NZ 2016 the Future

I am many things but  I`m neither a fool or a hypocrite when it comes to NZ I know my onions.
When I saw the Squad picked thought no Dagg?only 3 Locks,6 Loosies,5 props was surprised
and said so.
I hate RWCs for reasons stated before which won`t belabour you with but this one I loved.
Firstly of course for NZ to shut up the jibes,"chokers",Only win at at home etc.before 2011
SF wrote they can`t win and was proven right to beat the only 3 sides to have beaten them before perfection
But all those sides who gave so much Scotland v Samoa,SA v Japan,Argentina and all the others.
IF the NH sides had approached this RWC in the same vein maybe would have had a different
final.Having said that but for the injuries who knows?
I expected Australia to win there group,a SA V Australia final,and a Australian win,could`nt
believe France were so poor ,was sure they were foxing.I was WRONG on all counts.
In 2014 when my PC was crook,I noticed and wrote eventually there was something wrong
with NZ just doing enough to win like they always had another gear.
I have always been critical of SBW always thought him a show pony and selfish
Crotty would have been my choice.BUT two acts the comforting of Kriel after
the SF and giving his medal to the 6 year old child assaulted by Security CLASS I was
WRONG.
This team and Dad`s Army as the carpers said went out on a high Nonu pure class,Carter
almost back to 2005 standard.Mc Caw what can you say about "Captain Tackles"
The easy part is done RWC won,now you have to defend it with your spine gone.
The future TH O.Franks,Faumina,LHCrockett,Moody,plusis his name Lau lu plays both heads
Hookers Coles,Broadhurst,hika Elliott,plus one or 2 ITM bolters
Locks Whitelock,Retalick,Romano,plus injured Lock whose name escapes me.
Openside Cane,Savea,Todd,McCaw?
8 Read,Vito
6 Kaino?Luke Whitelock
9 A.Smith,Kerr.Barlow,Perenara
10 Cruden,Sopanga
Wing Savea ,Naholo,Milton-Skudder
Centre Crotty,Fekitoa,charlie Ngatai,Patrick Osborne
FB Dagg
Utility Ben Smith,
Mind Games did any one ever REALLY believe Sopanga on 1 match experience over Dan Carter
Best Nz team ever? that covers a lot of territory and can only be judged against the opposition.
Over 4 years a lot of sides have pushed them hard,outplayed but come up short and only
one comprehensively England 2012.
It has been great to watch them grow and continue to as Hansen has rebuilt on the move.
Five greats gone from Test Rugby,McCaw overseas could write his own cheque?maybe
a couple more tests to bed in the New boys,whatever Ritchie you deserve it.
ANY bets DC a 3rd Man of the year though pocock deserves it.

Think going forward the All Blacks will carry on being just as strong. They are losing their key 10,12,13 axis but they have plenty very good players to come in and replace them.
At ten there is Beauden Barrett, Aaron Cruden, Lima Sopoaga to battle it out with Otere Black coming through from the U20s and at the Hurricanes who looks very good.
In the centres there are Malakai Fekitoa, Ryan Crotty, Charlie Ngatai who is very good and has a great off load game like Nonu/SBW. Rene Ranger is also back on the scene with the Blues. Ben Smith could be a very good option at 13 as he has played there before and was a very similar style to Conrad Smith.
If McCaw does retire they have Sam Cane who will fill that role easily.
Others coming through off note are Ardie Savea, The ioane brothers Reiko and Akira. One is a back row and the other is a centre wing, both played NZ 7s and Akira the back rower was in the NZu20s this year.
The hooker position is probably the one with the least depth in real quality to back up Dane Coles. However I think Nathan Harris will come through and fill that position. Was very impressive for the All Blacks on their end of year tour before he picked up an ankle injury against the USA that ruled him out for most of this year. Fairly similar to Coles, very mobile and strong and aggressive in the tackle and at the breakdown. Played a lot of his early rugby in the back row and at centre.

They just seem to be able to produce them on after another and integrate them into the side seamlessly so I am sure they will still be at top of the tree for a long time to come.

1 Moody
2 Coles
3 Faumuina/Franks
4 Retallick
5 Whitelock
6 Kaino
7 Cane/Savea
8 Read
9 Smith
10 Cruden
11 Savea
12 SBW
13 Fekitoa
14 Milner-Skudder
15 Smith
16 Franks
17 Crockett
18 Codie Taylor
19 Romano/Broadhurst
20 Savea/Messam
21 Perenara
22 Barratt
23 Crotty

What do folks think the center partnership will be next season with SBW on the 7s circuit?

Fekitoa and Ben Smith?

Crotty and Fekitoa I reckon

Sure we all know the names and they are all brilliant but will they be a strong team is the question. Surprised to read in the Grauniad today that Hansen is not likely to carry on after the Lions. Step up Sir Richie? No French pay check for him. They're all saying they want the ABs to get better How much better depends not just on them but how much better the rest of the world gets too. Japan and Argentina for instance

A dynasty takes time, if you look at England under Cooke,Rowell,and sCW they had
continuity.Then post 2003 constant chopping and changing coaches has caused this
mess.
NZ stepped back in 2004 picked Henry and co,as the inievitable post RWC exedouses
occurred the next generation followed on.
Of course there will be fallout but only RM of the first choice pack is going,only
concerns are 13 and goalkicking.
Perhaps a return to traditional 10,12,and 13 configurations instead of a crash ball
12.

Don't forget Tuipolutu......many have said that he would have been on the reserves bench for the RWC if he wasn't injured

BamBam wrote:Crotty and Fekitoa I reckon

Yeah probably. Moala might be in there somewhere if he's not on the wing. The first test in June us always the one to target as ABs always start poorly and that's with those guys retiring so new combinations will be tested. Is it a clash with NH club finals? England had that last year and still nearly won the first test.

Do AB supporters really think those leaving will be replaced by people as good if not better? Genuine question. I can absolutely see the ABs continuing to be the team to beat, and setting new standards overall, but is Cane going to be as good as McCaw? Fekitoa as good as Smith if he plays at 13? etc. I know there's a conveyor belt of potentially great players but it seems a bit much not see those retirees as a major hit

it only took us 6 minutes to find the new Warney.

Hood83 wrote:Do AB supporters really think those leaving will be replaced by people as good if not better? Genuine question. I can absolutely see the ABs continuing to be the team to beat, and setting new standards overall, but is Cane going to be as good as McCaw? Fekitoa as good as Smith if he plays at 13? etc. I know there's a conveyor belt of potentially great players but it seems a bit much not see those retirees as a major hit

Hood the thinking is that the current players generally set the standards for those following, who know they need to be of that same standard or better. In fact I'd like to think that those leaving are actually creating a bottleneck. In 2011 we lost some long serving players... Brad Thorne being one...we now have Brodie Retallick who has already won player of the year. At halfback we had Piri Weepu and Andy Ellis...we now have Aaron Smith.

Where we had Corey Jane and Zac Guilford we now have SaVea and Noholo, Piutau was there also.

At hooker Andrew Hore, now Dane Coles.

The five or six leaving now do have a somewhat greater pedigree but they have also created the potentially greater bottleneck, setting the standard for do long, yet not allowing a lot of the new talent in.

For McCaw we have Cane, Ardie Savea and possibly Akira Ioane and Todd. For the centres Fekitoa, Crotty and a couple of others. For Carter Cruden, Sapoaga, Barret etc. Not common names all of them yet but who knows until they get their chances.

It's an exciting time with so many positions up for grabs. The SuperXV will be a hive of activity, players all putting their hands up. With four years till Japan we really do have the luxury of time to replace them.

Thing is historically we've had a strong side, and when someone retires they get replaced by another quality player. Look at Michael Jones. A contender for the finest ever player. Would we miss him? No. Josh Kronfield came along and was a monster. Then would we miss Kronfield? No. Richie McCaw came along and is the best ever. But will we miss Richie? Probably not. History tells us that the next cab off the rank will be just as good.

Grant Fox was absolute quality. Then along came Mehrts. Then Spencer. Then Carter. So will we miss Carter? BB and Cruden are both great players