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Jake White: Be warned All Blacks, you risk setting a dangerous precedent
By Jake White
Look away now if you’re squeamish, but I’d like to remind you about what sacrifices have been made in order to the wear the All Blacks jersey. Remember Richard ‘Red’ Conway who famously ordered doctors to amputate his finger in order to allow him to travel on the tour to South Africa in 1960.
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Then there was Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford, who in 1986 had his scrotum stitched up pitchside, before returning to the fray after a stray French boot raked his nether regions. Unsurprisingly the game had a brutal moniker, ‘The Battle of Nantes’.
And who can forget Sam Whitelock’s grandfather Nelson Dalzell, who after being injured by Japanese shrapnel in the Second World War, went on to play for the All Blacks with a piece of wood in place of his smithereened shin, that he taped up and rolled his sock over. These were tough, tough men and the trio have gone down in folklore for their bravery and there are many more stories like that. Individuals who would have given up anything to pull on the silver fern.
I mention this because Stephen Donald’s quotes about eligibility resonated with me. In summation, he said “Call me old school, call me whatever but there’s got to be an element of sacrifice. You get the guys at press conferences, saying, ‘oh, this black jersey means so much to me’. Well, at some point in your life, you got to prove it.”
After a thrilling Autumn Nations Series, once again, there is a lot of talk about eligibility and overseas players. I saw a bunch of stats circulating saying Scotland had the highest percentage of foreign-born players turning out for them in Tests this year, with Japan second. This is kind of ironic because I remember Eddie Jones was very annoyed so many foreigners were playing for Japan. He made a quip at a press conference saying, ‘maybe they should bring in a whole load of foreigners in if these Japanese boys don’t want to play’. And now look at the Japanese side. It’s packed with Islanders and Kiwis. Looking at that online list, only South Africa and Argentina had no foreigners playing for them, so I’ll leave you to your own conclusions.
I know it’s a different debate to playing overseas-based players, but I really think we need to consider that word ‘sacrifice’. Thirty years into professionalism, representing the All Blacks jersey is still the ultimate honour, which don’t forget as an institution is 133 years-old. It was only in 2012 that they bowed to commercial pressure and put a sponsor on the shirt because they didn’t want to cheapen the jersey, and it caused quite a stir at the time. Think of all those legends and how much money they could have made if they’d gone offshore at the peak of their careers.
Now I’m on record as saying I’m an admirer of New Zealand rugby and the values they stand for and I stand by it. The Haka, which was in the news again this autumn, has had several notable attempts to take it down, by the, ‘we don’t need it’, ‘it gives the All Blacks an unfair advantage’ brigade but I love it and see it in the same hallowed space the black jersey belongs. The moment they damage that mystique, and lose that aura they’ve built over generations, they will go backwards at a rate of knots. My point is, if you change the overseas rule for one player – Richie Mo’unga in this instance – you set a dangerous precedent.
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Donald has every right to chip into the debate because he was the fifth choice fly-half, who won them their first World Cup in 16 years. He’s got runs on the board. Yes, the game is professional now, but it doesn’t mean you demean what it is to represent the All Blacks.
You can understand the soul-searching. Scott Robertson’s men would have been frustrated to have gone down to France by a point and how they really failed to put an obdurate Italy away after they put 96 points on them just over a year ago. I can understand them looking around and saying, ‘maybe we just bring the overseas guys in’, but I don’t think that’s the silver bullet to solve their desperation to retain the crown as the world’s best team.
Listen, rugby moves in cycles. I know other countries have looked at the Springboks depth chart with covetous glances, but I can tell you, it wasn’t always like that. We always used to look down there [New Zealand] and say, ‘Jeez, how have they produced yet another superstar wing who seems to have come from nowhere?’ They’ve had the luxury of picking from four countries for decades; New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
I remember coaching South Africa and we played the Pacific Islanders in a Test match in 2004, and then later in the year, we played the All Blacks with the same Tongan No 8, Sione Lauaki. Remember at that stage there was no eligibility criteria like we have today. Once you’d played a Test, that was it. You were locked down to that country. That’s how envious we were of what they had.
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That historical connection is handed down from generation to generation and nowhere is it stronger than New Zealand. I remember the Springboks went to train at these wonderful clubs in New Zealand, like Petone, which was Andy Leslie’s club. If you went into the clubhouse you’d look at the sepia-tinted photographs on the walls of fathers who have played this great game and their grandfathers before them. Without that connection the modern game becomes more meaningless. If a player goes to another club, because they pay a bit more and then suddenly, he’s not playing for his town, he’s not playing for the shirt, and he’s not playing for his family – he’s playing for a pay packet. Now on the Test stage you’re picking players who have no local connection over boys who have played their lives there. I’d say to the custodians of rugby in the Land of the Long White Cloud, be careful what you wish for in the hope of short-term gain because you could be in for long-term pain.
Sadly, I see Wales in the same bracket when it comes to a country that lives and breathes rugby, and having visited recently, it saddens me to see the great clubs like Ebbw Vale, Aberavon, Bridgend, Pontypridd shadows of their former selves. Those farmers and coalminers bred an incredible passion into playing for the Welsh jersey that saw them punching above their weight for so long. I’m sure fans who care about rugby are worrying about when the Welsh game will find a turning point, but the big worry is its direction of travel will be not be upwards, but downwards, and into irrelevance or at least the lower echelons of the Test game. Do they think the easy way out is to scour the globe and find a few South Africans, Kiwis and a few Pacific Islanders and throw them into the Welsh system? I’m not pointing fingers, but it is a relevant question to ask, where does it stop?
I know more than most that it’s a professional game, and that there is intense pressure to win. To use any resource you can and bend the rules to benefit your nation or club. I get all that, but I still think it’s a relevant debate.
The traditionalists – and I probably count myself as one – will always say, let’s keep the old values and customs of our forefathers and that’s because they don’t want lose the soul of what is a very special sport. If you’re out there in front of 80,000 people, belting out the national anthem, before expending blood, sweat and tears, it has to mean something and not just be a business transaction. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Finally, after a wonderful month, the Autumn Nations Series series wraps up with an intriguing tactical battle between two old mates, Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell. I know the Wallabies lost to Scotland – who I thought played really well in crushing their Grand Slam dreams – but despite that setback, Schmidt has all the IP and intelligence on the Irish system because he laid the foundations from 2013 to 2019 of a wildly successful period. Both coaches have the added incentive of going toe-to-toe in six months for the Lions, so there will be so many tantalising match-ups and I’ll be watching closely and wondering if they keep a few tricks up their sleeve for the Lions Series. It should be a box-office encounter.
Go behind the scenes of both camps during the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021. Binge watch exclusively on RugbyPass TV now
Jake has always managed to have a way of saying a hell of a lot, but saying absolutely Nothing at All...!!
If The 'Jersey meant so much' why Did They give it to Islanders at the Expense of Locally Bred Players?
If Jake White reckons there isn’t any sacrifice or commitment involved in the journey of players like Pierre Schoeman, Duhan van der Merwe or Sione Tuipulotu for example, then he is completely wrong and clearly doesn’t understand how life has played out for these guys.
They were rejects from the system they were trying to navigate. Done, dusted, consigned to the scrap heap and it takes some serious balls under those circumstances, to pick yourself up and say NO, I’m not allowing things to end this way. And then set off to the other side of the world and start all over again to prove yourself from scratch. So for me, when I hear these guys talking about their experience, expressing their gratitude to the union that has supported, developed and improved them to test standard, then belting out their adopted anthems with pride, I have no issues with them. None whatsoever.
How were they rejects? Thats a crazy statement. They wernt good enough to be selected for their nation of birth. Representing your country isnt a right you actually have to earn it and its impossible to be rejected from...Just not chosen for.
JW seems to be confusing where professionals play their sport and their eligibility and where they were born and their eligibility. They are two different issues. People are (mostly) free to move to a different country to live and adopt their new homeland as their own.
Interesting article Jake. I'm not a youngster anymore, a few years older than you. I agree and also disagree. I played in the early 80's. The old Trek League in Transvaal ( Lions) and we received R 20 per week for petrol to get to practices. Under the table off course - amateurism. I find your argument a little contradictive. Yes it's a dream to keep players playing in NZ. It's traditional and old school commitment. And you believe that is how the AB's should go. Yet, you say that SA is blessed with the depth at the Boks' disposal. This depth in SA is a direct result of the top Boks playing abroad, which opens opportunities for young players to come through at the Bulls, Sharks etc... KLA, Moodie, SFM, Willemse etc etc might not have had an opportunity to come through if the Boks were forced to play in the SA franchises.
Most importantly. Professionalism is here to stay. More and more players are going to play abroad. No one will stop that.
Rather than fighting against it, include players that play abroad. This goes for all nations. Whether we like it or not, rugby will become just like soccer and baseball. Players playing all over the world for clubs, and then drafted in for their respective countries.
A rugby example of this professionalism is Argentina. We can all see the upward trend in Argentina.
I'm a Saffa and I love the current policies of the AB's. It keeps them beatable. Nudge nudge wink wink...
Just wait till SA has only 3 teams of players to choose from. Watch them slide.
Bobby Skinstad, Adrian Garvey, Beast, Montgomery, Corne Krige, Teichman,Tonderai Chavanga are all Springboks who were not born in SA. Maybe SA don’t have any foreign born players at the moment. But our coaches are not adverse to picking them.
Corne from zambia (farm outside lusaka) Adrian Zim as well.as Harry Roberts, Chris Roger's Ray Mordt David Smith, Ian Robertson
What A Load of Dreamt Up Nonsense! All Came Through The SA School System. Besides Beast All Were Born Of SA Parents.
Percy and Corne' were Both From SWA (Not Namibia) When It Was Still Part Of SA.
The coach is going to select what is available. Can't argue that.
You have named 7 springbok players over a period spanning 1996 - 2019.
NZ had between 6 and 8 players in their squad in the last year. And about that number going back some time now.
Totally different contexts.
The issue isn't about selection of players based on where they were born. The issue is around where they are playing their club rugby professionally.
Argh! Call me a grammar Nazi. 'Averse'...
Sharp and accurate article as always, Mr. White. I agree with you on what a test between nations should be, but unfortunately the abuse of eligibility rules seems to be the norm for much of the so-called "Tier 1" nations. Strange thing, in that level, their dependence of imported talent... they should be generating thousand just by themselves...
And to the short list of SA and ARG I would like to add the vast majority of Tier 2 countrys who rely only in national talent. I wonder if this is what prevent them to reach the upper levels???. If so, there is so much more to do in our game...
I highly rate Jake White but he falls into the nonsense idea that New Zealand has been selecting from four countries which isn't true. NZ has a huge population of people of Pacific island descent and the vast majority of those in the Allblacks are those with Ardie Savea a perfect example.
Secondly the Pacific Islanders that have shifted to NZ to chase the Allblacks dream are doing all of their professional player development by NZ rugby which occupies a place that another prospective player misses out on.
Like any professional sport most that try to migrate to crack the big time usually don't make it, we only see the ones that do.
So, please don't mistake everyone that plays for the Allblacks of Pacific island descent to have not been born and raised in NZ.
These stated 'countries' have tiny populations compared to South Africa and are very much dependent on NZ and Australia in the case of Samoa and Tonga. Large amount of money flows up to these islands via NZ and Australia and to many others such as Niue, Tokelau etc.
There are many more people of Samoan descent in Auckland than in Samoa.
Sione was able to play for a pacific island selection against the Boks and then NZ.
However there is no way you can switch from any of these countries to the Allblacks without the same stand down everyone else has to go through and I'm not aware of this being at all likely with even one Tongan, Samoan or Fijian international.
This is also forgetting that many of the Tongan and Samoan rugby team are born and bred Kiwis.
Apart from these couple of myths Jake is as usual on the money. Richie Mounga needs to play in NZ if he wants to fight to get the ten jersey, he was fantastic at last year's world cup.
However Richie is no longer a spring chicken and he needs to prove he's not lost his hunger to play for the Allblacks.
He needs to come back and prove himself and that's the sacrifice others make to earn less but have the black jerseys prestige.
Yes, the Boks have benefited from the overseas selection but South Africa has its own path to follow that is uniquely different to NZ's.
Yeah he doesn’t get the difference between birth and descent does he?Honestly we needed violins playing in the background of this piece
You make an excellent point. I believe NZ had 6 members of their squad who were born outside of NZ? These players largely products of New Zealand Schools and New Zealand Rugby.
I think this does make it tricky for NZ to changes it's eligibility rules to the extent that NZ may become a mere stepping stone for some of these youngsters to move to Europe and Japan soon after turning professional (or sooner). Particularly if they are overlooked. After being developed by your systems, for better money and better exposure.
SA has a surplus of players, and used eligibility criteria to strength it's performance and position in World Rugby (after dropping to 7th in the World). This in turn has had a positive impact on the overall industry in SA - which in turn will strengthen the financial position of rugby in SA over time. So long as the boks and the bok brand keep doing well!
What worked for SA won't necessarily work for anyone else.
Jake White also has an agenda - he has been outspoken about boks being selected from overseas - so while he calls himself a traditionalist, he wants to have more boks available to him. Which is completely understandable in the context of professional rugby, wanting to field the best players to win...
But then the Bulls Rugby Company must work on being more profitable and by extension having the budgets to pay top players better. Why should the players bare the brunt of market and economic conditions? Why should the players make economic sacrifices because of issues beyond there control? I don't think that's fair and smacks of exploitation.
I don't think NZ is ever going to change it's eligibility rules and that this debate is largely a non-issue.
Australia Born
Ethan De Groot –
Tyrel Lomax – Former Australia U20s
Tonga Born
Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Samisoni Taukei’aho- Former Tonga U19s
Samipeni Finau
Shannon Frizzell - Forner Tonga U20s
Leicester Fainga’anuku
Samoa Born
Nepo Laulala
Fiji Born
Emoni Narawa
I knew Sione and was close friends with his younger brother Siosi from early childhood in West Auckland. They were third generation family living in NZ round the time Sione got picked. He was a through n through kiwi with Tongan heritage, like the many other pacific island players who have gained higher honors in rugby. There have been couple exceptions of players that have represented the All blacks without earning their trade here, Frizell comes to mind. But few and far between.
Yeah. It was yet another sly gratuitous dig. He didnt have to do it because he must know the truth. Ruined his otherwise good article.
Mounga has proven beyond doubt that he is happy to not play for NZ again. He signed the contract that put him in Japan. No one else forced him. The guy will never be any better than the 5 years we have already seen and that five years hasnt exactely been impressive. There is nothing "great" about Mounga... Just not bad....
Some I agree and some I disagree. Well written as usual and hard to argue, but...
Take Duhan of Scotland, born and bred SA. Didn't get a chance and ended up in Scotland where he played hard and gave his best and got chosen to play for Scotland. Now he got the most tries for them.
He didn't jump from Boks to Scots. The Boks refused his talent and the Scots did not. That doesn't make him a mercenary. A mercenary is more someone like Jean Kleyn, a SA player who played for the Irish and now SA. 2 different international teams.
Same as you Jake. A coach mercenary. Why coach in any other country if you are so loyal and old school? You have your opinions, and others have different opinions.
SA only use SA born players, no matter where they play in the world. That won't change. Get with the times or fall behind. The eligibility rules were outdated and got updated. They went with the times.
As usual a candid and unbiased article by a knowledgeable and very successful coach
This is why foreign coaches end up destroying the fabric of rugby. Who wants to play for a mercenary who will betray their own country ?
Kiwi coaches have destroyed the fabric of rugby in Wales and they are out to do it to Australia as well.
That has got to be one of the most rugby ignorant comments posted on this site. Ever!
Yellow card deserved.
You are like a cracked record Walter. Same old whine ad infinitum. Imagine being married to you and hearing the same old moan day after day.
Of I'm sorry I forgot your wife left you years ago didn't she.
Got out while she still had some sanity.
Aus looked really good one your ocker EJ of course.
Sheesh, maybe a little hyperbolic here mate. Yes Gatland is overseeing one of Wales' worst periods in Test footy, but to say things like betray their own country and destroy fabric of rugby is ridiculous.
Maybe these unions themselves should first consider the ridiculous contracts they offer these coaches and then have to pay out early when not happy with the results.
Australia on the other hand have started to look a lot better under Joe Schmidt compared to just a year ago when they were a rabble under... yep you got, an Australian coach!!
If I was Scottish I would be embarrassed to just sell the Scottish identity to the biggest Afrikaans boy. It cheapens talk of 'the jersey', 'the country', 'our people' - if you get a bunch of mercenaries like Schoeman and van der Merwe to win games for you.
I love seeing players who couldn’t get a shot in NZ kicking it’s ass overseas.
Jamison Gibson Park couldn’t get a start in Super Rugby, James Lowe was always on the cusp of ABs but had guys ahead of him, same with Bundee and Gareth Anscombe.
Those guys would never have developed into the players they are without getting an opportunity in overseas.
Abundance of talent will always mean two things: quality of competition drives up the quality of the rugby itself, and migration.
If you want to be cynical about it then that’s up to you, but it’s something I celebrate.
Sione Tuitupou had a magic moment scoring a try against Australia with his Granny watching on in the stand, you’ve got to be one misery gutted sorry sack of bitterness to moan about nationality when seeing something like that.
Ireland and Wales too have been doing it for years now too with the Kiwi boys. Its just the way Int footy works for the countries with a lack of depth. NZ being doing it for years, but mostly get the players from PI countries at high school level, rather than once they have been through all of their adult training at Super Rugby level like Ireland seem to love doing. SA now the envy of the world with their home bred depth, which goes scary deep as an ABs fan