X-factor meets experience in former All Black's preferred World Cup squad
We are just five months away from the 2023 Rugby World Cup and halfway through Super Rugby Pacific’s regular season. The season to date may serve as a small sample size in the context of the year as a whole but plenty of rugby has been played and a number of players have made compelling cases for their role in the All Blacks‘ World Cup campaign.
Some of those players have been rewarded with an endorsement from former All Blacks halfback Steve Devine, who named his “way too early” preferred All Black squad for the World Cup.
The selections were based on form in 2023, meaning injured players were unlikely to be selected.
Injuries to the likes of Fletcher Newell, George Bower and Angus Ta’avao made the Props selections easy enough said Devine, who selected just five Props, citing Ofa Tu’ungafasi’s ability to play both sides of the scrum as sufficient cover. Joining Tu’ungafasi, experienced campaigners Joe Moody and Nepo Laulala as well as 2022’s breakout stars Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax.
A familiar trio made up the Hooker selections, with the vast experience of Dane Coles and Codie Taylor complimenting the youthful X-factor of Samisoni Taukei’aho. Devine went on to say leaving Coles’ Hurricanes teammate Asafo Aumua on the outside looking in would not be the case if it weren’t a World Cup year.
Just three locks were selected, again with experience prioritised as Sam Whitelock, Brodie retallick and Patrick Tuipulotu edge out Chiefs youngsters Tupou Vaa’i and Josh Lord.
Scott Barrett’s presence in the loose forward selections makes up for the slim pickings at lock, he’s joined by captain Sam Cane and Ardie Savea, along with up and comers Dalton Papali’i, Ethan Blackadder and Hoskins Sotutu.
Members of the 2022 All Blacks in Luke Jacobson, Akira Ioane and Shannon Frizzel were all considered while Cullen Grace and Dominic Gardiner were also strong candidates who Devine said just couldn’t fit into the 33.
The halfbacks selections will be one of the most hotly contested come World Cup time and Devine again favoured experience, citing Cam Roigard as unlucky when naming his trio of Aaron Smith, Finaly Christie and Brad Weber.
No surprises in the No 10 selections with Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett named.
Midfield selections include past and future League star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, alongside Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Anton Lienart-Brown.
Damian McKenzie is named in the outside backs while offering cover at 10, and is joined by Chiefs teammate Shaun Stevenson as well as Crusaders pair Will Jordan and Leicester Fainga’anuku along with Mark Telea.
The 31 selections leave two roster spots open, Devine named his top candidates to complete the squad in Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Levi Aumua and Caleb Clarke.
Here’s the full selected team:
Props:
Joe Moody
Ethan De Groot
Tyrel Lomax
Nepo Laulala
Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Hookers:
Samisoni Taukei’aho
Dane Coles
Codie Taylor
Locks:
Sam Whitelock
Brodie Retallick
Patrick Tuipulotu
Loose forwards:
Sam Cane
Dalton Papali’i
Ethan Blackadder
Scott Barrett
Hoskins Sotutu
Ardie Savea
Halfbacks:
Aaron Smith
Finlay Christie
Brad Weber
First five-eighths:
Richie Mo’unga
Beauden Barrett
Midfielders:
Jordie Barrett
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Rieko Ioane
Anton Lienert-Brown
Outside backs:
Mark Telea
Leicester Fainga’anuku
Shaun Stevenson
Will Jordan
Damian McKenzie
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments