Tastet au secours de Carbonel

They could weight Aussies wins as being double points like a WC knockout match, and an loss would just have a small rating drop as if playing a normal game against the #1 ranked side! That would be close to fair I reckon🤣

But yeah nar, seriously, it will have to be after these EOYTs. Given that it is a yearly thing? Or has the "season" really started with TRC, and should end with the 6N next year? Or maybe they will "freeze" the rankings during July and the rest of 2025 will count? It would be bugger all change if they just took the ranking up till this EOYT!! We know what WR are like, I think were in for another debacle here!

Godfrey is going to be really good but could be too small. Rico Simpson debuting for Auckland at 18...hard to ignore. Cam Miller has shown a lot of class already and seems to be expanding his game for Otago.

I'm yet to see much i like about Kemara but he's super young and haven't watched any of Spencer or Cashmore to be honest, they're expected to be good players which is why I threw them in there.

The All Blacks have a starting lineup that boasts 917 Caps, while the Wallabies starting XV have only a total of 374 Caps, plus scrum weight and possibly technique advantage unless Jasons mentor Mike Cron has other plans. Boring in, like they did in last weekends game.

Anyways, all going well, the weather forecast is looking good for an open running game of rugby with on field official Nika Amashukeli in charge.

Go the All Blacks...the stats are heavily stacked in your favour...stay on the good side of Nika and don't be flippant and produce a Betty Crocker...OK 👌..

He has also lost his pace.

A 7 is more than just a tackler and ruck cleaner. He needs to link with the backs in open play as Jones, Kronfeld, McCaw, and Cane (pre-neck injury) did.

You could indeed have an extra playmaker JD, if they had the cattle. But they don't, Perofeta is injured, and there is no other suitable player in NZ. People have the Mounga Dmac Jordan picture in their head for 2026, but that's so far away I think were going to have a couple of younger players raining on that parade!

My bad also, I was describing the attack that Rieko scored from, with Jordan the other option to have scored. Also also, that's what's so great about those Irish plays though, you're just waiting for the opposition to make a mistake!

I feel everyone is desperate to turn the ABs into the Baby Blacks, change for change sake isn't necessary...we're not far off being a force again and just need to re-discover our ruthless, killer streak to close out games. Our tight 5 is rapidly becoming the best in the world, we have 2 rock-star 9s in Ratima and Roigard, proven performers in Frizzell and Mounga coming back and Will Jordan showing signs of being an international 15 which will scare everybody outside of NZ.

I would have Talea at 14 over Reece currently...this team on Sat seriously lacks a secondary kicking option which Jordie (or BB when at 15) has been operating as, will be interesting as we know how slow TJs box kick (and pass) is.

Blackadder will step into Cane’s role as workhorse.

Haha so you're cherry picking Razor's favourites to suit your arguments now are you Nick?

I also think Hotham is pretty lucky to be there, a player for the future absolutely but time would be better spent ripping up at NPC and playing rugby rather than holding tackle bags. He's the sort of player that should be exposed through All Blacks XV as a future star.