test lockAnother example occurred during a Northland lineout: with the Taniwha throwing to the front, Lord reacts immediately to the ball being shifted to the 9 (and the lineout being effectively over), making him able to pressure Nock’s transfer to the backline.
Quick as a flash: Lord nearly catches Nock by being aware of the lineout rules on offsideSummary
Josh Lord doesn’t offer the work rate of a Barrett or Holland, the attacking instincts and footwork of a Vaa’i or the carrying power of a Patrick Tuipulotu. But what he does offer in spades is rugby intelligence and mongrel, as well as the traditional set piece abilities of a 2m+ lock.But while he has, I think, qualities which should really shine in Test rugby, his inability to simply stay on the field makes it doubtful whether we will ever see him for a long period in the black jersey. In this sense, Saturday’s match against the Taniwha was perhaps the most indicative yet, Lord watching from the side lines after getting a knock, his body not quite able to produce what his rugby brain wants it to.
@Mauss Excellent analysis.
Negatives:
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Not sure Lord is up to international level at scrum time. I expect he’d have to stick to LH side; and
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Likewise, AB maul has been weak with him there. TBF that’s a skill which can be taught/learned.
I was at Twickenham débâcle and he was completely dominated when he came on.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Knives and pitch forks will be out if we lose one.......
Depends how we play with the changes Robertson has made. Need to kick on from the Frog series but the potential is there.
If he fails to win the TRC 2 years in a row then question-asking will be turned up to 11
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@Mauss Excellent analysis.
Negatives:
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Not sure Lord is up to international level at scrum time. I expect he’d have to stick to LH side; and
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Likewise, AB maul has been weak with him there. TBF that’s a skill which can be taught/learned.
I was at Twickenham débâcle and he was completely dominated when he came on.
@pakman said in All Blacks 2025:
Likewise, AB maul has been weak with him there. TBF that’s a skill which can be taught/learned.
Good point. Watching him against Northland, it was noticeable how his maul defence, even at NPC level, wasn't effective, often losing his bind too easily or not quite getting his body positioning right at the moment of engagement.
Like you say, it's something that can be taught but he probably should be further in his development there.
I was at Twickenham débâcle
Commiserations.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
@pakman Not sure how Mafileo's ability to play either side makes much of a difference for trainings?
If that quartet are the starters, Norris and Dyer could oppose them just as well as Norris and Mafileo.
Based on Razor’s interview, Mafileo will also be packing down at LH at training. Something which Dyer isn’t able to do.
@pakman said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
@pakman Not sure how Mafileo's ability to play either side makes much of a difference for trainings?
If that quartet are the starters, Norris and Dyer could oppose them just as well as Norris and Mafileo.
Based on Razor’s interview, Mafileo will also be packing down at LH at training. Something which Dyer isn’t able to do.
I'm no international coach but I struggle to see what there really is to gain from that? What's the need for an additional loosehead at training when you've already got three specialist looseheads in the squad and only two specialist tightheads?
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2025:
Was really impressed last year when he deputised when Roigard was out but maybe it’s just me
Don't get me wrong mate, he was pretty handy, just I don't really think he is a real high level 9. That is the case with a bloody lot of good players we got in the country, and absolutely no insult to them. I think perhaps Viljoen could evelop a snappier pass, and pick his times to break or angle he runs, he tends to get isolated at times. Once again that's not real bad, and these things could come to round him off as a top level 9.
Seems a bit harsh, was my POD against Harbour, he's young and has a higher ceiling than the likes of Preston etc, although probably will be overtaken by Jai Tamati anyway.
@WoodysRFC said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks 2025:
Was really impressed last year when he deputised when Roigard was out but maybe it’s just me
Don't get me wrong mate, he was pretty handy, just I don't really think he is a real high level 9. That is the case with a bloody lot of good players we got in the country, and absolutely no insult to them. I think perhaps Viljoen could evelop a snappier pass, and pick his times to break or angle he runs, he tends to get isolated at times. Once again that's not real bad, and these things could come to round him off as a top level 9.
Seems a bit harsh, was my POD against Harbour, he's young and has a higher ceiling than the likes of Preston etc, although probably will be overtaken by Jai Tamati anyway.
I actually was a bit more impressed with Tamatai in NH game Woody, probably because I had never seen him, and he really impressed with his snappy pass etc.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Finley Christie's continued selection is troubling. Kyle Preston offers something different, I guess but Folau Fakatava and Xavier Roe are better players. Weird that Josh Lord (who is injured) gets picked ahead of Sam Darry who isn't.
