New Zealand isn’t in a position to bid goodbye to players easily

I’m saddened by Devan Flanders’ decision to up sticks. 

The Hurricanes loose forward joins peers, such as Dalton Papali’i and Hoskins Sotutu, in opting not to vie for All Blacks selection this season. 

I say saddened, but not for Flanders. I’m delighted for him. 

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No, my disappointment is for the wider New Zealand game. I don’t want him to go to Japan, or to be losing Papali’i and Sotutu. Nor others such as Fehi Fineanganofo, Sevu Reece and Dallas McLeod. 

Rugby in this country becomes significantly weaker when we lose seasoned Super Rugby players or All Blacks of recent vintage. 

The strength of our national team has always been about the quality of those not deemed good enough to make it as much as those who end up being selected. 

Flanders might have been good enough to be an All Black one day, but arguably not for long. Ten tests, maybe 15. 

That got me thinking about how many elite players New Zealand loses. Charles Piutau was potentially one, but it’s hard to think of many others. 

Most are in the Reece, Sotutu or Papali’i camp. Guys who see their international window close and make other plans. 

Mark Tele’a went before his time, in my view, probably Charlie Faumuina too.  

For whatever reason, guys come to the no doubt difficult conclusion that they and their family will be better off elsewhere and I congratulate them for that. 

That’s far more admirable than agitating for a season at Leinster or somewhere in Japan, while retaining your New Zealand Rugby contract. 

Contracting is a tricky business and I don’t envy those that have to do it, but let’s take a few of the names that I’ve mentioned. 

At 23, Fineanganofo has more to offer the game in this country than Ioane has. One’s not quite living up to Jordie Barrett’s reputation at Leinster and the other is heading for England after a stellar Super Rugby Pacific season. 

Ioane’s All Blacks days are numbered but, who knows, he could become a stalwart of Auckland and Blues rugby and play on long after his test career is over. I’m sure he’d have a lot to offer younger players. 

Flanders is 26 and playing some of the best rugby of his career. As he goes, New Zealand welcomes back 32-year-old Shannon Frizell from semi-retirement in Japan and form of unproven quality. 

Again, one probably has more tomorrows ahead of him than the other. 

It’s good when thorough professionals come back to this country. I think of Brad Thorn’s Super Rugby swansong at the Highlanders or what Brad Shields is offering to Wellington and the Hurricanes. 

It’s not so much the playing stuff, but the habits and culture they help instill in the gym and on the training paddock. 

But we seem to be in a situation where we seek to retain or elongate the careers of ageing stars at all costs, while not presenting a future that players such as Fineanganofo and Flanders want to be a part of. 

I have reservations about the return of Richie Mo’unga, for instance, although that’s an argument for another day. 

It’s good that Leicester Fainga’anuku went away and came back. The worry is that he was inclined to leave New Zealand in the first place. 

We will always lose talent overseas. Some, like Fainga’anuku, will realise they actually had it pretty good here and then there’s others, such as Nick Evans, who find their talents are better appreciated elsewhere. 

It’s inevitable that guys who’ve won Super titles and been All Blacks will want to try and cash in at the end of their careers, but New Zealand isn’t so flush with talent that it can say goodbye to blokes who are still to reach their full potential. 

I wish Devan Flanders all the best and I think we should all be sorry to see him go.