The Silver Fern

Idk.

1. Razor will shock the NZ rugby public by selecting who many will see as a "very ordinary player" over a favourite, bc the team needs a kicker.
2. All Blacks to lose only 2 tests in 2024 (neither against the Boks).

I wonder if Joe will pull Kerr-Barlow into the Wallabies camp. Tbh the way Kerr-Barlow controls the game for La Rochelle these days would really help the WBs against the Lions. It would also give some of those WB 9s a huge reality check.

Joe is merely going to coach the Wallabies. It's not on the same level as say Luis Figo leaving FC Barcelona to join rivals Real Madrid back in the day. Settle down, folks.

Somewhat surprised at some of the negative kiwi reaction re Joe becoming the Wallabies coach. I was expecting 'mild disappointment' at him taking the job, not effigies being burnt.

@Victor-Meldrew Weeks ago on zoom call attended by the Wales National Team...

Gatland: "Many of you have asked me what my big plan is for this year's Six Nations. One word: WARRENBALL."

LRZ: logs off

Garland"That's strange. LRZ just went dark. Must be a technical problem. Anyway, back to Warren all..."

@Dan54 Switching between wing and fullback is common. Switching between 10 and 15 isnt unusual. Totally Agree.

However, switching from 15 to 13 is not as common and where it's been done it's been disastrous (esp at the highest level).

@Bones Clearly, I was talking about outside backs (fullbacks and wingers) being converted into 13s, bc all the examples I cited were... outside backs (fullbacks and wingers) being converted into 13s.

@Bones I don't think I need to concede anything of the sort. Name a country other than NZ that converted their test fullback into a 13 not once, not twice, but on three seperate occasions? Name a country other than NZ that converted their test winger into a 13 on two different occasions? That's five different positional switches by outside backs to the 13 jersey in the span of approximately 25 years.

@Bones They started in those positions, but spent significant time outside of midfield (JB bc he moved to a team where he played everywhere but 12 and Rieko bc his speed made wing seem logical). At times their current play makes that clear - they lack some of subtleties that come from consistent years in midfield.

@antipodean Of course. I just don't want Holland to be too conservative in his selections when uncapped midfielders do impress at super level.

@Victor-Meldrew Razor is so smart for doing this.

Me: "Razor and the AB selectors totally ignored my favourite 1st Five--"

Razor: "Don't blame me. Send your hatemail to Hansen."

Me: "And why didn't you pick those three fullbacks I like?!"

Razor: "Here's Leon MacDonald's email address. All complaints re outside back go to him."

@Victor-Meldrew Yeah, I agree to a degree and I suspect they'll do as you suggest, but just want Razor (or should I say Holland) to pick some new midfielders and start giving them gametime as combinations a.s.a.p.

@sparky 100% agree re skills and guile. It's one of the things that really stood out. A guy like Aki who has gained a lot of muscle since playing for Ireland has also upped his creativity significantly.

@Bones Kriel is a specialist 13 that was pushed out to wing due to the meteoric rise of Am. It was also during a period when their first choice wingers weren't available iirc. In South Africa, moving a player from a more complex role like 13 to wing (seen as the "easier" position) on a temporary basis is not uncommon. A move in the opposite direction (from being a specialist wing to playing as a 13) is far more rare in the Republic though. I don't think I've seen them attempt the 15 to 13 switch at test level like the ABs have done three times.

So, the last dozen entries (in addition to, I guess, my own replies) in this thread reminded me that with regard to AB midfielders I don't rate:
Ennor
Havilli
Ioane
Tupea

ALB is getting on and is more like a bandaid whenever one of the above guys get mentioned as AB contender. Solid but not spectacular.

JBarrett is a cup half full or cup half empty, depending on how you look at his time at 12.

Strangely, McCleod is the only one of the current AB midfielders that hasn't gone down in my estimation, but maybe that's bc he hadn't been coached by you-know-who for many seasons.

If you look at those listed, there are several examples of utility players and recent positional converts in that group. Some of them even struggle to identify themselves exclusively as a 12 or a 13 (falling around between the two spots). NZ is the only major country that doesn't always select specialists in midfield. This is strange considering the past disastrous Cullen, McDonald, Ben Smith positional switch episodes and how long it took T Umaga to get the hang of his midfield duties.

There are some specialist options at super level (ppl who play in the same position week in and week out). With some deep thought re specific combinations, there could be some positive surprises imo. Of course, those uncapped players need to show form this year.

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

I'm interested to see what O'Halloran can do with Ioane for the Blues.

"Rieko still has a level to go to. I've looked at aspects of his game and there are changes we can make that i'm pretty sure he'll be receptive to."

Changes:

1. Not using the 'handbag under the chicken wing' technique to carry the ball. Two hands on the ball, please.
2. Learning the meaning of 'Play and let play'.
3. Increasing his situational awareness and improving his decision-making on attack & defence.

@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

So 2 questions for the Fern collective:

Can we do better at 12 (if so, who?); and
If so, what do we do with Jordie?

You know JB is a bit of a conundrum of a player. He's got a lot of skills needed to be successful in several spots in the backline (bar the wing position), but there always seems to be a deficit in some area. At 15, he's good under the high ball and possesses a good boot, but he lacks the speed and cutting edge ito running. At 12, he has the size needed to get over the gain line (not quite Nonu or SBW level) and defensively he's ok, but lacks creativity. He can kick, but we hardly see him using that skillset these days. I also think his combination with Rieko isn't great tbh. Both are learning or relearning midfield play at test level, which isn't ideal.

So, either stick with JB at 12 and change his midfield partner sooner rather than later OR replace the whole midfield combo. More drastic would be to shift JB to 13, but I can't really remember how well he went at 13 back in the day. I only mention 13, bc JB has shown better judgement than Rieko (but that is admittedly a very low bar).

@booboo Agree about the solid depth.

I'd just make the following changes:

Lock: Invest in the younger, more physical players to partner S.Barret (Lord, Holland when he becomes eligible, and/or even Parkinson)

Halfback: Delete Christie

Midfield: Delete Ennor

I would add that most uncapped options at fullbacks are potentially much better at 15 than Beauden and some even have more strings to their bow than Jordan

@chchfanatic Let Sam Whitelock spend some time with his brother in France. As for Leicester, I suspect that things are about to get very crowded in the outside backs spots. So, perhaps it was a good decision for him to go.

@Tim Thanks, that was quick.