Planet Rugby Forum

Ali's Choice

My understanding is that you need to do weighted exercises for abs, with progressive overload to make them really “pop”. But we all have abs. I think emaciated POWs had just lost so much muscle all over—they weren’t getting anywhere near enough protein—that the abs they would have kept just disappe...

Ali's Choice

Abs might be further off than you think. Over the past decade and a half I’ve gone from 94 kgs to 70kgs. Even when I was at my leanest—68 kgs—abs were only just barely visible. I weighed in at 99.5kg at what I'd estimate at around 25/26% body fat - so would need to lose about 10kg overall to get to...

Ali's Choice

I'm not a fan of the rearranging the team for substitutions. It causes disruption and cohesion issues. Outside of injury players should be replaced directly. Having Kirifi on the bench as a substitute for Lio-Willie doesn't make sense. So just to clarify, your gripe of the day is that Robertson is ...

Ali's Choice

Nothing to do with age, he's just not as good as you're making out, he's a Super Rugby superstar and no better a test player than BB or DMac, and certainly not worthy of overhauling our eligibility laws like you and your fellow Cantabs want. Your opinion of Mo'unga means nothing. You've consistentl...

Ali's Choice

1. Williams 2. Taylor/Taukieaho (Taylor will be 36, need to keep an eye on how he ages) 3. Lomax 4. Barrett (c) 5. Holland 6. Vai'i 7. Savea 8. Sititi 9. Roigard 10. Mo'unga 11. Ioane 12. Jordie 13. Proctor 14. Narawa/Tangitau/Taumoefolau/A.N. Other 15. Jordan Yes please! Shut up and take my money!

Ali's Choice

Call me old fashioned but the halves pairings have traditionally been important for champion teams. Yep, and that's why Robertson has the two best 9's and 10's in NZ in his 23. I agree that McKenzie and BB have their limitations, and that's why I have consistently advocated for NZR to rethink their...

Ali's Choice

The great thing about this victory was how poorly we were rated. Nobody expected us to win. Even parochial QLD fans expected us to lose the series. Billy Slater is an absolute genius and the QLD spirit just came to the fore. Shibasaki and Papalii, what great stories.

Ali's Choice

Call me old fashioned but the halves pairings have traditionally been important for champion teams. Yep, and that's why Robertson has the two best 9's and 10's in NZ in his 23. I agree that McKenzie and BB have their limitations, and that's why I have consistently advocated for NZR to rethink their...

Ali's Choice

Go QLD! Great game last night. QLD win the deciding State of Origin game 24-12. Against all odds, in Sydney, in front of their women and children. Hear the lament! As a Cowboys fan it was great to see Tom Deardon win player of the match, and the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series. So happy ...

Ali's Choice

Answer the question. Do you think this lineup has the potential to go through and win a World Cup? If they don't why bother sticking with a team that only manages to beat France B by a few points at home? You're unravelling now. Your trolling has been exposed for all to see. You just complain and t...

Ali's Choice

Some how I don't think suggestions on this forum aren't filtering up to Razor and co. Dumb post. You constantly suggest selections on this forum. We all do. Put up or shut up, what would your match day 23 be? You can't just complain and troll, actually offer some solutions. Do you honestly think th...

Ali's Choice

Go QLD! Great game last night. QLD win the deciding State of Origin game 24-12. Against all odds, in Sydney, in front of their women and children. Hear the lament! As a Cowboys fan it was great to see Tom Deardon win player of the match, and the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series. So happy n...

Ali's Choice

Both Savea and Proctor specifically cost us with missed tackles and line breaks that lead to tries. Savea was involved in to bad defensive efforts for the Woki try. The team needs to be more physically aggressive in their defence collectively to stop France's forwards making easy metres. If they ca...

Ali's Choice

I long for a selection of players who don't ship 27 points against France B at home. Nebulous complaints with no suggestions for improvement help no one. Some how I don't think suggestions on this forum aren't filtering up to Razor and co. Dumb post. You constantly suggest selections on this forum....

Ali's Choice

So he's on England's payroll and will also presumably be refereeing England or games that impact England?

Ali's Choice

So good we shipped 27 points against a scratch France B team. Call me old fashioned but the best teams are built on great defence. So you long for constant and needless rotation, just for the sake of it? Thank God you aren't anywhere near the All Black selection table. I long for a selection of pla...

Ali's Choice

I think this is a good team. So good we shipped 27 points against a scratch France B team. Call me old fashioned but the best teams are built on great defence. So you long for constant and needless rotation, just for the sake of it? Thank God you aren't anywhere near the All Black selection table.

Ali's Choice

The usual Robertson haters will find fault with this team, as they will for every team he selects. It's getting boring, but it's expected as they have PTSD about Robertson because his Crusaders team pumped their useless Super Rugby teams year after year. I think this is a good team. We've had issue...

Ali's Choice

The usual Robertson haters will find fault with this team, as they will for every team he selects. It's getting boring, but it's expected as they have PTSD about Robertson because his Crusaders team pumped their useless Super Rugby teams year after year. I think this is a good team. We've had issue...

Ali's Choice

The usual Robertson haters will find fault with this team, as they will for every team he selects. It's getting boring, but it's expected as they have PTSD about Robertson because his Crusaders team pumped their useless Super Rugby teams year after year. I think this is a good team. We've had issues...

Ali's Choice

tubbyj wrote: ↑Sun Jul 06, 2025 1:29 am Still not sure how Ellison got promoted into this position on the worst Crusader season since the 1st last year.

Not sure how he was appointed? He won three SR titles as the Crusaders defense coach in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Ali's Choice

Pretty hectic end to the game. Well done Wallabies. Hard luck Fiji.

Ali's Choice

The was a heck of a try from Fiji. Will be hard to beat for try of the year.

Ali's Choice

Tbh, I suspect at the top level, Pacific Islanders are now more interested in Rugby League than Rugby. I suspect more people in Samoa would watch Toa Samoa playing on TV than would tune in to watch a Manu Samoa test. Likewise, in Tonga with Mate Ma'a Tonga versus the Tongan national Rugby team. It d...

Ali's Choice

We're starting a player that failed to make the initial squad earlier in the week? Excuse me for sounding negative, but this team doesn't excite me. Are you suggesting Robertson should be starting an injured player just because he was in the original squad? That's hilarious. Your partner must love ...

Ali's Choice

Scott Robertson's post-selection press conference; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlkQcDjaKds Man is he excited or what !?! Love it . As someone who has rediscovered health and fitness in my 40's I also like that we have a head coach who models health, fitness and self-discipline to his players. I...

Ali's Choice

Scott Robertson's post-selection press conference;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlkQcDjaKds

Ali's Choice

Kiwi-Chook wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 3:00 am We're starting a player that failed to make the initial squad earlier in the week? Excuse me for sounding negative, but this team doesn't excite me.

Are you suggesting Robertson should be starting an injured player just because he was in the original squad? That's hilarious.

Ali's Choice

I agree it's a very positive selection. He's a player with a lot of upside compared to the other three locks in thr squad. I think he has the potential to be world class. Tupou Vaa'i is probably our best lock now but is he ever going to be world class? Unlikely. Maybe he can be at 6. Tupou's alread...

Ali's Choice

The selection that interests me most is Holland. Good to see Razor giving him his debut in his home ground where he’s most comfortable. He’s got a bright future ahead of him, but he’s going to need the experienced players around him to lift their performance. I agree it's a very positive selection....

Ali's Choice

You think its funny but currently the NZRU are bleeding money through mismanagement after a cash injection they got by selling the family jewels. The Warriors and Auckland FC have higher averages attendances than the Blues and more total over the season. In case you didn't notice Wales, a once stro...

Ali's Choice

Pakia Pakia wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 2:29 am Sotutu should also be in the squad. Fusitu'a is a better scrummager than Norris. Riccitelli is better than McAlister.

Ali's Choice

Pakia Pakia wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 2:10 am Unlike the Chiefs the Blues have actually won a couple of times in the twenties however the All Blacks squad is stacked with Chiefs.

I wonder why? Better body language? Phone etiquette?

Ali's Choice

How tragic the biggest population franchise can’t produce or retain any new All Blacks. Considering the Blues were 2nd to last of the NZ teams with a 6 win and 8 loss season, its pretty fair representation. We made it into the semi's which we lost to a Jordan knock on try and won the title last yea...

Ali's Choice

BlueThunder wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 1:56 am How tragic the biggest population franchise can’t produce or retain any new All Blacks.

Christian Lio-Willie is an Aucklander and he's a new All Black.

Ali's Choice

I've already said I'm neutral on it and its a wait and see for me. Don't be so argumentative. So you're 'neutral' about it, but you've spent the last 30 minutes posting negatively about it. Btw, I hope your man Hoskins Sotutu takes notes about how Christian Lio-Willie plays, and the reason why he's...

Ali's Choice

No I don't think that. I'm neutral on Vaa'i's selection at 6. It's a wait and see how it works out for me. Worth having another look but keeping in mind the previous attempt didn't really work well. What previous attempts? The Chiefs tried to play him there several times at the start of the 2022 se...

Ali's Choice

Pakia Pakia wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 1:47 am Sevu Reece has cost us in multiple tests

You're hyperbole knows no bounds

Ali's Choice

Pakia isn't seriously arguing that Ruben Love has better form as a winger in 2025 than Reece, is he? FFs, he's a 10 who can also play fullback, and those positions are where we should play him. Sevu Reece is a proven failure against the better teams at test level. If you're going to pick an AB team...

Ali's Choice

Rieko started his career at 14. Reece has had plenty of opportunities but has underwhelmed against the better teams and I would have started Clarke or Love in his place. He started his career at 11 where he is playing on Saturday. Actually he played his entire first season of the NPC at 14. Then in...

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