'It's now or never': Why the All Blacks need to prioritise opportunity over continuity

Five matches stand between the All Blacks and the World Cup. This week’s team naming ahead of the first of those Tests will give fans an insight into how Ian Foster and co are going to manage continuity and opportunity in those five matches.

Chemistry is crucial for a World Cup but so too is squad depth and form, and therein lies the challenge for the coaching group.

When the All Blacks announced their squad for The Rugby Championship, they named five uncapped players, each of whom had displayed exceptional form throughout the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season. Their selection proved the selectors believed the players were ready to take their game to the next level and should injuries hit the All Blacks squad, those players will need to be ready for big minutes on the international stage.

Any prior experience at the top level will be invaluable in that instance so finding minutes for those players during these few Tests may well be a priority for the All Blacks coaches.

In addition to contingency planning, there’s always the chance of a player making a case for themselves being the No 1 option, and in the eyes of punters, there are one or two positions that may not be locked down.

“I think if you look at the No 6, it’s an area we’ve talked about a lot with obviously (Shannon) Frizell and Akira Ioane previously. But I’m actually backing (Samipeni) Finau to get a shot this week,” Former Maori All Black Bryn Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby pod. “He’d be one that I’d be playing at six with quite an experienced forward pack that we had last year.

“Then you talk about the outside backs, are they going to start Shooter (Shaun Stevenson)? Or are they going to put Beauden Barrett with Richie Mo’unga and get that cohesion going heading into the World Cup?

“Cam Riogard as well I think might be on the bench for his debut.”

In 2022, Stevenson was called into the All Blacks XV as injury cover and impressed against Ireland A and the Barbarians. The secondary All Blacks squad is a valuable opportunity for players to taste a middle ground between Super Rugby and international rugby, and as valuable as training time in the All Blacks camp is, playing time for the XV side has previously been prioritised for players with a specific work on from the All Blacks coaches.

Stevenson’s inclusion in the travelling side to Argentina adds further speculation to Ian Foster’s plans for him. Former All Black James Parsons believes if Stevenson is to make his debut in Argentina, it would have to be in the starting fullback role, as there are better candidates for bench cover.

“That 23 man is a key role in terms of covering the midfield and the outsides so you’d have to probably think (Dallas) McLeod’s sitting pretty for that 23 spot,” Parsons said. “He can literally play all those positions outside 10.

“I think it’s now or never with Shaun, a few things are falling his way, he was called in for Mark Telea, Telea’s travelling so it looks like he’s coming back. And then a few other boys have been sent home.

“I think if it’s going to be now, finding him that opportunity away from home will give them confidence that say someone does go down in the World Cup, that he’s had that moment in the sun, it’ll be a tough atmosphere.

“And he’s just in red hot form. You look at the way he stepped up in that Finals series, that’s some of the best footy, I think it’s the best footy (he’s played). In terms of the pressure, the occasion and what he delivered in all facets of his game, I think he’ll be in the 15 jersey.

“They don’t need to see any more of Beaudy (Barrett). That will be the combination, Richie and Beaudy, I have no doubt but I think this weekend, they know what Beaudy can do. I just think for Shaun, all the ducks are falling into a row.”