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International

'I don't understand': Former All Black puzzled by halfback selections

Henry Lee

200 days ago

Finlay Christie at All Blacks training. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images

With the November Internationals only three weeks away, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has named his 36-man squad for the end-of-year tour.

The Grand Slam tour includes a rematch against Ireland in Chicago, a Test against Scotland in Edinburgh, England in London and Wales in Cardiff.

Robertson’s squad only has a couple of changes to the TRC squad that finished second behind South Africa.

George Bell replaces Brodie McAlister, Josh Lord replaces Tupou Vaa’i and Hurricanes prop Tevita Mafileo is the only debutant in the squad.

Former All Black halfback Justin Marshall is slightly surprised that there is no major surprises or selections in Robertson’s squad.

“It’s very mandatory of what they’ve been using this season and to a degree last year as well. No real major surprises or bolters, as we like to say,” Marshall said on Sport Nation Mornings with Ian Smith.

“So obviously, Scott Robertson, is the one that is responsible for taking the players that he believes can go away and win four Test matches.

When asked about one of the standouts from the Bunnings NPC competition, Otago’s Dylan Pledger, Marshall is confused about why Finlay Christie wouldn’t be in the All Blacks XV squad instead.

“Look, I don’t feel that you you have to hold back on players when they’ve been in the system and no doubt, Dylan Pledger in particular has been in the system. He’s a player that has been under their watch, so when you’re watching a player like that, at some stage, you know that you’ve got to pull the trigger on them.

“And I just don’t feel there’s a future in Finlay Christie, so why the hell are they taking him, like I don’t understand the thought process there where you’ve got two established half backs in Cameron Roigard and Cortez Ratima, you could have put Finlay Christie in the All Blacks XV that’ll be in the UK.

Pledger starred for Otago on Friday night against Waikato in the first quarter-final, scoring a try early in the first half and a 60m intercept try in the second half.

Marshall believes that getting a player like Pledger into camp now, will help him in the long term, just by getting the 20-year-old used to the environment.

“Get a guy like Dylan Pledger in the system like put him in the mix, see how he reacts in the environment he might not get any minutes, but get him involved, and let him know what it feels like to be in an All Black camp.

“So I don’t understand why they are not being brave and bold, given that they’ve had inconsistency in their Test matches and their success, take a risk, and to be honest. I don’t feel like taking Dylan Pledger is a risk.”

Comments

35 Comments

PickOllieMathisYeowRazorYouCoward 199 days ago

Ollie Mathis, Dylan Pledger, Josh Jacomb in.

Sevu Reece/Duplissi Kiriffi, Finlay, Beaudan Barret out.

Got no hair on ya peaches, razor.

Another 199 days ago

If Roigard and Ratima both get injured, as has happened this year, and you have a test match against Ireland or England, or whoever, in front of a large, hostile crowd….would you rather have a Halfback with a bunch of experience to call upon or a 20-year-old rookie? Not a hard choice, if you think about it.

JJ 199 days ago

So Justin complained about France sending development players to tour in New Zealand, but now wants New Zealand to send development players for the Quilter Nations Series.

d 199 days ago

seems reasonable to me, how hard can quilting be?

Dave Didley 199 days ago

They weren’t any better or worse this time last year but went on to have a decent Autumn series.

Feels very different this time. Wales is a free one but IRE & ENG are at best 50/50 and SCO could be the surprise result of this series.

Doesn’t feel in any way like a settled squad.

Zephyr 199 days ago

Does anyone really care what Justin Marshall has to say?

His comments are generally tiresome, finding the negative and the sooner the media companies stop his dialogue the better.

Nickers 200 days ago

Don’t just get him in the system, let the guy play!

Mo 200 days ago

Never been a fsn of Christie.

Nowhere near All Blacks level. Everytimr he has been selected, we seem to suffer historic defeats.

samoanmaori100 200 days ago

We have a world cup coming up and we are struggling with cohesion the only way to build that is to keep the team together once Holtham comes back there's no need for Findley and he becomes 4th string. Pledger hasn't even played super rugby yet putting him straight in the abs is doing him a disservice

Nickers 200 days ago

There is a minimum talent threshold for cohesion to be important.

JW 200 days ago

NPC is of a high enough standard. How’s SR supposed to benefit him?

So you are you taking as your third?

HY 200 days ago

It seems strange there are people, including Marshall are feeling that Pledger could have been picked. This is a conservative panel and we’ve already had Preston and Roe in the squad this year. With that fact and also Pledger having not appeared at super rugby level, I wouldn’t be surprised if he missed ABs XV selection as well.

JW 200 days ago

Who is conservative? They should be looking at their pathways, theres no need to play SR if everyone thinks he’s ready.

Are you trying to say it’s a fault of the coaching team that they wouldn’t do that though?

I don’t see enough smarts in Roe for international level. He’s a good half for sure, but I would happily see Pledger preferred over him, along with Fakatava and Preston.

TD 200 days ago

I need people to start naming the names they believe should be in the squad.

JW 200 days ago

Yes theres been a distinct lack of that. Even myself was picking injured players ahead of tourists.

B 200 days ago

For mine, Finlay Christie has shown that he doesn't have the Xfactor to play at RWC level so why pick him when he’s only an AB'sXV at best..

I'm still pissed off after Foster and Christies Blues coach Joe Schmidt promoted him over Cam Roigard for the RWC 2023 Final…so do me a big favour and leave him behind in Scotland…thanks…

Meanwhile with the AB'sXV squad announcement tomorrow, maybe JJ will opt to go with the NPC form of Fakatava and Pledger??..or not..

Otherwise it’s an AB's squad thats been picked for their experience because Robertson's is afraid of losing any games by blooding newbies, that’s JJ's department so its wait and see what they've come up with….

Mo 200 days ago

Completely agree with you. Christie has no business in the black jersey. A failed pick from Foster and his goon squad.

JW 200 days ago

Razor said he wants the other two (ABXV) to get the game time, not Christie.

OutRun22 200 days ago

He finally listened to me lol yes Bell is who he should of had before instead of ponderous mcalister and yes lord is bigger than injured lock Vaii who should have stayed at 6. But its too late as u still lost to argentina and boks anyway. Nothing wrong with Christie at HB and neither is new comer Pledger. he goes with the better defender but slower . Pledger is actually what we need against the big teams as the likes of the boks have all of the elements down already mega size and speed and now added confidence with their snap attack which brown and rassie has developed with them.

JW 200 days ago

Sounded like Razor was saying Bell is a bit injury prone still and didn’t want him playing, so decided to have him train with the ABs and McAlister player for the XV.

I would have liked it if he just said he wants to see and give Bell a chance, like how Rassie has to rotate his players in and our (as he can’t rely on a domestic season to compare players he has to get hands on).

MDL 200 days ago

Razor would not have selected Brady Sorensen-McGee on the grounds that she was too young and inexperienced 😅

d 200 days ago

Does Braxton have a sister as good as she is?

LW 200 days ago

They are simply a cowardly selection panel. Even worse than Foster was and he was bad. Back of the bus, jobs for the boys already in the team, “you're not ready for test rugby” attitude towards any up and comer who hasn't yet played test rugby. Backwards, and NZ is the only country still operating in this way.

Injury is the only avenue for new talent to get chances no matter how good their form, and injury is the best selector on the panel.

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