Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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Networkn
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#3516452 3-Aug-2026 13:15

Juian Savea seems to unofficially announced he is done playing rugby as he has been appointed head coach of North Harbour premier club Mahurangi.

I guess once he switched to Moana and it was done, he thought the chances of getting a position back at another club were pretty much non-existent. The Force might have considered him as a second string player?

I couldn't imagine him having enough in the tank for NZ franchises.

I wish him well. I thought he was on track to surpass Jonah Lomu as our best ever winger (though to be honest, I don't think that statement is true even now, even though Lomu's feats are legendary).

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#3516773 4-Aug-2026 08:09

Bummer - George Bell injured during training and Bradley Slater is on route to provide Injury Cover.

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#3516783 4-Aug-2026 09:32

I don't think it's great that 3 tests in, AB's captain isn't even travelling with the team. It's not unusual for the Captain not to feature in non-tests, but I can't recall ever seeing the AB's captain not actually travelling with the team? Surely the continuity of his inclusion and job in building the culture warrants his presence. If he is too tired, or what not, in my view he shouldn't have been selected as captain.

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#3516784 4-Aug-2026 09:33

networkn:

Bummer - George Bell injured during training and Bradley Slater is on route to provide Injury Cover.

Yes a shame to be out before a shot is even fired.

Given the brutal nature of South African Rugby, I wouldn’t be going whitebaiting if I was on the call up list.

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#3516807 4-Aug-2026 10:30

networkn:

I don't think it's great that 3 tests in, AB's captain isn't even travelling with the team. It's not unusual for the Captain not to feature in non-tests, but I can't recall ever seeing the AB's captain not actually travelling with the team? Surely the continuity of his inclusion and job in building the culture warrants his presence. If he is too tired, or what not, in my view he shouldn't have been selected as captain.

networkn:

Interesting, I'd say most Kiwi's seem unphased and the bulk of the negativity is coming from fans of countries who have excluded particular players from participation previously. Not that it really matters either way, we don't make our decisions based on that.

I agree with the decision, to be honest, Savea looks tired and not his usual self. His interviews were pretty underwhelming and he doesn't seem like a guy brimming with enthusiam.

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#3516811 4-Aug-2026 11:11

There is a difference between the guy not playing non-tests and a whole other thing for him to not even travel with the team.

It feels more and more like he wasn't the right choice as captain to me. He chose to play in Japan, despite telling former management he was tired and sick of touring/travelling.

He looks lethagic and low enthusiasm, hasn't been playing his best Rugby and now isn't travelling with the team. Hardly the aspirational leader you'd be hoping for.

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#3516978 4-Aug-2026 19:36

Not a great look for the AB captain not travelling with the team. If they don't win the series, then no doubt this issue will come back to bite Rennie. Then again, if Ardie plays out of his skin in all tests, even if we lose then he'll probably be afforded some grace.

Interesting update on Julian. Wonder if the guy is in financial trouble or something? Personally would not have him in my all-time AB squad, and definitely not Jonah - his defence is way too much of a liability, and with the way the modern game is played being able to operate well in the back (covering offensive kicks, getting back into position, defensive reads when outnumbered or isolated etc).

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#3517048 5-Aug-2026 08:55

zaptor:

Interesting update on Julian. Wonder if the guy is in financial trouble or something? Personally would not have him in my all-time AB squad, and definitely not Jonah - his defence is way too much of a liability, and with the way the modern game is played being able to operate well in the back (covering offensive kicks, getting back into position, defensive reads when outnumbered or isolated etc).

Peak Savea was devastating. It wasn't long after his peak he fell off a cliff. I always felt it was a massive shame, he had started to add to his skillset pretty consistently, and was massively difficult to bring down for a while.

