All Blacks 2025
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Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
@Crazy-Horse i mean...what else are we looking for? strong runner, good if basic distribution (no one is SBW), strong on D and LOVES a pilfer and can even bang the odd 50/22...most importantly he's making solid decisions, runs to his support, works hard to get front foot ball and looks to get outside his man to put outsides in space
not saying hes a 10 in every one of of those facets....but the fact he has them is a bloody good start
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Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
Because the performance of AB 12s are so good that someone new shouldn't break in? What's the fear?
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The series against France is going to be tough. They are crushing Italy away who the All Blacks really struggled against in their last test.
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
The series against France is going to be tough. They are crushing Italy away who the All Blacks really struggled against in their last test.
France are sending a weakened side down I think because of Top 14.
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Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
Sure, but the thing with Tavatavanawai is his unique ability at the breakdown gives him a way more plausible route to being picked than, "he might be better than the guy who isn't playing to his full potential"
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Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
It doesn't even need to be that, Jordie is the vice captain will realistically start most Tests, but I just know Tavatavanawai or Tupaea in the year 2025 would add more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai is quickly becoming this year's Lam. Let's see what other skills he can bring to the midfield before chucking him at 12 for the ABs.
It doesn't even need to be that, Jordie is the vice captain will realistically start most Tests, but I just know Tavatavanawai or Tupaea in the year 2025 would add more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
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@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
@mariner4life A big critique of the ABs last year was the lack of impact off the bench...
There has been talk of a 6-2 split, but what if the ABs point of difference is just subbing on a pair of tanks in the midfield?
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@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
IIRC DH took minutes off Proctor among others, because apparently he can play 13 and 12....
No mention of whether he can play them well...
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The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
The problem starts with the starting backline as there is no midfield cover from the wingers, and neither JB or Ioane can play in the other position. So that means ALB makes sense even if he is not an impact sub.
I was sick of the sight of him after 2019.
It’s a terrible indictment of where we are at that he is still in and around the squad.
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
It is crazy to me that every posters biggest concern this year is overly conservative selections. I really thought that was a Fozzie thing and that Razor would shake things up, but all we got was the same old selections with some Crusader bias sprinkled on top, so the worst of all worlds.
I think it was inevitable this would happen in his first year to be fair.
I don’t necessarily think it is unusual that a new coach any sport would favour his trusted old boys when stepping up to the biggest job in the sport, in fact I think it is probably a fair enough natural bias… however in years 2&3 as the natural bias wears off he has to steer away from it, and I expect that it will.
The real telling point will be whether they can move past Blackadder, Havili etc. whilst also picking the likes of say Leroy Carter or Caleb Tangitau if they are in better form than Sevu Reece and Chay Fihaki.
Selections for the NZ XV also need to be way better, because Corey Kellow making that team was a pisstake.
I had little issue with the non-selection of Sotutu, because Sititi proved his worth, but they need to keep selecting positively in the problem positions (6/8, 10, 11,14,15)
The ABs were not a mile off last year, things were way more concerning under Foster after Y1 than Razor after Y1.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
It is crazy to me that every posters biggest concern this year is overly conservative selections. I really thought that was a Fozzie thing and that Razor would shake things up, but all we got was the same old selections with some Crusader bias sprinkled on top, so the worst of all worlds.
I think it was inevitable this would happen in his first year to be fair.
I don’t necessarily think it is unusual that a new coach any sport would favour his trusted old boys when stepping up to the biggest job in the sport, in fact I think it is probably a fair enough natural bias… however in years 2&3 as the natural bias wears off he has to steer away from it, and I expect that it will.
I've seen this reasoning posted a few times and it doesn't really wash with me. We are talking about the All Blacks here, which has to be selected on merit, not who the coach is used to working with, otherwise we end up with sub-standard players that get found out at the top level. If he couldn't work with players outside of the Canterbury region then he shouldn't be coach of the national side.
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i think we are still too stuck on backs being "cover" rather than impact.
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
i think we are still too stuck on backs being "cover" rather than impact.
i think that but also we're coming across like we're afraid, every decision seems to be looking at plans C or D...even at the detriment if plan A
weve also seen it just recently JB will play because hes VC....fuck that, earn your jersey then we pick VC
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
IIRC DH took minutes off Proctor among others, because apparently he can play 13 and 12....
No mention of whether he can play them well...
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
more impact off the bench than Davey Havili
TBF Dave was only getting a gig when everyone was out, you're looking at replacing ALB
IIRC DH took minutes off Proctor among others, because apparently he can play 13 and 12....
No mention of whether he can play them well...
Yep, an absolute waste of time and took important minutes from players we needed to blood
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@canefan just need to look at how the Chiefs are using their bench right now.
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i can get my head around a bench that covers as a conservative approach...i just think we take it further and our starters are often not the best in their position....because they cover somewhere else
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flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
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flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
@mariner4life i think almost everything has its place....but those things cant be your only move
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flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
flat backlines and positionless rugby. How many coaches have to try these things and fail?
Masters of one vs Jack of all trades masters of none has more often than not ended in tears
