Five All Blacks that are post-World Cup departure risks
The four-year Rugby World Cup cycle influences nearly everything in the game, from team planning to rights deals to player movement. With just over 12 months to go, a number of players will make decisions on their future in the coming year for 2020 and beyond. With a number of guys deciding to go a year early like Lima Sopoaga and Seta Tamanivalu, many more announcements will come in the next year.
Whilst some players will find a way to stay in their home nations, many will look offshore for a career payday. As the All Black jersey commands the most on the open market, we consider five New Zealand players who will be a flight risk post-Japan.
Ryan Crotty
The mid-field master has dealt with a series of concerning head knocks this season which has seen the Crusaders midfielder spend extended time on the sidelines. His commitment to New Zealand paid off after spending years behind the unbreakable partnership of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, becoming a valuable part of the All Blacks setup.
2019 will be his first World Cup as a key player and it’s been a step-by-step approach to get there. His contracts have been one-year extensions, inching towards the showpiece event but once it’s over he will be 31-years old. With New Zealand’s next generation centre stocks looking strong and injury concerns pressing, Crotty will likely head North after the Cup.
Ardie Savea
The younger Savea presents a pre and post-Cup flight risk. His two-year extension signed in 2016 only secures him until the end of this year. He is currently unsigned for 2019 with no news yet confirming otherwise. If he does commit for one more season, he will be just 26-years-old when the Rugby World Cup finishes.
There is one clear reason he may leave – Sam Cane. Cane has been the heir to McCaw starting nearly the tests at Openside since the legend retired in 2015. That presents a problem for the Hurricanes flank. While he has years ahead of him to play in the black jersey, those appearances will likely be from the bench with no guarantees of competition for the starting role.
With Cane also rumoured to be the next All Blacks captain, Savea may look at his options overseas. At 24-years-old in the prime of his athletic ability, he may command over a million per year in Euros or Pounds, making a move to Europe very attractive.
Sonny Bill Williams
The All Blacks could lose both midfielders with Sonny Bill Williams entering the twilight years of his career. Renown for taking on new challenges and new codes, Williams will most definitely assess his options following the World Cup.
His three-year deal signed in 2016 will expire at the end of 2019 and he will be 34-years-old. A move back to the NRL seems unlikely but a reunion with Toulon in the south of France might just be the way Williams wants to go out.
His three years at the club from 2008-2010 concluded with no silverware, and Williams has always strived for team glory. With two World Cup winners medals, two Super Rugby titles, two NRL premierships to his name he may look to compete for a Top 14 title and a Champions Cup with the French Galacticos.
Toulon’s owner has always expressed a desire to bring Williams back and has gone on record stating “As long as I am president of RCT, I will try to bring back Sonny Bill to Toulon.”
Nehe Milner-Skudder
The explosive outside back was a bolter in 2015 that took the world by storm, from obscurity to the World Cup in one year. Since then he has had a host of setbacks, with long-term injuries keeping the fan favourite from building on his promising start.
He inked a two-year extension last year to stay until the end of 2019 and has fought his way back into the All Black fold for next years World Cup but may look for long-term security after it.
He has expressed his passion for Manuwatu and the Hurricanes but after the last few years, no one could hold it against him for taking an overseas offer. He will be 29-years-old at the end of 2019.
Beauden Barrett
The world’s best player is the NZR’s number one signing priority and may be thought of as a given to re-sign. However, he is still off-contract after 2019 and there are a series of unprecedented circumstances evolving that add some risk to Barrett leaving, however small that risk may be.
Firstly, reports of a potential NZD$10 million deal over three years by a French club would make Barrett the highest paid player in the world. Thought to be on a million a year currently, it is not known how much the NZR could counter-offer but it would be a stretch to match that. Everyone has a price and the disparity could become a problem.
He will be 28-years-old after the World Cup, and whilst he could make the next one at 32-years-old it could be McKenzie or Mo’unga’s time in the 10 jersey. Carter made it as a 35-year-old but had evolved his game to rely less on a running game, whereas Barrett’s speed is his number one weapon and will likely decline by 2023.
Barrett turned down huge money from the Northern Hemisphere in 2016, just as he took over as the number one 10 in the country. He professed a love for Taranaki, the Hurricanes and the All Blacks which he confirmed ‘is the reason’ he plays rugby.
It would be hard to imagine Barrett not sticking around, but it cannot be ruled out as unprecedented offers hit his table. For what it is worth, I believe the All Blacks 10 jersey will be too hard for Barrett to let go, as well as playing alongside his brothers in the New Zealand side.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
49 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
49 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
49 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
49 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
49 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
49 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
49 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
49 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
49 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
49 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
49 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to commentsHaha lads lads lads, that’s how you have a holiday In Majorca
4 Go to comments