Fakatave struggles to get start with Hawkes Bay.
What round are we in again?
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Finley Christie's continued selection is troubling. Kyle Preston offers something different, I guess but Folau Fakatava and Xavier Roe are better players. Weird that Josh Lord (who is injured) gets picked ahead of Sam Darry who isn't.
Fakatave struggles to get start with Hawkes Bay.
What round are we in again?
I thought he did last year too, certainly didn't gat a lot for Highlanders this season as well.
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If Lord does have a weakness in the maul, Ryan and Co are the guys to fix it if it can be fixed. Their teams always seem to be effective at mauling.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
If Lord does have a weakness in the maul, Ryan and Co are the guys to fix it if it can be fixed. Their teams always seem to be effective at mauling.
So Ryan anc Co. can fix mauling, but can't fix pilfering, defence, etc...
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I’ve seen some questions around the precise value of Josh Lord and what he brings to the All Blacks so I thought it would be interesting to briefly take a closer look at his profile as a rugby player. Saturday’s Bulls’ game against the Taniwha provides, I think, a nice summation of Josh Lord’s style of play and how he’s able to impact the contest on the pitch.
Four aspects – lineout ability, general skillset, defence, and rugby intelligence – stand out to me, with Lord shaping essentially as a tight five glue player at Test level, someone who shows good understanding of the flow and rules of the game, which he uses to put pressure on the set piece and skillset of the opposition.
Lineout ability
The first aspect, lineout ability, speaks rather for itself. Lord has long arms and a good jump, so even when the timing of the lift and height of the throw is somewhat off (not an unlikely scenario with some of the hookers around), Lord is often still able to grab the ball.If the French series has shown anything, it’s the importance of genuinely tall units who can provide lineout ball as well as get up high in the air for contestable restarts.
General skillset
A typical facet of the current AB game plan is ball movement, the ball being kept alive through the phases in a quick and swift manner. In this regard, the tall lock has shown smooth hands throughout his career, being both comfortable as a backdoor passer as well as willing to serve as makeshift 9 in order to keep the play moving.
Lord trusts his handling and passing skills, quickly moving into the halfback position with Lennox caught up in the ruck.Furthermore, Lord is comfortable with the ball in his hands in space, showing good technique in the 47th minute by holding the ball in his two hands, using multiple pass fakes in order to manipulate opposition defenders.
Defensive ability
The Taranaki lock is massive (2.03m) but remarkably agile for his frame. He moves well around the field and is versatile in the tackle, being both able to chop carriers around their ankles as well as wrap ball and man in upper-body hits with a strong shoulder.In the 24th minute, for example, Lord engages in a double tackle, with O’Neill going low and Lord going high on Alaimalo, the lock targeting the carrying arm with force and forcing the spill.
Forcing the knock-on: Lord targets Alaimalo’s carrying arm, creating the turnoverA few minutes later, Lord goes low in the tackle on Caird, with Lennox and Poliko this time targeting the upper-body.
Lord going very low on Caird, stopping him in his tracksAdded to this tackle versatility is the ability to scan the opposition attack, anticipating overlaps and working hard to plug gaps in defence. Right after making the chop tackle on Caird, Lord spots that the Taniwha have numbers on the left and immediately starts sprinting towards the opposite side.
Lord gets up from the tackle, scans the Northland attack and starts sprinting to the other side of the fieldhttps://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExamlmandrZWprMngyYjFrZXR6Z21tMHV4eGRtb25sY3RkZ2xkZzk1cyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ntaFZuzhPJJeEqPvpu/giphy.gif
The sequence in full, which is Josh Lord in a nutshell: equal parts vision and mongrel. Keep your eyes on Lord in back playHere, we see the combination of Lord’s work rate and shithousery: after going full throttle in order to help stop the Northland line break, he first bumps Pasitoa out of the play without the ball (that’s a clear penalty and probable yellow card) before assisting Tikoisolomone with the tackle on Trainor. While he gets away with it here, Lord clearly pushes the boundaries. Then again, the anticipation of the opposition line break shows a remarkable rugby brain in action.
Rugby intelligence
Throughout the game, Lord showed signs of being quick on his feet, literally and figuratively. Another, more legal instance was in his understanding of the offside line, for example, by quickly moving into the Taniwha attacking line when the ref called the ball out of the ruck.
Lord (5, in the front) moves as soon as the ref indicates that the ball is out. Someone like Eben Etzebeth has shown the importance of knowing the nuances of the offside line and breakdown rules to be effective as a Test lockAnother example occurred during a Northland lineout: with the Taniwha throwing to the front, Lord reacts immediately to the ball being shifted to the 9 (and the lineout being effectively over), making him able to pressure Nock’s transfer to the backline.
Quick as a flash: Lord nearly catches Nock by being aware of the lineout rules on offsideSummary
Josh Lord doesn’t offer the work rate of a Barrett or Holland, the attacking instincts and footwork of a Vaa’i or the carrying power of a Patrick Tuipulotu. But what he does offer in spades is rugby intelligence and mongrel, as well as the traditional set piece abilities of a 2m+ lock.But while he has, I think, qualities which should really shine in Test rugby, his inability to simply stay on the field makes it doubtful whether we will ever see him for a long period in the black jersey. In this sense, Saturday’s match against the Taniwha was perhaps the most indicative yet, Lord watching from the side lines after getting a knock, his body not quite able to produce what his rugby brain wants it to.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Finley Christie's continued selection is troubling. Kyle Preston offers something different, I guess but Folau Fakatava and Xavier Roe are better players. Weird that Josh Lord (who is injured) gets picked ahead of Sam Darry who isn't.
Fakatave struggles to get start with Hawkes Bay.
What round are we in again?
I thought he did last year too, certainly didn't gat a lot for Highlanders this season as well.
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Finley Christie's continued selection is troubling. Kyle Preston offers something different, I guess but Folau Fakatava and Xavier Roe are better players. Weird that Josh Lord (who is injured) gets picked ahead of Sam Darry who isn't.
Fakatave struggles to get start with Hawkes Bay.
What round are we in again?
I thought he did last year too, certainly didn't gat a lot for Highlanders this season as well.
15 games, 13 starts last year. So, no.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
Personally think there's the bones of a really good squad here, though the injury coverage definitely raises a few eyebrows.
I'm not surprised (nor hugely disheartened) that Christie is in the squad. Don't think there's any point in throwing out first caps willy nilly to young halfbacks when Roigard, Hotham and Ratima will all be expected to make the 2027 World Cup. I imagine that if only one of that trio had been injured, Preston would have received the call-up over Christie (although I'm not necessarily convinced he's the future either).
Front row remains strong. Suspect George Dyer is injured otherwise he would've been called up ahead of Mafileo.
Darry has played almost no rugby for 12 months so makes sense for him to get some more minutes under his belt before bringing him back into the fold and Lord is a known entity.
Glad to see Parker in the loosie mix. Knowing who was selected in the initial July squad, there aren't really any surprises here (i.e. the injury cover players have dropped out). Would personally have Papali'i in there ahead of Kirifi (or even Blackadder) but otherwise fairly consistent.
Backs are pretty much unchanged. Don't mind seeing Carter in there as injury cover, more just as a reward for a decent Super season, but can't imagine he'll actually get on the field.
Tamaiti Williams is out for Pumas 1, and Lomax won’t travel. Mafileo can play either side, which helps with training.
I expect EDG, Bower, Fletch and Tosi to play first game. -
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I’ve seen some questions around the precise value of Josh Lord and what he brings to the All Blacks so I thought it would be interesting to briefly take a closer look at his profile as a rugby player. Saturday’s Bulls’ game against the Taniwha provides, I think, a nice summation of Josh Lord’s style of play and how he’s able to impact the contest on the pitch.
Four aspects – lineout ability, general skillset, defence, and rugby intelligence – stand out to me, with Lord shaping essentially as a tight five glue player at Test level, someone who shows good understanding of the flow and rules of the game, which he uses to put pressure on the set piece and skillset of the opposition.
Lineout ability
The first aspect, lineout ability, speaks rather for itself. Lord has long arms and a good jump, so even when the timing of the lift and height of the throw is somewhat off (not an unlikely scenario with some of the hookers around), Lord is often still able to grab the ball.If the French series has shown anything, it’s the importance of genuinely tall units who can provide lineout ball as well as get up high in the air for contestable restarts.
General skillset
A typical facet of the current AB game plan is ball movement, the ball being kept alive through the phases in a quick and swift manner. In this regard, the tall lock has shown smooth hands throughout his career, being both comfortable as a backdoor passer as well as willing to serve as makeshift 9 in order to keep the play moving.
Lord trusts his handling and passing skills, quickly moving into the halfback position with Lennox caught up in the ruck.Furthermore, Lord is comfortable with the ball in his hands in space, showing good technique in the 47th minute by holding the ball in his two hands, using multiple pass fakes in order to manipulate opposition defenders.
Defensive ability
The Taranaki lock is massive (2.03m) but remarkably agile for his frame. He moves well around the field and is versatile in the tackle, being both able to chop carriers around their ankles as well as wrap ball and man in upper-body hits with a strong shoulder.In the 24th minute, for example, Lord engages in a double tackle, with O’Neill going low and Lord going high on Alaimalo, the lock targeting the carrying arm with force and forcing the spill.
Forcing the knock-on: Lord targets Alaimalo’s carrying arm, creating the turnoverA few minutes later, Lord goes low in the tackle on Caird, with Lennox and Poliko this time targeting the upper-body.
Lord going very low on Caird, stopping him in his tracksAdded to this tackle versatility is the ability to scan the opposition attack, anticipating overlaps and working hard to plug gaps in defence. Right after making the chop tackle on Caird, Lord spots that the Taniwha have numbers on the left and immediately starts sprinting towards the opposite side.
Lord gets up from the tackle, scans the Northland attack and starts sprinting to the other side of the fieldhttps://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExamlmandrZWprMngyYjFrZXR6Z21tMHV4eGRtb25sY3RkZ2xkZzk1cyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ntaFZuzhPJJeEqPvpu/giphy.gif
The sequence in full, which is Josh Lord in a nutshell: equal parts vision and mongrel. Keep your eyes on Lord in back playHere, we see the combination of Lord’s work rate and shithousery: after going full throttle in order to help stop the Northland line break, he first bumps Pasitoa out of the play without the ball (that’s a clear penalty and probable yellow card) before assisting Tikoisolomone with the tackle on Trainor. While he gets away with it here, Lord clearly pushes the boundaries. Then again, the anticipation of the opposition line break shows a remarkable rugby brain in action.
Rugby intelligence
Throughout the game, Lord showed signs of being quick on his feet, literally and figuratively. Another, more legal instance was in his understanding of the offside line, for example, by quickly moving into the Taniwha attacking line when the ref called the ball out of the ruck.
Lord (5, in the front) moves as soon as the ref indicates that the ball is out. Someone like Eben Etzebeth has shown the importance of knowing the nuances of the offside line and breakdown rules to be effective as a Test lockAnother example occurred during a Northland lineout: with the Taniwha throwing to the front, Lord reacts immediately to the ball being shifted to the 9 (and the lineout being effectively over), making him able to pressure Nock’s transfer to the backline.
Quick as a flash: Lord nearly catches Nock by being aware of the lineout rules on offsideSummary
Josh Lord doesn’t offer the work rate of a Barrett or Holland, the attacking instincts and footwork of a Vaa’i or the carrying power of a Patrick Tuipulotu. But what he does offer in spades is rugby intelligence and mongrel, as well as the traditional set piece abilities of a 2m+ lock.But while he has, I think, qualities which should really shine in Test rugby, his inability to simply stay on the field makes it doubtful whether we will ever see him for a long period in the black jersey. In this sense, Saturday’s match against the Taniwha was perhaps the most indicative yet, Lord watching from the side lines after getting a knock, his body not quite able to produce what his rugby brain wants it to.
@Mauss said in All Blacks 2025:
I’ve seen some questions around the precise value of Josh Lord and what he brings to the All Blacks so I thought it would be interesting to briefly take a closer look at his profile as a rugby player.
Fake news
I don’t mind that they are giving Lord another chance. There is a skill set there that would fit in with the way we want to attack. On the defensive side, whilst the effort is there we will need to see an improvement in impact.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Finley Christie's continued selection is troubling. Kyle Preston offers something different, I guess but Folau Fakatava and Xavier Roe are better players. Weird that Josh Lord (who is injured) gets picked ahead of Sam Darry who isn't.
Fakatave struggles to get start with Hawkes Bay.
What round are we in again?
I thought he did last year too, certainly didn't gat a lot for Highlanders this season as well.
15 games, 13 starts last year. So, no.
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Finley Christie's continued selection is troubling. Kyle Preston offers something different, I guess but Folau Fakatava and Xavier Roe are better players. Weird that Josh Lord (who is injured) gets picked ahead of Sam Darry who isn't.
Fakatave struggles to get start with Hawkes Bay.
What round are we in again?
I thought he did last year too, certainly didn't gat a lot for Highlanders this season as well.
15 games, 13 starts last year. So, no.
Hell did he get that many, I thought Hastie got more, I need o use fingers and toes to count . Lol
