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'That like-for-like is similar': Why Weber has the wood over Perenara

By Sam Smith
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The absence of Aaron Smith in the touring squad will offer the chance for a new halfback to start for the All Blacks, with Brad Weber, TJ Perenara and Finlay Christie jostling for a chance to play the Wallabies in Perth.

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While Perenara has deputised for Smith during most of his career, the Hurricanes halfback recently returned from the Japan Top League and played club rugby to become eligible again for the All Blacks.

His lack of time this season in New Zealand may play against his selection, with Chiefs halfback Weber in fine form throughout Super Rugby and when he has been given his chances this year by Ian Foster.

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Speaking on this week’s Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall weighed into the debate, predicting that it will be Weber who gets the nod in Perth to partner with Beauden Barrett in the halves.

“I think, for me, Brad [Weber] has played pretty well,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod panel.

“He’s consistent when he’s given his opportunities, he played that Tonga game and yes, obviously the Tongans weren’t up to what the Australians, South Africans or Argentinians will be, but Brad’s played well in Super Rugby and was one of the form halfbacks in the competition.

“That’s nothing … against TJ [Perenara], but if you are basing it on performances throughout the year, I’d say Brad is the frontrunner in that department.

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“Also, he’s very similar to Nuggy [Aaron Smith], he gets the ball out very, very quick, he has a good running game when given the opportunity when it’s quick ball.

“That like-for-like is similar for Brad and Nuggy.

“But TJ hasn’t played enough. They may have seen enough of Brad, and now might be a good opportunity to see TJ, but I think TJ plays really well off the bench and he’s done that a number of times.”

The competition for the halfback job will be tough over the next few years heading into the World Cup in France as all three players, Weber, Perenara and Smith, have signed contracts with the NZR until 2023.

For 30-year-old Weber, persistence has been key. After debuting for the All Blacks in 2015, his appearances were few and far between in the black jersey. Faced with the arrival of Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi at the Chiefs, Weber battled to retain his starting spot at Super Rugby level.

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Blues hooker James Parsons credited his determination in reviving his New Zealand career back around to push himself into All Blacks contention again.

“The one thing I love about Brad is he backs himself, he fell out of the All Black mix after his debut but he’s fought his way back through determination in his performance and delivering time and time again,” Parsons said.

“The other thing is, I love what his teams mean to him.

“One of his big reasons to stay was to get a hundy for the Chiefs. All those things factoring in played a part and because he’s got that belief in his game, he believes he’ll be there at World Cup time.”

Just whether he will be at another World Cup is yet to be determined, where the squad will likely include three halfbacks. It is one of the most competitive positions in the country Parsons said, with a great deal of depth.

“Let’s make no bones about it, that’s probably one of the hardest positions that need to be chosen. You’ve got Aaron there, you got TJ, you got Brad, we know we’ve got Folau Fakatava once he’s back from his ACL injury, who is going from strength to strength.

“Mitch Drummond’s been with the All Blacks, Bryn’s been fighting out with him.

“It’s one position where you can keep going on and on, and now we’ve got Finlay Christie whose popped up and taken every opportunity he’s had in that black jersey.”

Earlier this week the Crusaders announced they had signed Tahuriorangi to bolster their halfback spots. Once Weber’s rival at the Chiefs, the man known as ‘Triple T’ will be in direct competition with Bryn Hall, something that the current Crusaders halfback had no qualms about, having been in Tahuriorangi’s position earlier in his career.

“I think anytime you get a guy of that calibre coming down, not just to the Crusaders but any team, it’s a blessing,” Hall said of the signing.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with Triple T in the Maoris environment. It’s a great opportunity for him.

“He was obviously at the Hurricanes first, going back as a young fella and learnt under TJ, then went to the Chiefs and was then with the All Blacks as the third halfback for a time there.

“Unfortunately Brad’s played really well the last couple of years, they went hammer and tongs, and then Xavier Roe is now in that environment.

“I look at my career, I captained the Blues and played the first part of my career there and then took a chance to go somewhere else and really grew my game.

“I felt like going down to the Crusaders was a great environment for me, and it really helped me so I look at Te Toiroa and it’s a great opportunity for him.

“We’ve had a competitive environment, we had Ere Enari here for four years, who captained the New Zealand under-20s programme and grew his game, and just by the fact that Drummy and myself push each other every week, it kinda didn’t happen for him.

“Anytime you can add depth to that position, especially an All Black, it’s going to be great for us as halfbacks.”

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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