All Blacks v France 2025

[ACR]

France have a star in Attissogbe.

Tuipulotou was good.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Rieko looks done. It's like he's allergic to gaps. Looks to have loaded on 5kg in arse ballast since Soup season too.

Roigard OTOH fast becoming first name in the team sheet.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

total rotation for T3. the arrogant frogs deserve no less

Tosi
Taukei’aho
Ollie Norris

Vaai (been kind of a revelation at 6. even though it was only stupid France C)
Holland

Finau
Ardie Savea
Kirifi

Ratima
Love

Tavatavanawai
Proctor

Narawa
Will Jordan
DMac

 

[Willin1]

Hard to get too excited about the result given the opposition.
Vaai looking good at 6 so far. Barrett had a game to forget and highlighted how dire things are at 10. Reiko looks due a seat on the pine. Still not sold on Kirifi

 

[Wilson]

Ratima
Love

Worst Bond girl name ever

 

[Linerunner2023]

Better result
Similar score line in game one if the ABs took their chances ans tries were held
Thought holland and pat along with the backrow were great
With ABs still having around 13 players who could come back at some stage their is some serious depth in the squad

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Vaa'i failed his HIA & is now in doubt for T3.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Surely Finau comes in, seems the most likely to produce something like what Vaa'i has is T1 & 2. Not sold on Ah Kuoi (& he's not even part of the official squad) & with Lio-Willie & ASav they need a bigger-bodied 6 to balance things out.

I see Beaugan copping it again. I actually thought he went better this week than last: maybe his familiarity with Sky's swirling wind helped but his longer kicks seemed to find grass more often than not whereas last week it was the other way round & the shorter ones seemed to be more contestable/ disruptable.

I know Razor promised to give everyone a run & I'd be tempted to swap out the starting & finishing front rows (& maybe the halves) but beyond that I'd prefer to see the same combinations given another go esp if they're going to be the starters for TRC.

 

[Dan54]

Just got back home after going to test. Was a bloody good test to be at. Thought the forward pack in general went well, Holland taking the first 2 French lineouts looked to spook them a bit, and by christ that young fella does some a lot of bloody good work around field. I really liked the look of forward with Holland/Pat T looking a good size pairing (though I know Barrett will be back). Vaa'i looks bloody good at 6. Roigard is really looking the makings of being top 9 , he's got a lot to like. I thought BB was not bad , by geez he covers some ground, Jordie was bloody good, Proctor and Narawa both looked ok too, I thought Ioane was better than I have seen for a couple of years.. Jordan was good and looked to have communication going well, noticed him setting the wings etc.
MOTM was between Codie Taylor,Vaa'i and maybe Holland for me. Not sure Lio-Willie is a test player .
I would perhaps add the French team may have earned my least favourite team, watching the non playing members with coach etc, pushing their way down through the crowd at end of game without and acknowledgements or apologies looked rude and arrogant.

 

[Dan54]

Barrett‘s kicking is shite.

I not sure you and I watched the same game, or agree the point of pressure. His kicking had the French turning around and running back whole time. Their forwards (especially props) were absolutely blown by halftime, were just down to a walk by about 30 minute mark. Seemed a a tactic worked out to me , 3 of their tries came off lineout set pieces that came from these kicks. They had the French kicking out, and had fun with the ball! At the game it looked very deliberate, a good few were for players obviously calling for it to be kicked ahead so they could put pressure on.