The Silver Fern

New Zealand dominating a game, putting it to bed, totally losing their heads and throwing it all away and then squeaking it out at the end with some AB magic. The quintessential NZ rugby experience.

I predicted last week the Scotland test would be harder than vastly overrated Ireland and nobody on here agreed with me.

the midfield depth for 2026 is suddenly lacking - where are Gideon Wrampling and Rameka Poihipi off to?

@cgrant said in Ireland v All Blacks - Chicago2:

This win is a huge boost for the confidence for the rest of the tour. The scottish forwards won't match the ABs during the last 20 minutes.

Us beating Ireland wasn't unexpected, they haven't been strong since 2023/22.

I agree with other posters with a feeling Scotland have more potential to give us a scare this week & England have a lot more individual talent right now compared to Ireland, who don't have any strong ball carriers or speed in the backline nor impactful players - as shown by the bench discrepancies last week.

@Bones Josh Beehre being too small at 198cm & 118kg at 23 years is news to me, he's already quite a bit heavier than Darry & Lord who are both older, being over 198cm isn't so important (Maro Itoje is 197cm) it's more about arm reach and jumping height isn't it?

@Trig said in Blues 2026:

@Tim said in Blues 2026:

@Daffy-Jaffy I wonder if James Cameron will be on an NDC contract. Maybe the prop is in WTG?

James Cameron was confirmed by Blues as Full Squad 2026

well, that's a blockbuster signing for them.

@brodean said in Scotland Vs All Blacks, 8th November 2025:

@nostrildamus said in Scotland Vs All Blacks, 8th November 2025:

@brodean said in Scotland Vs All Blacks, 8th November 2025:

I know people have bagged Jacobson but I thought he was the Chiefs best forward this year and he is a better loose forward than all of the others in the squad apart from Savea. Of the current squad the ABs would do a lot better with Jacobson at 7 and Savea back to 8. I'd put Finau at 6 and continue with him.

Probably Lakai on the bench.

Sititi and Paps are lower-ranked for you than Savea LJ Lakai and Finau? or just don't fit as well?

Paps is not in the squad. I do think he should be in the squad and the starting 7.

Sititi I think has been hugely inconsistent and is massively overrated. He needs to mature quite a bit. I m not convinced hes suited to test rugby. Hes another Savea like player who is too small for 8 but doesnt have the requisite skills for 7.

Strange comment? Sititi is only 23 but already 10kg heavier than Savea.

Wallace Sititi - Chiefs

North Harbour loose forward Wallace Sititi is the son of Semo Sititi, the former Manu Samoa captain who also played for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby. Sititi was deputy head […]

Eddie Jones' unsparing verdict on Andy Farrell's Ireland

Japan head coach Eddie Jones believes Ireland are on the downward slope of their recent golden era, suggesting they're “coming off their peak

I agree entirely with Eddie's verdict here... and think England will pose a much bigger threat to the Grand Slam.

@canefan said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:

@African-Monkey said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:

@mariner4life said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:

He'll get no love because he's a weird fluffybunny

But Mitch in successive weekends put 50 past South Africa and Aussie at their houses, and then won back the Bledisloe. Brought through some great ABs.

Yeah it's funny with Mitchell, because even though he lost the public, we did some insane things in 2003, and he wasn't afraid to make big calls.

Putting McDonald into midfield at RWC2003 wasn't his smartest move

Deans selected the backline, you can't blame Mitchell for that.

@African-Monkey 1-5 Ryan, 6-8 Razor, 9-10 Hansen, 12-13 Holland, 11,14,15 Rangi

don't ya remember?

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@Chris Scott Hansen is in charge of defence......

Tamati Ellison's role is the contact area in defence.

No - that was their original roles... before Leon up and left after 5 tests...

@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:

It will not be Ryan he is a great mate of Razors and Jason is pretty easy going he wouldn’t step on Razors toes.
That speculation is way off the mark.

Hey mate, any info regarding whether Holland will have a replacement or does Ellison becomes the midfield coach?

