New season, new conundrum at No 10 for Chiefs
With Damian McKenzie heading to Japan and Josh Ioane arriving in Chiefs country for the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific season, coach Clayton McMillan now faces the task of again determining how to best use his playmaking cattle.
This year, McKenzie, Bryn Gatland and Kaleb Trask were all handed opportunities in the No 10 jersey with Gatland taking the reins throughout much of the Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign and McKenzie eventually emerging as the first-choice first five-eighth.
Even when McKenzie wasn’t employed at No 10, he would often regularly pop up at first receiver throughout matches or slip into the playmaking role later in the piece.
In Ioane, the Chiefs now have a replacement who can similarly fit in at 10 or 15 – although perhaps with the role preferences reversed.
With Gatland and Trask still on the books, as well as young gun Rivez Reihana, McMillan’s biggest challenge is again going to be determining how to make the most of his riches at first five and fullback.
“We just want to see somebody put their hand up and sort of really stake a claim and say ‘Hey, I’m the guy to lead this exciting team around the park,'” McMillan said following the announcement of the Chiefs squad for 2022.
“They’re all very capable. There’s going to be some challenges there. Everyone will get an opportunity through the pre-season and those that really put up their hand will be rewarded with selection in the early part of the season.”
Ioane, who made one appearance for the All Blacks in 2019, has fallen off the national radar over the past two years and seemingly lost his way with the Highlanders, eventually losing his starting role to Mitch Hunt. His performances for Otago in this year’s NPC have many hoping that the 26-year-old could again push for national selection, but that will be dependant on the playmaker getting off to a good start with the Chiefs.
“Josh’s coming in, he’s played really well for Otago over the last five or six weeks,” McMillan acknowledged. “He’s obviously benefited from playing regularly at 10. He’s made no secret of the fact that he’s elected to come to the Chiefs to chase that 10 jersey but having seen some of the other contenders a little more regularly because they live a little bit closer around these parts, they’re not going to make it easy for him.”
The NPC wasn’t quite so fortuitous for the Chiefs’ other pivot options.
Japanese club Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath have confirmed the arrival of All Blacks star Damian McKenzie for the upcoming League One season. #AllBlacks https://t.co/GBiV1XajKW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 22, 2021
Bryn Gatland’s North Harbour played just two matches before their season was prematurely ended due to Covid while Kaleb Trask’s Bay of Plenty had a bit more luck, but Trask himself went down with injury part-way through the season. Rivez Reihana, meanwhile, had a complete season with Northland but the Taniwha finished bottom of the provincial ladder.
As such, McMillan isn’t going into 2022 with any already determined plans for the season ahead.
“We haven’t really entered the season with any pre-conceived ideas around who will wear the 10 jersey, who will wear the 15 jersey,” he said. “We’ve got multiple options and we’ll explore a number of them through our pre-season and probably get a little bit closer to solidifying a preferred 23 as we get closer to the competition.
“There’s some value in versatility. Last year, we sort of showed that we started with Damian at 15 and moved him up to 10 late in the games. He got the odd start at 10. We thought that was good for his game. Kaleb Trask, Josh Ioane, Rivez Reihana, they all have the capability of fulfilling a similar role.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments