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Sport Nation
Monday Musings: All Blacks ponderings, welcome back Wah-ine, basketball's next golden generation
Alex Chapman • July 7th, 2025 1:00 pm
Photo: Photosport
As Scott Robertson said after the game, any touring French team that’s been written off “is going to put up a scrap”, and honestly, it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that they did. Yes, it was a green Les Bleus team, but, just like their emblem, they were always going to be plucky.
In the end, it’s job done for the All Blacks. Job well done? Well, no. But a tick nonetheless.
Their debutants fitted in well and had their own moments, while the experiments didn’t blow up in their faces. In fact few would be surprised if they became the new norm. They adjusted on the fly after losing Sevu Reece in the first minute, and his replacement, Damian McKenzie, and the positionally-adjusted Will Jordan, both switched seamlessly, without their style stuttering.
Their 2025 approach, as predicted, was mobile and physical, with an obvious objective to run the ball far more than kick. That was exemplified by just 29 kicks for the match and a 1:8 kick to pass ratio per Rugby Pass. This is a team that’s willing to be bold; they run the ball from inside their own 22 and choose to scrum late in games when the win is on the line.
But the All Blacks conceded 16 turnovers, largely through handling, gave up 27 points and while they missed just nine tackles for the match, there were moments when the gaps in their defence were made to look like the Arc de Triomphe.
Overall, it’s a pass mark.
Cause for concern? You’d think not.
Areas for improvement? Obviously.
The almost three try handicap being offered by the bookies may well have been an insult to the visitors who were resolute, and served as a reminder.
The usually unflappable Scott Robertson had clear moments of frustration, and it’s frustration that fans are voicing over the insistent interruptions by the TMO. At a time when there are public pleas for pace, the officials are what’s consistently slowing the game down. Even if they do get the calls right.
But if one of such calls had been missed in favour of the French, and it cost the All Blacks the win, how would it have gone down? With the acceptance that occasionally a Speights can be warm? Or would it have been swallowed with sourness like an off French red?
Eventually, the question of accuracy v necessity needs to be asked.
How the role of the TMO differs from Super Rugby to Test matches | The Bunnings Trade Rugby Run
Under 19s Light Up The World
How bloody good were those young men?! Fourth at a World Cup, regardless of age, is never anything to be sniffed at with such a global sport like basketball. And especially in a sport like basketball that’s dominated by heavyweight countries and where New Zealand hasn’t tended to excel very often.
The success of this team has seen candescent comparisons to the “golden generation” of the Tall Blacks, who finished fourth at the 2002 World Championships - and not just because Phill Jones’ son is in the current group. Their style of play, the we before me approach, the closeness (five of them were part of the under-17's side that finished four at last year’s World Cup) and the depth of squad, has them set up to spend many a moon playing together.
The global reach of basketball means they won’t be short of opportunities either, whether still at home or offshore, and the NIL [Name, Image, Likeness] affords (‘scuse the pun) them the chance to cash in. As Judd Flavell and Dillon Boucher have both said on Sport Nation Mornings over the last week, let’s just hope it’s not money and a funding model that stops these individuals or the team from reaching their potential.
Welcome Back Wah-ine
Was it the result they would’ve preferred? Obviously not. But the fact this team is back in the NRLW has greater impact than a loss to the defending champions. Just go back and listen to Charlotte Scanlan on Sport Nation Mornings on Friday.
There’s clear areas of improvement in their performance – the 63% completion rate and 40 missed tackles the standouts - but fans need to be patient with this side. They were never going to be perfect or even polished straight away. For a few of them, this was their first game of league, while the team is a whole is still finding their collective feet, baring in mind that 75% of the squad hasn’t played NRLW in the last 12 months.
The pieces are there, they now just need to start to put the puzzle together. This is a long-term play, while in the short-term, Sunday’s triple-header is going to be a ripper.
Could Ruby Tui be the next Black Ferns star to jump to NRLW? | Sport Nation Mornings
Contrasting Fortunes For Kiwi Drivers
Never mind a yardy, Scott Dixon’s been drinking champagne for 21-straight years. The Kiwi motorsport legend extending his streak of IndyCar seasons with race wins following victory at mid-Ohio. It’s pretty mad to think he’s still chalking them up after all of these years.
SVG meanwhile may as well just move to Chicago with how familiar he is with their roads after another win in NASCAR.
Unfortunately for Liam Lawson, roughly how long it’ll take you to read this part of the Monday Musings, is how long the kiwi lasted in the British Grand Prix.
“I just wanted to survive the first lap.” Lawson said after the race, but squeeze on the left hand turn saw Haas’ Esteban Ocon forced to the right by Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, resulting in Lawson being clipped, stopped that from happening.
The way the incident played out meant Ocon or Tsunoda didn’t receive penalties. The cynic’s will claim malice and intention were at play, but it seems best summarised by Lawson himself - “it’s a shame.”