Our current defensive structure is still my main concern - why not employ the highly regarded Cory Jane to oversee our defence (who is already on NZR's payroll as D-coach for both Hurricanes and ABs XV) and move Ellison back to his original role of breakdown & contact skills coach?

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:

So I wonder if all the assistants were kn shorter contracts than Razor.

yes it was surprising to hear Holland was on a 2 year contract.

Papali'i & Darry should be there over Finau & Lord... but we don't pick Blues with this coaching setup.

Monstered the Chiefs in the 1/4s missing 2 abs and took Crusaders to 86 mins in the Semi.

Razor must think Cotter is a coaching demi-god considering their clinical performances in the playoffs 2024 & 2025 with barely any test quality players!

@MN5 said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.

In his (Zarn's) customary fullback role? Or has he changed positions?

A couple of years ago fullback was JB's customary role too.

Sullivan is probably a better crash ball runner, offloader, and exit kicker than JB too.

Sullivan has always been a freakish talent. Just as talented as JB. It's interesting that JB was brought in as a 20 year old and persevered with until he came right despite some brain explosions and crappy kicks. Sullivan hasn't been afforded the same special treatment as a kind of project player. I guess Sititi is the project player we have at the moment.

JB is a very good player but for the red carpet that was rolled out to him he's been a bit of a disappointment for me. He should be close to the best player in the world based on his talent and nurturing but he isn't. He hasn't been pushing for world player of the year and he's not even definitively the best 12 in the world.

Probably difficult to achieve when you have coaches like Foster and Robertson.

Or maybe De Allende, Esterhuizen, Aki etc are just better players ?

I'm not sure the narrative around 'such and such a player being world class if it weren't for those darn coaches' is accurate in a lot of cases.

do you even keep up to date with test rugby? Aki has been in utterly disastrous form recently, almost singlehandedly lost the 3rd test for the Lions.

@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@MN5 said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

@brodean said in All Blacks & All Blacks XV EOYT Squads 2025:

Zarn Sullivan is the most similar to JB and hes been showing strong form over the last few weeks.

In his (Zarn's) customary fullback role? Or has he changed positions?

A couple of years ago fullback was JB's customary role too.

Sullivan is probably a better crash ball runner, offloader, and exit kicker than JB too.

Sullivan has always been a freakish talent. Just as talented as JB. It's interesting that JB was brought in as a 20 year old and persevered with until he came right despite some brain explosions and crappy kicks. Sullivan hasn't been afforded the same special treatment as a kind of project player. I guess Sititi is the project player we have at the moment.

JB is a very good player but for the red carpet that was rolled out to him he's been a bit of a disappointment for me. He should be close to the best player in the world based on his talent and nurturing but he isn't. He hasn't been pushing for world player of the year and he's not even definitively the best 12 in the world.

Probably difficult to achieve when you have coaches like Foster and Robertson.

Or maybe De Allende, Esterhuizen, Aki etc are just better players ?

I'm not sure the narrative around 'such and such a player being world class if it weren't for those darn coaches' is accurate in a lot of cases.

They're all/were excellent players and are all more powerful to varying degrees but JB has much better play making rugby skills than any of them.

Its no coincidence that JB and Ioane were functioning best as a midfield when Schmidt was on the scene.

Some how we ended up getting the coaching also rans of NZ coaching talent for the start of two cycles.

this 100%

i agree with other posters - instead of meaningless b comp that no one will care about why not extend the SR season? it's too short and doesn't give wider members enough opportunities.

@Grooter said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe I:

@canefan do people actually care that much that Leicester is holding tackle bags for the ABs? The only guys in the country that should be bothered are Daniel Rona & AJ Lam

Bailyn Sullivan would feel most aggrieved, he was a gun for the canes this season.

Is Lakai selection more of a reaction to our implosion in the final 20 when the bench guys came on or has he just not been 100% fit until now?

I just don't understand why Kirifi was getting picked over him for so long when Lakai's ceiling is higher, he's 22 vs Kirifi 28 and he's 110kg vs Kirifi 103kg.