The Silver Fern

Joseva Tamani ... I did not know he had been signed.

@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@Bones

According to Wikipedia: Peter Lakai is 186cm and 108 kg. The same sauce claims CL-W is 189 cm and 111 kg.

The eye test thoroughly disagrees. And you really need to stop placing such reliance on AI and Wiki...

Agree ! Lio Willie standing next to Kirifi proves that he must be around 182 - 184 cm high. I can't see how he could weigh more than 105 kgs.

The fact that both France and New Zealand lost their matches is not a coincidence. Their semifinal was physically very demanding. France had beaten Argentina by a cricket score and went to lose for the third place against the same team which they had crushed ten days before. The ABs U20 looked cooked in the final, as soon as the first cooling break. Losing Pole was a big handicap too.

URC does not look superior to SR in my opinion. There are a lot of weak teams (the Welsh ones, Zebre and the SA ones when they travel north while Connacht and Edinburgh can't be considered as strong).

Treacy looked cooked during this semi final. I guess he's had a too big workload in the heat as he has played a lot of minutes so far. Hopefully he will be refreshened on Saturday as he is the glue within the pack of forwards.

The AB defence looked very passive too when Bau-Boirie scored.

The Lions by 20.

OK thanks!

Woodley ?

What is the squad for those who do not have Instagram ?

Vakasueila would be a good choice as he has a high ceiling and an imposing physique.

After a very average performance against Italy, Dylan Pledger gave a masterful display today. Mosese Bason was impressive, so were Vakasiula and Oudenryn (in an unusual position for him) when they came in. Fale's power in the tight was a big plus. The tight five were dominated by their French counterparts but never gave up.

Kudos to the ABs U20. Their first two games were painful to watch. They have grown into a very good team now.

Back to the props for another aspect of their game : defending mauls. Who are the best at it ?

@ARHS said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

Just watched. Anzac midfield pretty awful. Bizarre back subs made. Horrid back pass from Fakatava. I guess just nothing clicked for them.
MP don't look to get getting the old Laumape. Looks a bit slow.
The Lions were very clinical and impressive all round.

Most Ferners who were hoping to get Laumape back in NZ should be in a very different mood now. Of course, they didn't watch the Top 14 games where he was involved. He was already a shadow of his former self.

Pretty good place for locks as well with S. Barrett, PT, Holland, Vaa'i, Darry, Lord and Beehre (though the latter is still untested). Ah Kuoi might be not big enough for the international scene. His future may lay at 6 where the Chiefs already have Finau, Parker and Jacobson.

The second half was piss poor. The ABs will need to lift up their standards against the Springboks on 6 September if they want to keep the invincibility of Eden Park. Remember it was just France B/C. They need Williams, Lomax and Sititi back as soon as possible and find : 1) a 1st Five 2) a centre 3) at least one wing who has speed. Finishing the game with a LF trio of Kirifi - Savea - Lio Willie must not be seen again.

Beehre would make a good 6 : he has all the attributes for the function with the notable exception that he has never been tried there.

Selecting a Roigard - Love combo is not bold as both have played a number of (good) games together this season. A Ratima - DMac combo on the bench should do well too. But I guess Hotham will get his chance.

If Mathis is on the bench, a 6/2 split could be considered. What worries me most is the scrum where the loss of Wallace has put a big load on Falatea. I also fear that Pole could not match Megherbi's power. Hopefully, there won't be too many scrums played if the weather is not too hot.