The Silver Fern

@W32 said in All Blacks - New Coach Selection:

@Jet said in All Blacks - New Coach Selection:

@game_film said in All Blacks - New Coach Selection:

@bayimports Yeah, McCaw wouldn’t need to be doing any of the actual coaching. Just someone to have a word with the adidas execs to tell them the yellow boots phase is over

Now we’re fucking talking.

More of this please.

Short back and sides haircuts mandatory. Unless of Pasifika descent. Accomodations can be made.

Sex with lights off, socks on , missionary only. No kissing.

Nonu wouldn't have made it then i guess..

Always did suspect that Nonu took his socks off.

'We have invested in him a lot' would sound like sour grapes to me, whereas, 'We want him to regret his decision every day' sounds a bit more playful, acknowledging he's off but making sure it's a struggle to leave at the end of the season. But yes just different interpretations.

Yeah I would argue that Gibbe's comments are actually considerably more positive than your alternative suggestion @southernmann.

@mikedogz said in Chiefs 2026:

Something new the Chiefs are doing.

https://www.ruakurarfc.co.nz/

Very nice. Basically an old boys and girls network.

Love the stats section.

@nostrildamus said in Scott Robertson:

@handa457 said in Scott Robertson:

@Tim I shared in the thread a month ago that there were some serious lines Scott Robertson crossed with Papalii. I hope for everyone’s sake that stays behind closed doors because no one needs to hear the full story. However, I just saw in a comment section someone repeating most of the rumour, though still missing a few critical details. I suspect it will be out soon one way or another, though maybe not the full story. But if the full story does come out, then I think it would be clear that incident alone would have been decent grounds to get Robertson fired, even without anything else happening.

I think something will come out. The way Dalton answered without answering I think will encourage (even if not intended) the media to keep digging. Whether they're skilled enough to get the real story is another question. But it sure is intriguing.

It's fairly easy to find on places like Reddit now, so it's just a matter of whether or not any journalist dares to ask and whether Papali'i feels like talking about it. Definitely the kind of thing you wouldn't be relying on others' testimony before publishing.

@Dan54 said in Scott Robertson:

@Mr-Fish said in Scott Robertson:

@nostrildamus said in Scott Robertson:

@Mr-Fish said in Scott Robertson:

Razor's tenure reminds me a lot of Ewen McKenzie's with the Wallabies. McKenzie diverted away from what he'd done so well with the Reds which meant he lost the support of many of those Reds players. The rest then fell like dominos and then everything collapsed towards the end.

I'm still a bit confused about what happened there. Was reading his and Eddie's analysis of the last French game, and I thought Ewen was more incisive.

McKenzie was so focused on not being seen by the players as just a promoted Super Rugby coach that he went away from one of the things that had made him such a strong coach at that level, his relationships with the players. Avoided being matey with the Reds guys which upset them and confused everyone else in the squad - "If the players from your own title-winning team don't like you, why should we?". All slowly collapsed from there.

I thought McKenzie was just basically shafted by players who didn't want to have rules etc? He was sunk when he stood down the group that hit the piss in London one night. They were out got pretty pissed were introducing one of their fathers (who was there as suoorter) to the locals as Link McKenzie etc, they never forgave him for standing them down I got impression. Can't remember the hooker's name off hand with squad copped shit from other players for being the one who maybe alerted McKenzie. I always thought Micheal Hooper (when he was captain) shafted him in an interview that was about time McKenzie resigned. Hooper was one of the ones who got on piss in London.

He was sunk well before that night! The lack of respect was a symptom, not a cause. That night out was one of many major moments but it largely all stemmed from Link's initial approach to being coach.

@nostrildamus said in Scott Robertson:

@Mr-Fish said in Scott Robertson:

Razor's tenure reminds me a lot of Ewen McKenzie's with the Wallabies. McKenzie diverted away from what he'd done so well with the Reds which meant he lost the support of many of those Reds players. The rest then fell like dominos and then everything collapsed towards the end.

I'm still a bit confused about what happened there. Was reading his and Eddie's analysis of the last French game, and I thought Ewen was more incisive.

McKenzie was so focused on not being seen by the players as just a promoted Super Rugby coach that he went away from one of the things that had made him such a strong coach at that level, his relationships with the players. Avoided being matey with the Reds guys which upset them and confused everyone else in the squad - "If the players from your own title-winning team don't like you, why should we?". All slowly collapsed from there.

Razor's tenure reminds me a lot of Ewen McKenzie's with the Wallabies. McKenzie diverted away from what he'd done so well with the Reds which meant he lost the support of many of those Reds players. The rest then fell like dominos and then everything collapsed towards the end.

Suspect Xavier Roe will benefit a lot from the new 50:22 laws.

@Bovidae Surprising given Thompson has been named in the pre-season side for Saturday but maybe the injury happened after that.

@Victor-Meldrew said in Six Nations 2026:

No. Just fuck off.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/04/itv-in-game-ad-breaks-first-time-rugby-six-nations-television

Probably helps to keep it free-to-air, to be fair... Presume you'd prefer this to having to pay for TNT or Premier Sports.

@pukunui said in All Blacks - New Coach Selection:

Does anyone recall what happened with the 2013 Highlanders? Looking at the squad it was pretty stacked but IIRC that season was a bit of a disaster. Coincidentally that was one of the seasons Rennie’s Chiefs were killing it with a lesser squad (on paper at least).

Too many egos in one room.

@Dan54 said in Super Rugby 2026:

@DurryMexted said in Super Rugby 2026:

https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/super-rugby-pacific-confirms-new-law-innovations-for-2026-season/

Dont mind a few of these. I reckon the law banning entering the ruck after use it call - will go a long way to getting rid of the ridiculour trains off the back of the ruck for a boxie. however will this again put nz players behind the game when it comes to international rugby? i.e how shit our outsides are at taking high balls

I not sure what the not letting players joining after the ref says use it will do, although it would be a good time for the defending team to throw extra players in to slow ball down. The attacking team can't put in anymore to counteract it? But not sure oif any of them will make much difference really.

In practice, refs are typically only calling 'use it' at more or less dead rucks. It seems designed to basically count caterpillar rucks.

@handa457 Imagine there'd be some subbing in both halves, so no guarantees how many minutes any player will get.

Ah yes was wrong on the Cane front but extenuating circumstances...

Foster said at the time: “We wanted to confirm Sam now because he’ll play a key role helping us plan for whatever the future looks like and will be working behind the scenes with the other leaders."

And yes, Barrett was announced alongside the first squad of the year in 2024.

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:

@Duluth could make or break his career i guess.
Comes back refreshed and energised, or, realises that his body doesnt like the grind...

I know I have mentioned it before, but with him not playing, Ardie in Japan, is even less reason for the next captain to be announced until the squad is assembled.

Don't think either Foster or Robertson named their captain until the squads were announced so would be very surprising if the next coach bucked the trend.

Anyone who for any moment thought the All Blacks coaching unit was going to include two or more of Joseph, Rennie and Cotter has been dreaming.

I don't think any coach with a current international gig or potentially ongoing club gig will say they're gunning for a role with the All Blacks - that would be terrible for their careers, especially if they were to miss out on the role.

I'd take any comments (other than 'I want to be All Blacks coach') with a grain of salt.

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:

have to think someone like Mealamu who is obviously fairly close to things still would be well aware if one or two players are gettign too big for themselves and pull them back into line or be equally as keen to push them out the door if they are contributing to a toxic environment.

PLenty of these older players will be hurting from the past 5 or 6 years, regardless of Marshall being a twat, the issues he has had in the public eye with Akira stem from his love of the jersey and seeing it devalued, and probably like most, frustrated that someone as talented as Akira never quite turned that final corner and realised the immense talent he possessed.

Marshall was quite adamant that Razor was doing an ok job as coach, wasn't he?

@restofit said in All Blacks 2026:

Vern Cotter has coached previously at the top level with both Schmidt (Clermont) and Ryan (Fiji).

I'd much prefer this group over Joseph if Brown isn't available.

Cotter leading the forwards, Ryan to concentrate on scrum, Jane to coach defence, Schmidt to coach attack.

Who's the head coach?