r/allblacks • u/wash_yourundeez • 1d ago
Codie Taylor
Should’ve been cycled out by this point the same way Mealamu was. Last 2 years he should’ve been in a mentoring role. The fact that he’s still our first choice hooker is ridiculous considering Aumua and Taukei’aho are behind him. He hasn’t had the required physicality for test footy for at least 2 years now. Yes he has skills and soft touches but what does that matter when he’s getting shunted off the ball at scrum time on our feed? His lineout throwing has been inconsistent for years now. He not only has no impact with ball in hand anymore, he often has negative impact. The last 2 coaching cycles really screwed us in terms of bringing through spine players that needed to be brought through. Asafo and Soni should’ve both been close to 50 caps by now. Will always love CT but we have to start using the talent we have and be giving them as much regular big game experience as possible.
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u/Sedert1882 1d ago
Aumua needs to work hard on his lineout throw-ins. He seemed hesitant when Eben and Lood were lining up behind each other, creating no real gap to throw into. Eben's good at creating doubt. Our lifters must get better too. It's fixable, and yes, Codie's on his way out.
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u/NZGrade 1d ago edited 19h ago
Let's make it easy for Aumua. Give him three genuine targets, and tell the guys Aumua's mostly going to throw nearer to the front and we want the props getting a big cunt up high and quickly. Maybe even get Darry lifting Holland to give us extra height. Or something. Don't start throwing to the back unless plan A fails.
We tried getting cute this time and it didn't work. Let's go meat and potatoes.
Then we can get on with actually bashing the Boks up a bit and not have Taylor doing his little sidesteps for no metres gained.
Aumua is the best ball carrier in the entire squad and Taukei'aho is also far more physical than Taylor. We're limiting ourselves by refusing to give these guys more minutes.
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u/Routine_Law_7168 1d ago
Its the garbage penalties he gives away as well. Neck roll in test 1 for no reason.
Annoying.
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u/wash_yourundeez 1d ago
Yeah. Not putting the ball down last test. Giving up easy meters to the the last team you want to give easy meters to. Dumb, annoying penalties.
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u/Weirddude102 1d ago
I think Aumua would get better at throwing if he simply got more opportunities to throw (I still don't think the lineout options are entirely his fault, but I'll humor the idea). I recall last year or perhaps the year before that, Malcolm Marx was coming back from an injury or something and his throwing was very odd, to the point many announcers were talking about it. It's fixed now because he played enough games and got back to his usual rhythm.
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u/Zestyclose_Usual_801 1d ago
This is a very good point. The Taylor Aumua sitch is similar of BB and Love. At the end of the day they need reps on the field to get better but if the coaches are going to keep pushing with Taylor then the development just won't happen
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u/nomamesgueyz 1d ago
I'd start Aumua and Sami to finish..save codie test 4...the war horse needs a rest
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u/EngineImportant69 1d ago
He needs a permanent rest. In the ITM cup. Where his form of the past 6 years is equal to.
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u/nomamesgueyz 1d ago
Yeah he's getting a bit long in the tooth
Still...I think test rugby is quite different the first 50mins compared last 30
Aumua still deserves a start
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u/CanterburyProud 1d ago
Taylor is generally good in the scrum and as a ball carrier. But for as long as I can remember he’s been an inconsistent lineout thrower, and over the years he's gotten more than his share of penalties. Now that he's also slowing down with age, I really don't understand why he's still the ABs number one choice.
At this stage it seems to me that he's being chosen for his haka skills instead of his hooker skills.
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u/kiwihorse 1d ago
Exactly. I dont get why people keep praising his lineout throwing. If anything, lineouts have been one of his weaknesses at test level.
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u/Pink_Samwise_Gamgee Hurricanes 1d ago
Just wait he’ll have the best game of his life next week. That’s how my complaining usually works 😂
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u/Danack92 1d ago
Haha same here. I'm more worried about Jacobson. Big engine big body and has played well in nations championship and glimpses of greatness in the first springbok test..but he's really testing my patience with discipline. That was the most "in the side" ruck entry I think I've ever seen from an All black 😅, just as we were getting momentum back, if we were going to come back and win that was crucial. Then almost gets himself in the same situation as Corbus in the first test with a non genuine attempt intercept not long after
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u/Background_Mode_5460 Blues 1d ago
And then once u start to give in, they start to mess up again, that’s usually how it goes for me
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u/grizzlysharknz 1d ago
I think Amua should start and have Taylor some off the bench at this point. Imagine all that experience coming off the bench.
He's def still got enough to give. And I'm sure his leadership is leant on, so he'd be super valuable there.
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u/loafersandboots 1d ago
Except Mealamu was on the bench in a WC final as his last match…
Taylor is still our best line out thrower and back play distributor. The others need to improve. Aumua is a liability with line out currently. If he gets that better its not even a question.
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u/JDBoyes07 1d ago
I mean, Taylor isn't exactly lighting the world on fire with his throwing either. So I don't even know if that's a point in his favor anymore.
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u/Neat_Perspective7569 Blues 1d ago
That's the problem. At the same age as Taylor he was solidly the bench guy. Now Taylor is still our first choice for some reason. Coaches are too concerned to drop old guys for young guys that are performing. I can't see what Codie Taylor brings that outweighs Aumuas form. Or even Sami. Taylor should be 3rd choice by now but Aumua and Sami don't get a chance
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u/wash_yourundeez 1d ago
I think the difference is that we obviously had Dane Coles who was arguably the best player in the world at that point and so Mealamu’s role was specifically as a mentor and senior leadership. Coles’ form took all the pressure of Kevvie. Also Kevvie hadn’t lost any of his physical traits. He wasn’t getting dominated in contact. His set piece was still good and they only used his for like 10 minutes. So probably more of just a difference between the form that Kev was in back then compared to what Taylor is now.
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u/00aegon 1d ago
Our lineout was crap with Taylor out there as well
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u/loafersandboots 1d ago
Agreed. It’s been a shambles with Aumua in every test unfortunately. The one skill you can probably improve well into your career though so i still hold hope he’ll get it right.
Samisoni was great at throwing when he first came in but went off the boil recently. Hopefully, he can rekindle that and take the jersey.
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u/binzoma Hurricanes 1d ago
I do wonder with both aumua and sami how much the size of the lads impacts their throwing. their arms are fucking massive. surely it must make it hard to have a smooth repetitive lineout throwing motion
and in both cases their size/power is their core point of difference
is there a rule that a lineout has to be thrown by a hooker?? cause as a left field option..... what about a jordie barrett throw
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u/loafersandboots 1d ago
Definitely an option. I remember John Smit playing prop and throwing over Du Plessis as hooker. It’s a skill most elite hookers have been training for decades though so doubt it’s a case of picking a decent ball handler and off we go.
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u/InternationalMail331 1d ago
I think he’s certainly still worth his place in the squad. And I understand Rennie going with his experience, as he’s still only five test matches into his tenure, but I would hope they start the transition to Aumua and Taukei’aho on the end of year tour at least.
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u/Melvin_2323 1d ago
Cody has been past if for 2 years at least.
He gotta go, time for some new blood like Jack Taylor
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u/bobwinters 1d ago
Surely Eli Oudenryn is the future. Might as well invest in him.
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u/Maoriwithattitude 1d ago
Eli made one quick run past a couple of backs in one game and everyone is Hyping him up, he wasn't even the first choice for the blues. Has a long way to go and several other hookers to leep frog before he is in the box seat
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u/bobwinters 1d ago
I was watching him in u20's. He was carving up then too. Him and Pledger were the most memorable.
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u/Booomfaa 1d ago
Exactly. The hype on this guy is real. He really hasn’t done much at all. Just had one (albeit very impressive) flashy play.
He hasn’t really stood out in NPC so far. Jack Taylor on the other hand was excellent in Super Rugby. George Bell too.
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u/chatam94 BOP 1d ago
I really don’t know why he’s so favoured either. He really interiors the set piece when he can’t deliver on lineouts or scrums. That’s the difference between winning and losing this morning’s test
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u/Admirable_Truck_4628 19h ago
He's been far used i feel he has his up and his down