Planet Rugby Forum

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....

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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...

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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...

Ali's Choice

This is the first time in a wee while that a team picked to start has generated a lot of positive discussion while including a lot of changes in personnel and position. I'm genuinely excited to see how some of these selections will go on Saturday Night. Yeah same. Good to see Robertson is prepared ...

Ali's Choice

I think I'm going to create a new login 'Fabien's Choice' to troll any Dutch posters on this forum.

Ali's Choice

That all makes sense however is test rugby the right place to give him an extended run? It's not like he's a rookie. He's an experienced All Black who is simply playing in a different position. 6 is the closest position to lock in terms of positional play, so I don't think that is an issue. Or do y...

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.

Ali's Choice

From Stuff's live blog: UPDATE: The All Blacks have just provided a correction to their team. Sevu Reece will start in the No 14 jersey and Rieko Ioane will start on the left wing. "Apologies for the earlier error," they say. Good to clear that up. As per my previous post, it was bizarre given Ioan...

Ali's Choice

You do realise that Vaa'i has already been selected to start at 6 against France during the Foster era in the 2023 RWC pool game? For Vaa'i to successfully transition into a test level 6 he needs an extended run in that position. It will be interesting to see if that happens. A backrow of 8. Sititi...

Ali's Choice

You do realise that Vaa'i has already been selected to start at 6 against France during the Foster era in the 2023 RWC pool game? For Vaa'i to successfully transition into a test level 6 he needs an extended run in that position. It will be interesting to see if that happens. A backrow of 8. Sititi...

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Grandpa wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 12:55 am But Rieko on right wing seems odd

Reece on left is odd too?

Tbh the side or number on the jersey doesn't really matter these days. Wingers play across the field and will swap sides.

Ali's Choice

Well done CLW, a well deserved test cap after he's been so good at SR level for so long. I think his style of play will be well suited to test Rugby.

Happy to see;
- Holland earning a test cap
- Savea to 7
- Proctor to 13
- Ioane to centre
- CLW getting a test cap
- Vaa'i to 6

Ali's Choice

I love Rieko Ioane being forcibly moved to the wing, without his consent.

Ali's Choice

https://scontent.fbne6-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/514470785_1271248037999072_6115798877024876415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=8OKo7iglDF4Q7kNvwFJpRrd&_nc_oc=Adl4npTt_lVD0UQx3RZoSEpq450mlPxVVAr6PRT7z204sxpHW_dIKNQHkooPpOGnABYoGJbGRM98g0CA9YlgeqK9&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fbne...

Ali's Choice

https://scontent.fbne6-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/514470785_1271248037999072_6115798877024876415_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=8OKo7iglDF4Q7kNvwFJpRrd&_nc_oc=Adl4npTt_lVD0UQx3RZoSEpq450mlPxVVAr6PRT7z204sxpHW_dIKNQHkooPpOGnABYoGJbGRM98g0CA9YlgeqK9&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fbne...

Ali's Choice

Sidney Parade wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 11:13 pm Top14 Final attracted 5.12mm viewers in France last weekend
Population of NZ 5.22mm

I'm not sure what your point is?

Ali's Choice

To me, it sounds like you guys are having too many meetings and not doing enough work… But the AoC should really only be brought out at the wider significant departmental/all team meetings and not just for every minor catch up. Ridiculous idea, who decides what's a significant meeting or what is mi...

Ali's Choice

Just catching up on the Williams out news after being out of action (sick) the past few days. That is a real shame. Bower is a solid replacement and won't let anyone down, but he's nowhere near Williams level of impact around the field. My question is, why was Williams even playing after injuring h...

Ali's Choice

Excellent footballers without being amazing athletes. All Blacks strength & conditioning guru Nic Gill once described Richie McCaw as "slow and weak". Not every great Rugby player is an amazing athlete. Hence why Conrad Smith is a much better All Black centre than Rieko Ioane. I wonder how McCaw wo...

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merlin the happy pig wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 9:48 pm Excellent footballers without being amazing athletes.

All Blacks strength & conditioning guru Nic Gill once described Richie McCaw as "slow and weak". Not every great Rugby player is an amazing athlete. Hence why Conrad Smith is a much better All Black centre than Rieko Ioane.

Ali's Choice

I eat fairly high protein but not that high. What does a typical day look like to get that much protein? Or are you having to supplement with shakes etc I aim for 200g of protein per day and do so without supplementing protein. I eat roughly 1kg of skinless chicken thigh fillets per day, 400g at lu...

Ali's Choice

Yeah really disappointing that France have once again sent an under-strength team. They have no idea that damage that this does to the game of Rugby. Once test Rugby is devalued in the minds of sports fans, you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. WR and NZR should never have allowed this to tr...

Ali's Choice

The Aumua experiment was a categorical failure. I don't know what happened, but we got sent a dud, not the player who was so destructive for MoPa. Happy, though surprised, to see Blackadder resign. Yeah the Aumua experiment was an abysmal failure. I can't believe how disappointing he was for us. I'...

Ali's Choice

Yeah really disappointing that France have once again sent an under-strength team. They have no idea that damage that this does to the game of Rugby. Once test Rugby is devalued in the minds of sports fans, you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. WR and NZR should never have allowed this to tr...

Ali's Choice

Yeah really disappointing that France have once again sent an under-strength team. They have no idea that damage that this does to the game of Rugby. Once test Rugby is devalued in the minds of sports fans, you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. WR and NZR should never have allowed this to tra...

Ali's Choice

So how do people get on with injuries? I posted here a few months back about starting weights training. I now have golfers elbow, which i think was from the way i was holding the bar doing squats, and probably bicep curls. I cant do shit at the moment. Its really frustrating. Also have a knee issue...

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