Planet Rugby Forum

Ali's Choice

Does anyone else Zercher Squat? I've started doing them over the last month, and I'm a huge fan. Mainly because I can get by far the best range of motion that I can get from any bi-lateral squat movement that I've ever programmed. For a 46 year old dude with shitty mobility in my ankles and shoulder...

Ali's Choice

Nolanator wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:04 pm So almost exactly half way through the year I've just hit a lifetime squat PB.
180kg. Four plates.

Had set myself the goal of hitting this before baby arrives, and we're just about 4 weeks out.
Well happy with that.

That's awesome. Well done!

Ali's Choice

Listened to Scott Robertson taking some callback questions on NZ radio this morning. One caller asked him why he persisted with Rieko Ioane last season at centre. Robertson's answer was telling. He didn't try an defend Rieko's form, or justify his selection. He said that Ioane was experienced, and g...

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WR funding Moana Pasifika is a really shit and inefficient way to grow/strengthen Rugby in Samoa and Tonga. I wonder what process they underwent to determine this strategy?

Ali's Choice

Sotutu was excellent. He and Beehre both coped well with the Bok physicality and were able to make metres. Sotutu on for 25 minutes: 5 Carries @20 metres ( most metres of any Barbarian forward ) 9 tackles 1 dominant 2 lineouts Was good at the breakdown. That's the sort of play we'll need against th...

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Previous Bok sides have dominated collisions against us as well.. but weren't ruthless with the ball. This lot seems more ruthless... But... It was close in SA last year. And NZ played well in both matches for an hour....so they just need to build on that. They changed more than half their starting...

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Rivez Reihana looks like he had a good game for MAB. Seems to be improving all the time. Interesting that the last two super rugby winners had no-frills first fives that did the basics well, kicked their goals and never tried to overplay their hand. That's just a reflection of our current depth at ...

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Kirifi actually really improved his jackeling over the last couple of years. He used to get penalised a lot more but now doesn't. Yeah its put him at a different level, to able to jackal that well cleanly is a genuine point of difference and something teams have to have very specific plans to count...

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The reason I always felt that MP were a dead team walking is because they didn't have any Rugby infrastructure supporting them. NZ Super Rugby teams are supported by the provinces, which themselves are supported by club and school comps. MP had none of this. And whilst NZ has a huge Pasifika populat...

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The thing that the French need to consider, is the only reason this isn't worse than it is, is because they are currently the only nation that does this. If every major nation did what France is doing, and opt to compromise the July and Nov test series for the sake of their domestic league, than the...

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Where is Zac Gallagher off to? Toyota. Steve continuing his lifetime of screwing over the Canes. Only 23 and leaving NZ already. That's a massive shame. I thought he was very promising in his time at the Crusaders. I won't go into the whole schtick, but something, something, something, overseas sel...

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This is just another example that shows the NH dominated World Rugby doesn't give a shit about the worldwide game. Rugby is inching ever closer to league where there will be one big competition and the rest just withers on the vine. WR just need to grow a pair and give France a short term ban until...

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It's a pretty bad look for Rugby given International Rugby is supposed to be the pinnacle of our game. I know that the FRU aren't entirely responsible, but they shouldn't commit to July tours.

Ali's Choice

mrbrownstone wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 12:36 am The Crusaders have fewer All Blacks than we have titles over the past decade.

Ali's Choice

Far too many Chiefs in the squad for my liking. The Chiefs have a team culture proudly built on mediocrity, on failing when it matters most. Eternal bridesmaids, the Chiefs are either unwilling or unable to seal the deal. They glean immense delight in losing must-win games, nothing gives them more j...

Ali's Choice

I was surprised that with 10 mins to go, and needing a try to win, the Chiefs reverted to one out Rugby coming out of their half. Surely if there was ever a time to play with some width and use the attacking skills of McKenzie, their midfield and outside backs, it's when you need to score a try to ...

Ali's Choice

jdogscoop wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:48 am Dan54 using AI in his summaries.

Ali's Choice

mrbrownstone wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:57 am
Brodie's Choice wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:44 am
BlueThunder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 2:28 am To promising young Blues players, if the message last year wasn’t clear enough, you need to get the hell out of dodge quick if you have All Blacks aspirations.
I agree.
"Brodie's Choice"

Ali's Choice

Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, ...

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Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, ...

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mrbrownstone wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 11:54 pm It's probably only down to the Blackadder era that the Crusaders haven't utterly killed off SR as a concept.

Ali's Choice

Looking at the Reds injury list each week it's a wonder they made the top 4, if they stay healthy next year you'd expect them to book home advantage for the finals. On a separate point, who is heading up the recruitment at the chiefs and saders as they seem to be very proficient poachers. How do th...

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Fat Old Git wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 5:59 am I couldn't get my head around the fact that we kept giving the ball back to them in the last 6 minutes.

We only gave it back to them in our territory. We did a great job retaining possession in their half.

Ali's Choice

I was surprised that with 10 mins to go, and needing a try to win, the Chiefs reverted to one out Rugby coming out of their half. Surely if there was ever a time to play with some width and use the attacking skills of McKenzie, their midfield and outside backs, it's when you need to score a try to w...

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Chiefs don’t like airplanes . They were rarely required to use one for their 2025 matches and I wasn’t surprised that they again didn’t show up when they had to travel so far for the final. Ironically, it might be that the NZR did the Chiefs a poor service is giving them the easiest draw in SR hist...

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This aged like a 2L bottle of Paul’s in the summer sun… I never said that the USA wouldn't attack Iran. That was always likely once Israel starting bombing Iran. My point was that the USA has not been building the case for war in Iran with the American public, who are against the war. Even Bush spe...

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Flockwitt wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 12:58 am Cuts both ways though. Penny isn't as bad as he might have been made out to be in his first year.

Bad coaches typically don't win 4-5 NPC titles.

Ali's Choice

Israel is battering everyone they face these days and hardly suffer any damage that isn't reputational. Anyway like moon says, show us what you are seeing. What do you mean show you what I am seeing? Like I said, the USA has laid no groundwork for an imminent war against Iran. This aged like a 2L b...

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The same amount as 2022 when an Ian Foster coached All Blacks won in South Africa at potentially their lowest nadir during the professional era. So none? Are you going to spend the rest of the Rugby season relentlessly trolling Scott Robertson and tearfully advocating for average Blues players to b...

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We've never beaten South Africa under Razor's coaching regime so there will be a lot of pressure and expectation going into these games. How many of these tests were played in NZ? The same amount as 2022 when an Ian Foster coached All Blacks won in South Africa at potentially their lowest nadir dur...

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Source? Every source of news will be biased one way or another There is a huge amount of content available online about the situation in Iran/Israel. Almost all of it is either going to present a pro-Israeli or pro-Iranian perspective. Well, that's a disappointing response, everything I've read so ...

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Pakia Pakia wrote: ↑Sat Jun 21, 2025 11:39 pm We've never beaten South Africa under Razor's coaching regime so there will be a lot of pressure and expectation going into these games.

How many of these tests were played in NZ?

Ali's Choice

Israel hasn't underestimated anything. Yesterday the Iranian FM had to call Israel and let them know he was flying out to the European talks. They now have to get permission to use their own airspace. Think about that. Sounds like Israeli propaganda to me. One thing for certain is that any media co...

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That is not even remotely true. So the bombing of sites across Israel, particularly in Tel Aviv and Haifa, were always part of Israel's pan? The Israelis expected at least 5,000 civilian casualties in the first two or three days. Really? Sounds like something the Israeli propaganda machine would sa...

Ali's Choice

Israel hasn't underestimated anything. Yesterday the Iranian FM had to call Israel and let them know he was flying out to the European talks. They now have to get permission to use their own airspace. Think about that. Sounds like Israeli propaganda to me. One thing for certain is that any media co...

Ali's Choice

It appears that Israel completely under-estimated the will and ability of Iran to strike-back against Israeli air strikes. This is already extremely messy, and if the USA do formally enter the fray this will be massive, and the 3rd World War. That is not even remotely true. So the bombing of sites ...

Ali's Choice

So if the USA didn't plan to be part of this war, then that suggests that Israel thought they could achieve their goals in Iran by themselves. Sure they are funded and armed by the USA, but they felt they could achieve their goals in Iran, which IMO is clearly regime change, without formal engageme...

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Pakia Pakia wrote: ↑Sat Jun 21, 2025 11:02 pm Games at home didn't stop us losing to the Pumas last year.

No-one has ever said that we're guaranteed to win our games at home. But clearly it's more advantageous to be playing SA at home than away.

Ali's Choice

The current msm BS about "iran has run out of allies" completely ignores the fact that Iraq is controlled by Shia militias who have been passive for some time but are unlikely to remain so if the trumpeted aim to 'take out the Ayotallahs' comes to pass. Iraq won't formally join any war against Isra...

Ali's Choice

It appears that Israel completely under-estimated the will and ability of Iran to strike-back against Israeli air strikes. This is already extremely messy, and if the USA do formally enter the fray this will be massive, and the 3rd World War. Did they? Have you got a source for this? I mean obelixt...

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