Did NZR jump the gun with no games for the All Blacks on the horizon?
Talk about anti-climactic.
I don’t make a habit of feeling bad for professional rugby players. Theirs is a pretty good life, complete with a healthy pay packet and all the other trimmings that go with being young and successful.
But it’s hard not to spare a thought for Alex Hodgman, Caleb Clarke, Hoskins Sotutu, Cullen Grace, Will Jordan and Tupou Vaa’i. After the joy of Father’s Day and of telling their loved ones about their sudden elevation to the All Blacks comes the reality of Mitre 10 Cup training.
What was the hurry here? Why has Ian Foster even named a 35-strong All Blacks’ squad?
We assume the team will play this year, but when exactly? October? November? December? Any later than that and it’ll be 2021.
All the best-laid plans to stage The Rugby Championship in New Zealand appear as if they’ll fall over. Between our COVID-19 situation, and those in South Africa and Argentina, it’s apparent that hosting the four-team tournament is now highly unlikely.
That leaves just Australia as a potential foe, with two tests on either side of the Tasman the anticipated outcome.
An announcement of some sort is expected at the end of this week but, given the various coronavirus protocols that have to be observed, it then looks as if it will be a further month before any All Blacks’ footy gets played.
So why the rush? Why name 35 players now when (at least those who are fit enough) are all off to play provincial rugby for a couple of weeks?
Would it not have made more sense to simply name the team then?
When those seven new caps look back on their life, Sunday will be right up there. With luck, there’ll be marriages and births to look forward to – maybe even a Rugby World Cup final win – but being picked in the All Blacks for the first time will remain as special as any of them.
Your heart would be made of stone if you weren’t moved by the footage of Vaa’i, for instance, sharing the news with his family.
Only his immediate reward is not a test cap. In fact it’s not even the generous fee players earn by being in All Blacks’ camp. No, he’s off to Inglewood to play Taranaki against Bay of Plenty.
Whether they can see it or not, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) have rained on these players’ parades. They’ve taken a moment of immense satisfaction and celebration and diminished it a little.
Mind you, premature and unnecessary calls are becoming an NZR specialty. Again, whether the powers that be like it or not, the decision to appoint Sam Cane All Blacks’ captain looks increasingly optimistic.
We’re at the point of having to collectively cross our fingers where Cane’s concerned, given his history of concussion. He might be symptom-free again – and set to play for the Steamers on Sunday – but for how long?
New Zealand’s 2019 player of the year, Ardie Savea, has to play somewhere, though, and Cane’s openside flanker spot might be it. Looking at the other loose forwards picked: Sotutu, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Cullen Grace and Shannon Frizell, there’s plenty of blokes who can play blindside or No.8, but not so many 7s.
Given his immense ability, sitting Savea on the subs’ bench would seem a bit of a nonsense.
As for the captaincy, well, it’s not hard to imagine Sam Whitelock will assume that role at some stage this season.
Once the team is able to play, of course.
Until then, you still wonder what the point of North v South was.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments