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'I know some rugby fans think the competition is compromised as a result'

By Online Editors
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Patrick McKendry/NZ Herald

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As Blues wing Rieko Ioane reflected on his impressive two-try performance against the Chiefs in his team’s round-one defeat at Eden Park, he was asked whether he would like to play for longer next Saturday against the Waratahs in Newcastle.

“Definitely longer,” Ioane replied.

As a top All Black, Ioane is on restricted playing minutes in Super Rugby, a policy which has been in place for nearly a decade.

He played for 56 minutes during the 37-29 defeat last Friday, with skipper and fellow All Black Patrick Tuipulotu playing 54 minutes. Both left the pitch in the middle of a sensational comeback from Warren Gatland’s side which reaped 32 second-half points.

As two of the most experienced players in Leon MacDonald’s team, both are integral to the Blues’ fortunes but neither Ioane, Tuipulotu, nor any of the other top-tier All Blacks – and there were several playing for the Chiefs including Sam Cane and Anton Lienert-Brown – have much of a say about their playing time over the first three rounds of the competition.

Continue reading below…

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Ioane played only five tests last year, including two at the World Cup in Japan – the pool match against Namibia and bronze playoff against Wales.

His recent performance didn’t reflect either rustiness or fatigue. In fact, in losing two or three kilograms over the off season, Ioane looked as focused as he ever has for the Blues as he attempts to win his All Black spot back.

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His brace of tries required immense power along with the speed which normally gets him across the line – he has scored 24 tries in his 29 tests – but the demands the modern game makes on top players these days dictate New Zealand Rugby’s protocol of what it describes as “load management” following the off season.

The protocol applies to all five New Zealand teams and all followed it closely over round one. The Highlanders had a bye.

Hurricanes coach Jason Holland may have wished to have the services of All Blacks TJ Perenara and Jordie Barrett for far longer than he did during his side’s 27-0 defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town, but rules are rules, although they do allow for some flexibility, said NZ Rugby’s high performance manager Mike Anthony.

“I know some rugby fans think the competition is compromised as a result but the intention is to have the All Blacks fit at the right stage of the season and by and large we achieve that,” Anthony told the Herald.

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The policy has been in place since 2010, Anthony confirmed, although then it was more of a “gentleman’s agreement”. Now it qualifies as a regulation.

“Since 2010 the All Blacks have won two World Cups and Kiwi sides have won seven out of 10 Super Rugby titles,” Anthony said.

“Given our top players have only a 12-week off season, which isn’t long enough frankly, we have to manage their return to play very careful. We’re really mindful that the demands on our players in terms of travelling and playing in Super Rugby and then later in the international season have risen considerably.”

The convention is New Zealand’s top players will play 40, 60 and then 80 minutes over the first three rounds, although that could be managed differently – for example 60/60/60, said Anthony. They also get two weeks either to spend away from the team or to focus on their physical conditioning.

Hurricanes and All Blacks midfielder Ngani Laumape played the full 80 minutes at Newlands but didn’t attend the World Cup.

However, given he will almost certainly be in Ian Foster’s plans this year, Laumape’s workload will be monitored.

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has been more effective than most at managing his top men – he had Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock, Matt Todd, Kieran Read and Ryan Crotty to manage last year, along with Joe Moody, Scott Barrett, Jack Goodhue, Sevu Reece and George Bridge.

Robertson’s half dozen veterans have now moved on (a sabbatical in Whitelock’s case), but others have quickly risen to the challenge and none appeared to be missed during his side’s round-one victory over the Waratahs in Nelson.

Robertson also had the luxury of being able to rest Moody and Bridge in round one.

Chiefs and All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick is also on a sabbatical (playing in Japan), while new Blues No 10 Beauden Barrett is on extended leave and found himself in a Kansas City Chiefs jersey at the Super Bowl in Miami where his adopted team beat the 49ers 31-20.

All Blacks playing minutes in round one of Super Rugby:

Blues: Rieko Ioane (56 min), Patrick Tuipuloto (54).

Chiefs: Sam Cane (40), Nepo Laulala (19), Angus Ta’avao (21), Atu Moli (40), Brad Weber (23), Anton Lienert-Brown (40).

Crusaders: Sevu Reece (33), Codie Taylor (40), Richie Mo’unga (40), Scott Barrett (47), Jack Goodhue (47).

Hurricanes: Jordie Barrett (57), Ngani Laumape (80), TJ Perenara (50).

This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.

Whilst the extra week off has been good for the squad, assistant coach Tony Brown feels like the Highlanders are late to the party following a Round 1 bye:

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J
Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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