I thought I would do this well before tonights test because All Black starting 23 selections since Razor took on the Head Coach role have concerned me and I have long been a big Razor supporter.
Here we have the most successful Super Rugby coach since the competition began. A man who regularly showed an eye for talent and also showed the ability to get the best from the teams he coached, even when injury struck down key players the replacement players stood up and showed that they were worthy of selection.
Why isn’t he doing that with the All Blacks?
Because apart from Sam Darry it is not happening so far.
In four test teams so far we have seen out of form players continue to be selected – Perenara, Jordie Barrett and Ioane being three and I ask this question is Razor allowing the experienced All Blacks to influence his selections?
As an example in Perenara’s case I would rate him the 6th best half – back in the country behind (in order) Roigarrd (injured), Ratima, Hotham, Fakatava and Christie.
Then there is the muddling midfield Ioane, a wing trying to play center, and an out of form Rugby League lookalike Jordie Barrett. Our two form mid fielders Anton Liernart-Brown and Procter had one run together and looked the goods. I actually rate Lienart-Brown the best midfielder in the country and he definitely should be starting.
Beauden Barrett is another – the best bench back in the world since 2015 and yet he starts at full back ahead of a now fit Will Jordan who is clearly New Zealands best fullback. Wasting Jordan on the wing tonight is hard to understand.
The forwards are a bit different especially with Captain Scott Barrett injured but we need more size in the loose forwards I think. Therefore I would start Savea at 7, take the captaincy away from him and give it to Cody Taylor, and bring in Sititi at 8 keeping Blackadder at 6 because of his huge work rate both on attack and defence. Canes selection in the 23 looks a bit of a sop to him and is not on form because he has none this year in New Zealand. With de Groot out I agree with Williams coming in but would have changed Tu’ungafasi for Tosi on the bench and maybe Bell for Aumua as well.
So here is the team I believe should be Razors team as he stamps his mark on All Black rugby.
Jordan, Telea, Procter, Lienart-Brown, Ioane, MacKenzie, Ratima, Sititi, Blackadder, Darry, Vaa’i, Savea, Lomax, Taylor (captain) Williams.
Bell, Newall, Tosi, Lord, Jacobsen, Hotham, J Barrett, B Barrett
No Minister 
I wondered how long it would take. The MSM crew are not sharp enough to have started yet.
Robertson builds teams. His history shows this.
Virtually all of his Crusaders teams had early losses while he worked out exactly what they needed to hit form at the business end.
At the business end the teams he built won – 100%.
Without checking I’m guessing his team won the final away from home as often as at home, meaning he built the team for the knock-out phase, doing just enough in the round-robbin bit to get into the main event.
This no doubt doesn’t sit well with the must-win-every-time group of followers but it is this coach’s way.
Rugby Union has only one real competition as far as international ply goes. Robertson has three plus years to build the team to win that.
When he/his team does all else will be forgotten.
I am not even watching rugby these days, but based on what I saw last year I would say:
Ethan Blackadder is not the answer at 6 – he is too small. We are still looking for a 6 to replace Kaino. Blackadder 6’2 versus Kaino 6’4. Blackadder also seems to be a bit injury prone. Blackadder maybe a serviceable 8
Not sure we have an answer at 6 currently – we seem to be going through another phase of good, hard working 6’s who are biggish but not International Rugby big – which means 6’4 to 6’5 at no 6, with 6’2 just not big enough.
The sheer size of opposition packs means on defense you need athletic bulk to count the kinetic energy of big ball runners. This is why Cane at 7, while not everyones flavour, was so liked by the selectors – he made a lot of unseen tackles in opening 30’s of games. Cane is a solid tackling unit
I am not an Ardie fan – great all round player, but he is not a pure 7 as I think he is too slow to the ball and not big enough to be a consistent carrier at no.8 especially in must gain yards situations like 10 from your own line off a scrum.
Young Darry has the height to be another Whitelock, but needs to add a stone to his frame. 110kgs at lock is not weighty enough – a lot of opensides run around near the weight!
No idea what the solution to our loosies is – I haven’t watched much rugby after Ms Perese’s hissy fit labelling people racists for not voting for her preferences…
What I do know is that over the next 24 months Razor needs to find a reliable and sizeable locking pair and a balanced and sizeable loose forward trio. The loosies particularly need to cover all bases as a combo (ariel, tackling, carrying and ball contesting) to be elite, which they currently are not.
Hooker is another position where we need to find a consistent player – too many are good scrummagers, carriers, tacklers but get the yips at lineout time which you can’t have under pressure in tight games
Propping stocks look replete – the lads up front will get better and better as they age and gain experience
Enjoy the footie PDM – I won’t be watching 🙂
Youse fullas need to come back and tell us what really hapnd, five tries in a first half in very wettish Eden Gardens and that ref was not bad eh.
Ethan Blackadder may not be a man mountain but his ticker is bigly
Was that a PB for Perenara no not the bloody stoneage war dancing, his actual play,
I also wondered if the threat from ALB lit number 13’s afterburners and McKenzie showed some form at last preventing that 50/20 was pretty classy, mind I think 15 Argies thought it was done and dusted, would not have looked so clever had just one done the needed fast following, picked the ball up while DMac was turning around?
Does Will Jordan have great peripheral vision and ability to read a game
My hopes to retain the Bledisloe have improved somewhat.
Just random thoughts?
ps a yellow for AB number 16 had all the appearances of a couple of bored shitless officials venting, it appears it was not the argies scone but his ribs and an ego got bruised. Utter nonsense for a player to be carded yet the “victim” does not require a Head (I) Assessment? Good on Ardie Savea asking the question of the eyetie referee. Was he PoD, the ref not Ardie.