Last chance saloon for Ngani Laumape?
Patrick McKendry / NZ Herald
One of the more surprising aspects of the Hurricanes’ relatively close quarter-final victory over the Bulls was how well the visitors contained second-five Ngani Laumape, a player with 11 tries this season but who hardly fired an attacking shot last weekend.
He and the Hurricanes will have plenty to ponder over the next few days ahead of their semifinal against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday because if the same thing happens, they’ll have next to no chance of an upset victory against a side who haven’t lost a home playoff match in 22 attempts.
Laumape is the Hurricanes’ go-to guy in terms of providing them momentum against rush defences. The Crusaders will certainly provide that as they seek to again disrupt Beauden Barrett and so there will be an expectation that Laumape will buy the visitors time and space with his carrying against two fellow All Black midfielders in Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue.
Strangely, he ran only six times with the ball against the Bulls in his team’s 35-28 win, and made only three tackles (missing one). He passed the ball only four times. For such an important player to handle the ball so infrequently is odd.
There is even more at stake for him in Christchurch. If the 26-year-old can rediscover his attacking and defensive spark there, he will impress the All Blacks selectors hugely and do no harm to his World Cup hopes.
At the moment, he is probably behind Crotty, Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown and Sonny Bill Williams in the pecking order, with Crusader Braydon Ennor also in the mix, and so it’s entirely possible that despite being close to unstoppable at times for the Hurricanes this season, he could miss out on a trip to Japan.
The selectors feel that good performances during the pressure and intensity of a playoffs match is a greater indication of a player’s readiness to go to the next level.
There has never been that doubt with Crotty, Goodhue or Williams, and the selectors admire Ennor, likely to again be named on the bench on Saturday, for his pace, decision-making and ability to play in the midfield or as an outside back.
Lienert-Brown’s greatest strength as far as the All Blacks are concerned is his ability to add impact off the bench.
Last year, Laumape was told by Steve Hansen and company to work on his communication with first-five Barrett.
“We have got a plan for Ngani,” Hansen said after Laumape wasn’t included in the Rugby Championship squad.
“We want him to spend some time with a little bit less pressure, working on his ability to help his first-five control the game.
“With Ngani, we just want him to have more of a voice, and to learn how to use that, and to be more confident in using it — rather than just being out there and doing his thing. It’s about seeing the bigger picture.”
Laumape, a schoolboy rugby player who spent time with the Warriors before returning to the code via Manawatu and the Hurricanes, has probably made improvements here but if ever there was a time for him to get more involved, it is now, because as their head coach John Plumtree said after their recent win, they need to get everything right against the defending champions.
“It’s a formidable pack and we are mindful of that,” assistant coach Carlos Spencer told Radio Sport’s D’Arcy Waldegrave of the Crusaders. “But look at their backline, some of the quality players they’ve got out there as well means they’re a very good side all over the pitch.
“We’ve definitely got talent, no doubt about that.
“It’s about getting them ball, and front-foot ball. If we’re struggling up front, it’s hard for our boys out the back to get quality ball and show what they can do.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments