All Blacks 2026
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Fakatava was the 2nd best halfback on display last night
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@mariner4life yeah I'm a fan, but it was a shit performance by him.
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life yeah I'm a fan, but it was a shit performance by him.
I was a few seasons ago, but to my eye, not only has he not developed, I think he's regressed
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life yeah I'm a fan, but it was a shit performance by him.
I was a few seasons ago, but to my eye, not only has he not developed, I think he's regressed
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life yeah I'm a fan, but it was a shit performance by him.
I was a few seasons ago, but to my eye, not only has he not developed, I think he's regressed
I thought there were some pretty positive signs in npc, but that was pretty bad - one good pass making space aside. A lot of kicking but high kicks not accurate enough, and long kicks only okay-ish. Service only passable, speed to rucks only okay, and passing accuracy not at hos best either. It's all well and good to work on your kicking game, but going completely away from your strengths doesn't seem like a flash idea.
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At the 2027 RWC Barrett will be 36, Mo'unga 33, and McKenzie 32.
Love will be 26, Perofeta 30, Jacomb 26, and Reihana 27.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
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Fakatava was the 2nd best halfback on display last night
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2026:
Fakatava was the 2nd best halfback on display last night
If Hotham can stay fit then great but he has form for getting injured every 5 minutes. Fakatava appeals as a player who can handle the physicality of test rugby and come off the bench and offer something different to Riogard and Hotham unlike Ratima and Christie.
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Both Holtham and Fakatava to me are competing for the impact player role- I would be happy with either, Holtham did outplay Fakatava last night, but one game doesn't tell the future.
Box kicking from Fakatava was poor but can be fixed.
Injuries will select more than form unfortunately.
Cam - Cortez - Holtham and fakatava top 4 -
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
I actually think it's the reverse of that. If you're going to have Savea there (and pick e.g. Sititi), then the only player in the world who could balance the trio might actually be PSDT.
Unfortunately, we don't have one. -
Both Holtham and Fakatava to me are competing for the impact player role- I would be happy with either, Holtham did outplay Fakatava last night, but one game doesn't tell the future.
Box kicking from Fakatava was poor but can be fixed.
Injuries will select more than form unfortunately.
Cam - Cortez - Holtham and fakatava top 4@kidcalder said in All Blacks 2026:
Box kicking from Fakatava was poor but can be fixed.
Fakatava debuted in Super Rugby in 2019. It's 2026 and we are still waiting. I wouldnt hold my breath.
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At the 2027 RWC Barrett will be 36, Mo'unga 33, and McKenzie 32.
Love will be 26, Perofeta 30, Jacomb 26, and Reihana 27.
@Tim said in All Blacks 2026:
At the 2027 RWC Barrett will be 36, Mo'unga 33, and McKenzie 32.
Love will be 26, Perofeta 30, Jacob 26, and Reihana 27.
I've said it before, but Carter - a hugely superior 10 who wasn't reliant on pace - retired younger than Barrett. He's no chance.
For Mo'unga and (marginally more so) McKenzie it's maybe a credible last hurrah, if their form holds. -
(Hmm. Don't see a reply button on @restofit 's post @duluth FYI.)
Anyway ..
@restofit said in All Blacks 2026:
Now that Smith's gone, we need an equivalent rugby mind involved in the setup - Rennie, Schmidt, or Brown,
Or perhaps a head coach who doesn't need a mentor.
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
This post suggest you don't actually read the Fern. It's pretty much the complete opposite of the feelings of the majority of posters on here.
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
Andrew Tate?
Really? -
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life Both looked limited on the EOYT last year. It will be interesting to see if a new Head Coach can adjust "the environment" to get more out of them.
The Fern never has much love for tight loosies.
The posters would struggle to select PSDT in Black were he available.
Yeah that is dead on if he was an unknown young player with the same skillset and didn't have 2 RWC medals.. Many would probably say he doesn't fit in with Ardie Savea so he would only be squad cover and play when Ardie was too busy leading prayer group, giving Andrew Tate tutorials, busy with Instagram commitments or sulking because Julian wasn't selected in the team..
Andrew Tate?
Really? -
@kidcalder said in All Blacks 2026:
Box kicking from Fakatava was poor but can be fixed.
Fakatava debuted in Super Rugby in 2019. It's 2026 and we are still waiting. I wouldnt hold my breath.
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@kidcalder said in All Blacks 2026:
Box kicking from Fakatava was poor but can be fixed.
Fakatava debuted in Super Rugby in 2019. It's 2026 and we are still waiting. I wouldnt hold my breath.
When you put it like that.... Ratima is a shadow of himself. If he can't be turned around Fakatava has a chance. Otherwise it will be Cam, Ratima and Hotham. But on paper Fakatava would be a good impact player
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Roigard‘s backups are all in the same position - they’ve been less than spectacular in the last year or two and shouldn’t be automatic selections. Perform well this Super season and they can make the squad. Fakatava, Ratima, Hotham and the others Robertson shouldn’t have selected are all lucky Pledger is injured - he could have been the end of their test careers.
