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'It's impressive': The player Dave Rennie was stunned the All Blacks didn't want

By Online Editors
(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has admitted to some envy over the All Blacks‘ squad depth, as he revealed the squad that is set to take them on in the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.

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Rennie revealed a 44-man squad yesterday as the Wallabies prepare to travel to New Zealand this weekend to play two Bledisloe Cup tests – though they first have to negotiate a stint in quarantine that Rennie has called ‘unacceptable’.

However, when asked about the All Blacks’ squad, Rennie noted the fortune of his counterparts’ strength in depth – pointing to someone who he used to coach at the Chiefs as an example of a player he was surprised the All Blacks selectors didn’t pick – not even for the North v South clash.

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“Geez, it’s impressive, isn’t it? If you can leave someone like Lachlan Boshier out, who I thought was incredible during Super Rugby Aotearoa, he didn’t even make the North Island side. That tells you about the depth of New Zealand rugby,” remarked Rennie.

“But in the end they can only put 15 on the field at once, so we’ll be working hard to make sure we’ve got a side that can compete.”

Boshier was the surprise omission from the final 23-man teams for the North v South match, with his snub speaking to New Zealand rugby’s rich loose forward depth and the All Blacks’ desire to harness more physicality from this area of their game.

Boshier, often in tandem with All Blacks captain Sam Cane, was one of New Zealand’s form loose forwards this season. He was a constant menace at the breakdown where he frequently won telling turnovers while his defensive work rate was off the charts.

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New All Blacks selector John Plumtree admitted leaving Boshier out of the North v South clash, and with it, ultimately the All Blacks’ squad, was one of his most difficult decisions.

“If you look at the group it’s a tough loose forward trio to break into and that can happen.

“He’s got a couple of things he’s going to work on and he has a bit of direction around that. I’m sure he’s going to get many opportunities above Super level in the future.

“It was a tough call but there were many tough calls there’s many good players not here.”

Rennie has named 16 uncapped players in his first squad as Wallabies head coach, signalling a generational shift by retaining only 16 of 31 players who took part in last year’s World Cup.

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In a clear shift towards youth and regeneration, eight of Rennie’s 16 new caps made their Super Rugby debuts this year and the squad has an average age of 24.

Rennie has yet to name his captain but the incumbent, Michael Hooper, was among the veterans who retained his position.

No overseas-based players were named in the initial squad, though on Thursday Rugby Australia announced an amendment to its rules to allow Rennie to include an additional two overseas-based players who don’t meet the existing 60-cap and seven-year service threshold for selection. The move follows the departure of several senior Wallabies players to Japan and Europe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Backrowers Isi Naisarani and Jack Dempsey and veteran midfielder Tevita Kuridrani are notable omissions from the squad.

Rennie has named four locks, including seasoned Rob Simmons who is the only man in the squad to have played 100 tests. But Rennie may still may look overseas to Rory Arnold, Will Skelton and Izack Rodda for reinforcement.

Uncapped Irae Simone and Len Ikitau from the ACT Brumbies have been named in midfield and Filipo Daugunu and James Ramm among the outside backs.

There are eight props, including the newcomers Angus Bell and Pone Fa’aumasili. New cap Tate McDermott is named at scrumhalf beside Nic White, Joe Powell and Jake Gordon and flyhalves Will Harrison and Noah Lolesio join James O’Connor and Matt To’omua.

Prop Jermaine Ainsley was named in the squad despite potentially being unavailable from next year, as he has signed with the Highlanders.

Wallabies squad: Jermaine Ainsley, Allan Alaalatoa, Tom Banks, Angus Bell, Filipo Daugunu, Pone Fa’amausili, Folau Fainga’a, Jake Gordon, Ned Hanigan, Will Harrison, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Michael Hooper, Tom Horton, Trevor Hosea, Len Ikitau, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Jack Maddocks, Tate McDermott, Fraser McReight, James O’Connor, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Hunter Paisami, Jordan Petaia, Matt Philip, Joe Powell, James Ramm, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Pete Samu, Rob Simmons, Irae Simone, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Lachie Swinton, Matt To’omua, Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese, Rob Valetini, Nic White, Harry Wilson, Liam Wright, Tom Wright.

– With AP

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J
Jon 8 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 10 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.

40 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 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

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