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#3517070 5-Aug-2026 10:48

I wonder if the AB's will be given the option for eye goggles if Eben plays in the upcoming series? :)

zaptor

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#3517211 5-Aug-2026 11:58

networkn:

Peak Savea was devastating. It wasn't long after his peak he fell off a cliff. I always felt it was a massive shame, he had started to add to his skillset pretty consistently, and was massively difficult to bring down for a while.

Hmmm... having reviewed some of Savea's old tries, yeah I'd agree that Savea in his prime is probably the best big-unit type winger we've ever had. Definitely above Lomu, his defense was certainly better.

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#3517217 5-Aug-2026 12:07

zaptor:

Hmmm... having reviewed some of Savea's old tries, yeah I'd agree that Savea in his prime is probably the best big-unit type winger we've ever had. Definitely above Lomu, his defense was certainly better.

Absolutely. Some of Lomu's most barn storming and most replayed clips are almost replicated by Savea. Thinking against France in that Quarter at the RWC for example, when we ran riot to right the wrongs of bygone times.

I saw a video a year or so back of some of Saveas biggest tackles. It was fairly impressive.

One of the things that I think most people don't really remember is that for the longest time, J Savea was a much bigger deal than his brother.

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#3517378 5-Aug-2026 17:16

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/npc/all-blacks-duplessis-kirifi-named-at-second-five-eighths-for-wellington-in-npc-clash-in-auckland/WM2VMS6KSRHLZEJUJNGODN2KWQ/

ROFL.

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#3518590 10-Aug-2026 12:56

networkn:

zaptor:

Hmmm... having reviewed some of Savea's old tries, yeah I'd agree that Savea in his prime is probably the best big-unit type winger we've ever had. Definitely above Lomu, his defense was certainly better.

Absolutely. Some of Lomu's most barn storming and most replayed clips are almost replicated by Savea. Thinking against France in that Quarter at the RWC for example, when we ran riot to right the wrongs of bygone times.

I saw a video a year or so back of some of Saveas biggest tackles. It was fairly impressive.

One of the things that I think most people don't really remember is that for the longest time, J Savea was a much bigger deal than his brother.

It's been a mystery to me, in my limited capacity to understand rugby, why Julian dropped out of the All Blacks so quickly when Ardie's career was heading in the other direction. They were very high-profile locals so there were a lot of disappointed fans at the time.

Searching online returns "personal struggles with mental health" which makes sense.

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#3518696 10-Aug-2026 13:57

networkn:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/npc/all-blacks-duplessis-kirifi-named-at-second-five-eighths-for-wellington-in-npc-clash-in-auckland/WM2VMS6KSRHLZEJUJNGODN2KWQ/

ROFL.

Still laughing? Genuinely wonder why you reacted like that in the first place? You were pumping Fainga'anuku up when he went from the backs to the forwards, but this is your reaction when somebody else changes positions before you get a chance to see it happen. Are you one of the haters you mention below with nothing good to say?

networkn:

April 28th 2026

Leister F at 7 for the Crusaders was excellent. Not flawless, but actually pretty amazing considering he is usually a back. I see some haters online as you usually do, but people are a bit unhinged if they have nothing good to say about his performance.

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#3518873 11-Aug-2026 08:18

Well, what an absolute shambles that match against the Stormers B that was. We were outplayed in almost everything except the scoreline, which didn't reflect the game.

If this is David Kirks idea of heading in the 'right' direction, where a provincial B team (no Springboks) can outplay us, including at the scrum, then honestly, no thank you.

If this is what 'brutality' looks like, 3 times being parked on their ~5m line and being repelled to the other end of the field, and if this is the result of 'absolute clarity', then again, no thank you.

Post match Rennie for the 4th time has said exactly the same things.. We should have been better in x, y, z, a, b and c, but 'is pleased with the effort'. Are you Dave? Because I wasn't pleased with the effort. 4 Matches in, we are making all the same errors and mistakes, and it's getting worse, because we are getting more cards and more penalties.

Some of these players need to take a really good hard look in the mirror in my opinion.

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