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Outside back depth a blessing and a curse as Ben Lam the latest to slip through New Zealand's fingers
Just as quick as Ben Lam was having his name touted by some as an outside possibility for the All Blacks this year, it was announced that the 29-year old will depart for France.
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Lam is in fine company amongst some notable names that New Zealand Rugby were caught sleeping on.
Waisake Naholo gave up trying to make a case for regular selection in the All Blacks and, before that, Lam’s former teammate Julian Savea had already fallen well out of selection contention as far as Steve Hansen was concerned.
Throw in journeyman Tevita Li from the Highlanders and the ultra-capable Melani Nanai who was perhaps the Blues’ brightest light in 2019, and you already had four players who slipped through the fingers.
None of these men were close to being over the hill.
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And now we have Ben Lam saying goodbye, fresh off another blockbusting performance for the Hurricanes that once again showed he’s a quality winger with all the tools to go further.
What’s more, nobody is surprised. There is simply too much wing/utility back talent in New Zealand.
It feels as if Lam has been in front of our eyes for years, but after this gigantic blockbusting winger out of St. Peters College started out in Super Rugby with the Blues back in 2012, it wasn’t until 2018 that he had his first full season run.
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That was the same year Julian Savea had fallen out of favour and would ultimately leave the Hurricanes.
Lam was in unquestionably good form that year and it didn’t take long for speculation about an All Blacks call-up to follow. That never happened under Steve Hansen, and now we will never know if it could’ve under Ian Foster, though you sense it wasn’t the highest of possibilities given the backline that the All Blacks already possess.
Still, it feels in some ways like another example of a player with all the skills and proven form to warrant All Blacks selection leaving these shores too soon, and like many of his counterparts who’ve done the same, the reason Lam hasn’t had a fair shake at the All Blacks is complex.
If you look at who Lam is up against for a spot, you’re comparing him with the likes of Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, George Bridge and Jordie Barrett just to name a few. Throw in David Havili, Braydon Ennor, and outside chances like Wes Goosen and Solomon Alaimalo, then Lam was certainly up against it just as much this year as he has been before.
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Then there is the age factor, all those names mentioned above are younger than Lam, and this is what some of the reaction on social media has focused on.
Aged 29, this is the right time in the eyes of some for Lam to head to Europe and chase big contracts with high monetary value, and French club Bordeaux certainly has dosh to shell out.
Naholo, now playing in London, departed these shores at age 28 – the same age as Savea when he left for Toulon.
The @BluesRugbyTeam have had an average start to the @SuperRugby season, but most teams would be in a similar boat if they had to play two of the competition favourites ????#SuperRugbyhttps://t.co/Mkek2iO3Ui
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 16, 2020
However, the argument of age being the defining factor for a winger when it comes to capability at the international level seems far-fetched, especially when you look at history.
Names such as Ben Smith and Leigh Halfpenny come to mind. Smith was still one of the All Blacks’ best performers in his late thirties and was a regular feature on the wing. Welsh fullback/wing Halfpenny is still considered one of the best over the last decade and is still going strong at 31. Exciting South African winger and 2019 RWC-winner Makazole Mapimpi appears to be one of the best wingers in the game today and he’s the tender age of 31.
The crux of this is not age, it’s that Ben Lam is clearly not in favour with the All Blacks selectors.
The All Blacks had ample opportunity to give him a run before now. Remember that Sevu Reece only burst onto the scene in 2019 thanks to his stellar performances for the Crusaders. If not for that, Reece was never going to Japan with the All Blacks.
Furthermore, Rieko Ioane was lucky to make the trip considering his average form last year, as well as a suspected significant injury right he’d been carrying through the build-up to and during that tournament.
Lam, meanwhile, had been showing his worth with the Hurricanes well over a year earlier and, maybe if not for a few injuries along the way, could well have been even better on the park than he was.
You feel that the fate was set for Lam in 2018, but the big man decided to give it one last shot with the hopes of bolting into the World Cup squad in 2019.
When that didn’t happen, Lam likely instructed his agent to pick up the phone and negotiate a deal, all to the better of club rugby in Europe. Unfortunately for New Zealand, he’s just one more player who’s slipped through the country’s ever-shaky fingers.
WATCH: Former Ireland international Darren Cave joins the RugbyPod team as they preview the Guinness Six Nations. Goodey tries to explain what’s gone on at Wasps and the guys give their take on the Championship funding cuts and more.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets 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?
10 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.
9 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.
10 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.
22 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.
9 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.
14 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 commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments