Have the Blues uncovered the final piece of their backline puzzle?
The dawn of the 2021 NPC season brings with it plenty of anticipation for the diehards of New Zealand provincial rugby.
It also looms as a hunting ground for Super Rugby franchises looking to bolster their squads for the upcoming season.
Most franchises have the bulk of their rosters locked in for the new-look 2022 campaign, although each team have voids they need filled and will likely look to the NPC to plug those gaps.
The Blues are among those teams as the Auckland-based club have been hit with a number of player departures in the wake of their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title success.
Gone is chief pivot Otere Black, who took over the playmaking reins during Beauden Barrett’s sabbatical in Japan this season.
He is heading to the newly-named Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu, while captain Patrick Tuipulotu will also head to Japan as part of a fresh sabbatical deal.
Experienced flanker Blake Gibson, meanwhile, is heading south to join the Hurricanes in a swap deal that sees hooker Ricky Riccitelli move north.
Riccitelli is, at this stage, one of three confirmed arrivals for the Blues ahead of the new season, with Barrett and former NRL star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck the other newbies and returnees.
Having Barrett and Tuivasa-Sheck in the Blues’ ranks for the next two seasons is significant for the franchise as they aim to extend their newfound success beyond Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.
Together, the pair will help the Blues form arguably the most stacked and exciting backline in Super Rugby that perhaps only the Crusaders will be able to match in star power.
With Barrett likely to resume his duties in the No 10 jersey, he should partner All Blacks rookie Finlay Christie in the halves, while Rieko Ioane is the frontrunner to retain the No 13 jersey he has dominated since last year.
Caleb Clarke will also return from the All Blacks Sevens camp to slot back onto the left wing, and young prodigy Zarn Sullivan showed enough class from fullback in his debut Super Rugby campaign to keep his role in the No 15 jersey.
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That leaves two backline positions – second-five and right wing – up for grabs, and Tuivasa-Sheck has been pinpointed as a likely candidate to fill both those spots.
It’s unknown whether the 2018 Dally M Medallist will be a midfielder, wing or fullback in rugby union, but given his experience as a wing and fullback in league, it seems his primary position in the XV-man game is destined to be in the outside backs.
As former All Blacks and NRL star Sonny Bill Williams said last week, wing looks the most appropriate position for Tuivasa-Sheck, at least in the early stages of his cross-code switch.
For that reason, it is more fathomable to suggest we will see Tuivasa-Sheck in the No 14 jersey, not only for the Blues next season, but also for Auckland this season – potentially as early as this weekend.
That leaves just the No 12 jersey vacant, and with TJ Faiane set to depart the Blues to join the likes of Black and Tuipulotu in Japan next year, it is anyone’s guess as to who will act as his replacement.
Of those currently signed on for 2022, only playmaker Harry Plummer stands as a viable candidate with experience at second-five to stand-in for Faiane.
But, what if the Blues have been presented with a wildcard, yet potentially quality, prospect to replace Faiane right in their own backyard on the eve of the 2021 NPC season?
Tuivasa-Sheck, of course, is not the only new dual-code signing Auckland have pulled off this season, as former Warriors and Melbourne Storm wing Solomone Kata will don the blue-and-white hoops over the course of the coming weeks.
Unlike Tuivasa-Sheck, though, Kata has 18 months of professional experience in union, having played for the Brumbies over the past two Super Rugby seasons.
During his time in Canberra, the ex-New Zealand and Tonga league international, a former teammate of Tuivasa-Sheck’s at the Warriors and Kiwis, has made his name on the wing.
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A powerful athlete, Kata began his career in union with a hiss and a roar, scoring five tries in his first six outings for the Brumbies before Covid-19 brought a halt to the competition last March.
Since then, opportunities have been comparatively far and few between for the 26-year-old, who has failed to cross the line since then after largely being demoted to bench roles throughout both Super Rugby AU campaigns.
Kata was afforded more starts in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, where his blockbusting ability was on full show from the right wing.
Among the league-leaders for defenders beaten, it was a common sight to see Kata bounce through would-be tacklers as the Brumbies finished the competition as one of only two Australian teams to register victories over New Zealand opponents.
Kata’s exploits in rugby league were similar as he used his supreme physical traits to cross for 46 tries in 93 NRL matches as a centre between 2015 and 2019.
The Brumbies must have believed his try-scoring prowess in league would have yielded similar results in union by putting him on the wing, but it’s difficult not to think that his attributes would be better utilised in the midfield.
More specifically, Kata seems to fit the mould of barnstorming ball-carrier from second-five, whose talents are akin to that of former All Blacks and Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape.
Coincidentally, Laumape was a Warriors teammate of Kata’s in 2015, and both offer a similar skill-set, of which made Laumape an incredibly damaging player in the No 12 jersey throughout his time in New Zealand rugby.
Ultimately, the All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby deemed Laumape surplus to requirements in favour of other midfielders with broader skill-sets, but the Hurricanes flourished in Super Rugby as a result of his ability to plough through the defensive line.
In a competition where attacking rugby thrives, it must be said that Kata possesses similar potential to that of Laumape in Super Rugby.
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That potential is likely to be better realised if Kata is playing in a position that is more suited to him for a team that is in the midst of their most successful period in almost two decades.
With depth and quality across the board, it’s probable the Blues’ success will extend beyond this year, but the acquisition of a powerful second-five to replace Faiane could go some way to ensuring that.
Given Kata is now on the books of Auckland, the Blues have a ready-made replacement hanging in the wings right in the heart of their catchment region.
Granted, Kata’s deal with the Brumbies doesn’t expire until the end of next year, but early contract releases aren’t uncommon in Super Rugby.
Just this season, Highlanders flyer Solomon Alaiamalo and Chiefs speedster Chase Tiatia moved franchises with a year left to run in their previous deals with the Chiefs and Hurricanes, respectively.
Critics may also point to Kata’s defensive deficiencies, which plagued his NRL stint, or his lack of finesse required of a midfielder, but time in the saddle with Auckland would help iron those issues out.
It’s not as if he’s being given much of a chance to alleviate those concerns at the Brumbies following the breakout of the pandemic, so an extended period in the Auckland starting lineup could see him develop into a more well-rounded player.
If he stands out in the NPC, the recruitment of Kata must surely come into consideration for the Blues as they look for the final piece to complete their tantalising backline puzzle.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
24 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
24 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
24 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments