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The trans-tasman rivalry in both rugby union and rugby league has been lopsided for the best part of history.
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In New Zealand rugby union is religion, attracting the country’s best athletes from a young age who are raised on the code. In Australia, the NRL and rugby league holds the attention of Queensland and New South Wales while union barely gets a mention.
The conundrum has weakened the trans-tasman rivalry (in terms of the actual contest) in both codes. The great ‘what-if’ is if both countries’ number one code was the same.
With the NRL season coming to its ultimate grand final week, we propose a league team made up of All Blacks and try and answer sport’s most important question: could the All Blacks field a league team that would win the NRL?
1. Damian McKenzie
Has an electric running game that would prove an absolute handful from the back. Possesses playmaking skills that would give the boys a third ball-player on the edge. A few concerns about ability under the high ball and the number of bombs he would get.
2. Rieko Ioane
Lethal finisher with top-end speed, would probably bag 30 tries in a season. Would be too much to handle for most wingers in the NRL.
3. Anton Lienert-Brown
Great hands make Lienert-Brown a perfect fit to pair with Ioane on the left-hand edge. Could free the big speedster all day long when overlaps present.
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4. Ngani Laumape
The bull-dozing midfielder makes the side as the right centre, having played 30 NRL games for the Warriors. Was mainly used a wing by the Warriors but has played here before. Obviously brings much-needed NRL experience.
5. Waisake Naholo
Have to give Naholo the nod here with the power game he offers the side. Nehe Milner-Skudder would be another strong candidate but he couldn’t crack the Bulldogs so is an unproven commodity in the NRL.
6. Beauden Barrett
Has the cross-field kick in the armory for the fifth tackle option so fits in nicely at 6. The pressure of game management taken off him and will have the freedom to take on the line more at second receiver.
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7. Richie Mo’unga
Possesses a calm head and stability to drive the team around the park. His out-of-hand kicking has phenomenal range so the 40-20 is always on. Won’t hesitate to take a droppie if need be in golden point situations (or any late-game situations for that matter).
8. Akira Ioane
The side needs a damaging ball-carrier to truck it up. Although he hasn’t made his All Blacks debut yet, Ioane re-signed with the NZR this week so what better way to repay the faith by taking 20 hitups a game? He was a force off the back for the Blues and has a wide range of skills. Basically a fitter version of Andrew Fifita.
9. TJ Perenara
League rakes don’t need to have a clinical pass so Perenara gets the edge over Smith as he brings more of the ‘pest-factor’ to get under opposition skin. His bigger frame will hold up better than Smith over the demands of an NRL season.
10. Liam Squire
Just a big man with a dirty mullet that fits the bill as the second front-rower. Could probably churn out 60 minutes to take the pressure off Akira. Has great acceleration and speed, very versatile.
11. Ardie Savea
Dynamic second-rower with powerful leg drive. Can get through 20+ tackles a match as well as be a damaging edge ball runner. Can protect Barrett or McKenzie in the defensive line.
12. Sonny Bill Williams (C)
Picks himself really. Two-time premiership winner, international experience with the Kiwis. 118 games of NRL experience. Will lead from the front and knows what it takes to win a Premiership.
13. Sam Cane
Dominant tackling force that could rack up 50 a match easily. Fills a much-needed role packing down at lock.
Coach – John Kirwan (Couple of seasons with the Warriors plus over 10 years of coaching experience)
Assistant Coach – Frano Botica
So how does this team stack up?
The All Blacks finally figure out how to get all three 10’s on the field at once, making a statement to all other NRL teams. With the simplicity of league, the boys just need a bit of extra conditioning, but their superior skills could cause headaches. They will bring a new style of play to the NRL, like the Ipswich Jets, unafraid to pass to the edge and play footy from their own half instead of one-out runners.
Their culture of winning means nothing less will be expected.
Prediction – Win a Premiership within two seasons (to be safe).
Comments on RugbyPass
No doubt this will be a fantastic occasion and I plan to be there, but I think the bean counters have won out over the rugby brains. In my opinion, it is foolhardy to give the Black Ferns the experience of playing in front of 60,000+ at Twickenham a year before they might be playing there in a World Cup Final. Better to play France at Twickenham and Black Ferns at Kingsholm. The difference in takings would be miniscule.
1 Go to commentsDom kant
191 Go to commentsBen is a little incel desperately trying to stir the pot and stay relevant. We used to get mad at his articles. Now we just feel sorry for him
191 Go to commentsPerhaps we may need to put an asterisk on NZ’s ‘87 WC win since the Boks weren’t there. You know, just as a reminder. Poor Ben Smith. Go cry somewhere else.
191 Go to commentsNz should have won. I didn't watch the game, but the ref was at fault and the bounce of the ball and the Bokke used the Bomb squad and the Bokke slow the game down and the Bokke scrum. They should remove the scrum. The Bokke are to strong. Not fair. Nz should have won
2 Go to commentsThanks for a much more balanced piece Ned and not that BS that Bin Smuth just posted a short while ago. read this article and then Bin Smuth’s and tell me there isn’t a huge difference🙄
2 Go to commentsWere the Baby Boks part of this game or did the Baby Blacks play themselves?🤔 That man Bin Smuth once again does a little write-up on the game and it is like 95% about the Baby Blacks🤣 Glad he ends off with the Baby Blacks were actually in cruise control for most of the game and weren’t actually playing for the win WTF🤣🤣 Maybe he was expecting the Baby Blacks to run rampant….
1 Go to commentsOne does not expect anything more from Ben Smith who epitomises the worst of New Zealand media arrogance and an inability to balance what he has to say about any team that beats the All Blacks. His reference to context is pathetically thin. He does not comment that Frizell deserved a red card given his blatant manipulation of his body to ensure that he could drop his body weight onto Mbonambi’s lower leg. No mention of the ball lost forward before the All Black’s try (lost in-field of the 5 metre line and gathered beyond). The All Black commitment and effort was superb and there was little in it. Given the Springbok passage to the final and the loss of their hooker in the first three minutes, their resolve and capacity to win their fourth final out of eight attempts (not three out of ten) deserves the praise that has been forthcoming from media around the world, worth reading and listening to. Ben should join his “pundit” friends on TV - he would fit in well. This sort of article reduces any credibility Rugby Pass has ever had. Why persist with this sort of nonsense? The man does his country and a rugby blog a disservice.
191 Go to commentsEtzebeth went on to say: “I would never dream of saying that systems stay in place following a change in captain. To say that would be deeply, deeply, disrespectful of Siya. A while back an Irish person told me they would be fine without Sexton, so I’m just responding to that.”
3 Go to commentsClose games are what we want to see…. What a match it was…. I am sure that everyone was drained by the end of it. The reality of it all there has to be a winner and a loser. The fact that we still talking about it is almost 6 months to the day Rugby is the winner.. Asante sana… Here is to 2027 and what it will bring out.
191 Go to commentsIt’s going to be a good game. COYQ
1 Go to comments“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
156 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
191 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
191 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
191 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
191 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
191 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the desperation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
191 Go to comments