Super Rugby's inconclusive season also curtailed any chances of answering a key question for the new All Blacks coach
Between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, the All Blacks selectors struggled to really settle on a first-choice fullback.
Ben Smith was superb in the backfield at the 2015 tournament but the decision was made to move towards operating with a second playmaker at fullback, which saw both Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett take up the role.
With McKenzie out injured in 2019, Barrett spent much of last year’s World Cup operating at 15 and while it certainly wasn’t the reason for the All Blacks’ semi-final demise, it wasn’t exactly a raging success either.
Bath & England player, Freddie Burns talks us through his fitness regime during lockdown due to the coronavirus:
Smith, who was primarily used on the wing, is now in France. Steve Hansen, the man with the final say in all the decision making, has also headed offshore.
That means new head coach Ian Foster has a big decision to make when it finally comes time to select a Test fullback.
Barrett is still an option but could end up not playing any professional football this year. While he certainly looks like a natural fullback, the All Blacks’ key playmaker for the past World Cup cycle could prefer a move back closer to the action – though he may find some serious competition from Richie Mo’unga.
There are four other players who, should international rugby not return until next year, could be vying for the 15 jersey.
First up is the younger Barrett brother, Jordie.
Jordie’s elevation to the All Blacks in 2017 against the touring British and Irish Lions probably came a year or two early and while some have suggested that Barrett isn’t up to international standard, the Hurricanes utility is still just 23 years old.
He’s also been the form New Zealand fullback over the first seven weeks of competition and has been the senior playmaker at his Hurricanes outfit now that Beauden has left Wellington, regularly stepping in to play first receiver.
If the All Blacks were being selected today, Barrett would probably be Foster’s first-choice fullback.
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Next in line is the returning Damian McKenzie, whose 2019 was cut short due to a ruptured ACL.
While McKenzie hasn’t quite looked up to his regular self just yet, he’s one of the most electric players on the planet and possibly could have been the X-factor missing from New Zealand’s game during the World Cup semis.
The aura of unpredictability that surrounds McKenzie, however, is both a blessing and a curse. For every three moments of brilliance that the pocket rocket has, he tends to have an accompanying moment of utter despair.
Frankly, none of New Zealand’s current crop of fullbacks seem to be entirely immune to those kinds of errors – which is the major difference between the men coming through and a guy like Ben Smith.
Perhaps Crusaders utility David Havili is the most reliable of the options – and the top-end of his game seems to be right up there with the likes of McKenzie and Barrett this year.
Havili has looked electric in 2020 and while he’s always been a strong performer for the red and black machine, he’s taken his game up to another level this season.
He’s making the most linebreaks out of the All Blacks’ main three fullback options, creating the most linebreak assists and also breaking the most tackles.
Factor in Havili’s superior run metres and offloads, and he’s clearly creating the most havoc for defending sides in 2020.
With the All Blacks' fullback role up for grabs, did Jordie Barrett do enough to usurp Damian McKenzie for the New Zealand No. 15 jersey? #SuperRugby https://t.co/oUgIlE3nui
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 14, 2020
Like Barrett and McKenzie, he’s also more than capable of covering a number of positions across any backline and can kick goals to boot.
His vice-captaincy role with the Crusaders shows that he’s also a cool head under pressure – which is another thing that the All Blacks may have lacked at key moments over the last few seasons.
Havili’s performances have been second-to-none this year and it’s just a late injury that prevented him from taking the field in the last month that possibly helped Jordie Barrett edge ahead in the fullback stakes.
That leaves one possible wildcard; Havili’s Crusaders teammate Will Jordan.
After missing 2018 through injury and accruing plenty of minutes off the bench in 2019, this year was supposed to be Jordan’s Super Rugby breakout. Unfortunately, a lingering groin injury curtailed his chances of making an impact.
Still, the 22-year-old performed respectably in his 181 minutes of game time and will be another year wiser in 2021 – and hopefully free of his various injuries.
With the Super Rugby season ending prematurely and the Test season still up in the year, we may never get an answer to who new All Blacks coach Ian Foster views as the nation’s best fullback. There’s ample talent in the country right now – even if they don’t get too many opportunities to show off their prowess.
WATCH: All Black fullback Christian Cullen destroying the Springboks and Wallabies during his Tri-Nations career from 1996-2002.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments