2025 All Blacks v France series

nostrildamus

@Chris-B said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Which of them will replicate Jerome? Which of them is going to win lineouts jumping against Big Pieter-Steph?

I didn't realize he was in the French team arriving.

nostrildamus

@mariner4life said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Fuck Courtney Lawes would walk in to the AB 6 shirt

He'd be more likely to lean over the line and steal it.

nostrildamus

I'll be surprised if one of our starting locks will be going Dutch. That will be ballsy.
And while I like a Blackadder conspiracy on either side of the ball, I suspect they simply know what EB offers, and want to test out some new talent.
But as I said before, a blind bit of flying French crumpet could see Sititi was injured and their makeshift rejigging looks decidedly makeshift. Paps and Kirifi are specialist sevens while Savea was playing the house down at 7. Sure he could play 8 but there are quite a few others who can play 8 and 6. Hmm I guess this is a golden opportunity for CLW to show his versatility at 6 or 8.
Maybe the injuries/HIAs to Lakai and Jacobson are really hurting their selection options.

Old Samurai Jack

Sititi is injured. He was the designated No. 8. CLW has been the best 8 in Super Rugby this year. Clear and simple selection. Nothing to discuss.

canefan

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@xman said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

What happened between Dalton and Razor?

Think it may have been Blackadder and Razor. Blackadder kicked Razor in the balls.

.... and broke his foot in the process

sparky

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

I think The Silver Fern by revealing the Dalton Papali'i head butt saga to the world played a crucial role in his All Blacks recall. Dalton owes @Duluth and @Kirwan a beer.

African Monkey

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@xman said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

What happened between Dalton and Razor?

Think it may have been Blackadder and Razor. Blackadder kicked Razor in the balls.

Thankfully. Now we don't have to see him getting bounced around like a basketball at the big boys level.

reprobate

@nostrildamus said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Chris-B said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Which of them will replicate Jerome? Which of them is going to win lineouts jumping against Big Pieter-Steph?

I didn't realize he was in the French team arriving.

It's a shit 2nd or 3rd string French team, and we should be able to select any number of players and still beat them.
That doesn't mean we should waste the opportunity to figure out a way to beat their best team and the Saffas consistently by playing guys who can't match up to the big boys.

reprobate

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@xman said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

What happened between Dalton and Razor?

Think it may have been Blackadder and Razor. Blackadder kicked Razor in the balls.

Thankfully. Now we don't have to see him getting bounced around like a basketball at the big boys level.

Yeah what a relief we get to see the continued dominance of DP, LJ, SF.
If none of them could dominate the clearly fucking hopeless EB in play-off rugby, why should we expect them to dominant test rugby?

African Monkey

@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@xman said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

What happened between Dalton and Razor?

Think it may have been Blackadder and Razor. Blackadder kicked Razor in the balls.

Thankfully. Now we don't have to see him getting bounced around like a basketball at the big boys level.

Yeah what a relief we get to see the continued dominance of DP, LJ, SF.
If none of them could dominate the clearly fucking hopeless EB in play-off rugby, why should we expect them to dominant test rugby?

I don't recall talking up the others either. Finau has the most potential out of the others, but needs a big season. He has a stop start campaign last year and looked a bit lost with the gameplan, but needs to start showing some consistency.

I'm not getting fooled by players dominating SR, that haven't dominated on the big stage. Blackadder falls into that category. Sure, if he gets another go, I hope he does well, but he got dominated in contact against the Boks, and Bombed a certain try in that game too. If a certain Rieko Ioane did that.......

reprobate

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@xman said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

What happened between Dalton and Razor?

Think it may have been Blackadder and Razor. Blackadder kicked Razor in the balls.

Thankfully. Now we don't have to see him getting bounced around like a basketball at the big boys level.

Yeah what a relief we get to see the continued dominance of DP, LJ, SF.
If none of them could dominate the clearly fucking hopeless EB in play-off rugby, why should we expect them to dominant test rugby?

I don't recall talking up the others either. Finau has the most potential out of the others, but needs a big season. He has a stop start campaign last year and looked a bit lost with the gameplan, but needs to start showing some consistency.

I'm not getting fooled by players dominating SR, that haven't dominated on the big stage. Blackadder falls into that category. Sure, if he gets another go, I hope he does well, but he got dominated in contact against the Boks, and Bombed a certain try in that game too. If a certain Rieko Ioane did that.......

That's revisionist crap sorry.
He's pretty much universally derided on here, yet got 10% of the MOTM vote in Boks 1. He was close to our best forward, and certainly our best loosie. He didn't play in Boks 2.

Bones

@African-Monkey by the same strawman token, I'm definitely not convinced EB dominated them either. And yeah I'm guessing the rest of the ABs should be crusaders too, since they dominated their opposites. Give them credit man!

African Monkey

@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@xman said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Good to see Razor has no hard feelings about the Papali'i headbutt.

What happened between Dalton and Razor?

Think it may have been Blackadder and Razor. Blackadder kicked Razor in the balls.

Thankfully. Now we don't have to see him getting bounced around like a basketball at the big boys level.

Yeah what a relief we get to see the continued dominance of DP, LJ, SF.
If none of them could dominate the clearly fucking hopeless EB in play-off rugby, why should we expect them to dominant test rugby?

I don't recall talking up the others either. Finau has the most potential out of the others, but needs a big season. He has a stop start campaign last year and looked a bit lost with the gameplan, but needs to start showing some consistency.

I'm not getting fooled by players dominating SR, that haven't dominated on the big stage. Blackadder falls into that category. Sure, if he gets another go, I hope he does well, but he got dominated in contact against the Boks, and Bombed a certain try in that game too. If a certain Rieko Ioane did that.......

That's revisionist crap sorry.
He's pretty much universally derided on here, yet got 10% of the MOTM vote in Boks 1. He was close to our best forward, and certainly our best loosie. He didn't play in Boks 2.

I certainly didn't see it that way. I saw him getting bounced out of rucks, and yeah, he did plenty of work, but a lot of the time the SA ball carriers were getting past the advantage line whilst he was 'completing' tackles. I'm also well aware he didn't play in the 2nd Boks test, he didn't play again after Boks 1. So yes, he's industrious, gives it his all, I'm happy yo admit that, but like all his detractors, I side with them, it's ineffective.

African Monkey

@Bones said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey by the same strawman token, I'm definitely not convinced EB dominated them either. And yeah I'm guessing the rest of the ABs should be crusaders too, since they dominated their opposites. Give them credit man!

Haha I'm happy to see Crusaders players picked, I've even praised David Havili for his service to the Crusaders and said how good he's been for them. Is he ABs level though? Can't say he is. Blackadder too, who is also another good operator for them when he gets on the field.

I'm also happy to see what Lio-Willie is made of at test level if given the opportunity.

reprobate

@Bones said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@African-Monkey by the same strawman token, I'm definitely not convinced EB dominated them either. And yeah I'm guessing the rest of the ABs should be crusaders too, since they dominated their opposites. Give them credit man!

Bro. I'm not a Crusaders fan in the slightest. I care about NZ rugby, and really couldn't give a shit about any franchise other than enjoying certain styles of play more than others, which changes over time. That's definitely not the current Crusaders - TBH I haven't really liked the way they play since Mehrtens. I railed against Fihaki and Bell last year, think Reihana is nowhere near ready, think we have seen enough of Reece and Havili, and don't think Barrett should be AB captain because his spot is soon going to be under threat from Holland.

I do think the Crusaders dominated the loose forward battles in the play-offs. If EB wasn't a big part of that, then who did it? Grace who's not rated by anyone on here either? Tom Christie who nobody thinks is AB material? Or was it all CLW - who also didn't make the initial squad?

brodean

@mariner4life

A 36 year old Englishman playing in a French div 2 comp walking into the ABs 6 jersey?

Times must be tough for the ABs.

brodean

@reprobate

Crusaders start with 4 out of 5 All Black tight five and also one off the bench. The Crusaders tight five sets the platform for their loosies to go nuts. Shalfoon is a hard worker too. The Crusaders loosies aren't doing it on their own.

Besides that the games were very close. The Blues and the Chiefs had their fair share of ball. In the end it was the Crusaders halves and Will Jordan who were the difference between the teams.

Canes4life

@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Tom Christie who nobody thinks is AB material?

He's only good on one side of the ball.

Kiwiwomble

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@mariner4life

Times must be tough for the ABs.

first day on the fern?

KiwiMurph

@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Besides that the games were very close. The Blues and the Chiefs had their fair share of ball. In the end it was the Crusaders halves and Will Jordan who were the difference between the teams.

Yep small margins

With 14 men the Blues ground their way from halfway to the goal line with 35 phases to nearly tie the game and send it into extra time.

CLW comes up with a big play to win it. I think CLW was pretty well supported in terms of people wanting to see him get a shot in the ABs (I'm one of them).