The All Blacks captain shouldn't need a rest after a sabbatical

Absolutely agree 200%. Growing up listening to the All Blacks on the radio with my dad at 3am when playing then almighty Wales and of course South Africa, the practices of today would have my dad turning in his grave (bit dramatic but….). By the way the first match I ever remember attending was 1956 NZ Universities v Springboks at Athletic Park en route from my beloved Auckland to Dad’s beloved Christchurch (and his birthplace Akaroa), our two yearly holiday to see Gran. Oh those Ranfurly Shield matches over the years between the two greatest!

I digress - think of the greats, the real greats of All Black history. I don’t need to name them. Most were farmers and played their heart out for the Black jersey. Can you ever imagine them passing up a match in the Black jersey for any reason - cracked ribs and all. To think today we have an All Black captain opting not even to with his team for any period. SUCCESS is established on one fundamental attribute (in any walk of life)……..LEADERSHIP! That’s not what I’m sensing here. I will gladly eat my words if we were to beat the Boks in this series, win the new National Championship (I’ll be at Twickenham - lived in the U.K. since supporting the All Blacks at the 2007 Rugby World Cup) and of course the RWC in Oz next year. At this moment, given what I’m reading, I don’t think I’ll be eating my words.

PS Congratulations Silver Ferns GOLD 🥇

I tend to agree with the writer on this one: I don't think it looks good towards the other players that their captain flies in for the important matches.

It seems as well that Jordie Barrett played quite a bit more minutes of rugby than Ardie Savea has over the last 12 months.

I would expect Rennie to make it clear to the other players why the decision was made, and I think he'll have a hard time coming up with arguments that are sound.

Don’t always agree with Bidwell, but he has a point. Savea has played 23 games since Nov 1 including the UK’s 3 tests and the 3 recent tests. Across 9 months. 6 tests and a season playing sabbatical rugby in Japan, a series regarded by pundits and players as not being as intense or physical as SR. That’s less games than just about anyone else in international world rugby. England’s premiership players who made the Lions last year played continually from September 2024 thru to 2 weeks ago. Almost 60 games. This angers me. Different rules for Ardie.

a) All players need to be managed for workload. Savea is no different.

b) Savea is well covered by squad depth both at openside and blindside.

c) Playing non-test matches is a good time to test out depth and new combinations.

It takes courage for a writer to go against the grain of the kiwi public that Savea cannot do anything wrong. I applaud Hamish Bidwell for stating and I quote “this is rules for me and not thee”. I agree why should he get special treatment? Went on a sabbatical where the rugby isn’t as strong in Japan and was one of the star players so of course he shone, but back here just ordinary in three games. He seems to have a lot of pull with NZR and of course Rennie and the top one in displacing Razor.

Certainly a good player but youth are coming and making a case.

It's fine to rest him against some nerfed URC teams, my issue is without him and with Kirifi getting snubbed the closest thing we have to a traditional openside in the squad is Peter Lakai. Jacobson is a 6/8, we need a fetcher.

Hamish don’t you know ardie is untouchable in the eyes of the rugby media and most of the public.

The All Blacks picked him mate. They knew where he was and what he was doing. Sabbatical or not, what he does in his time is his business. He didn’t choose to get picked for the All Blacks or to be Captain. They knew what they were picking and it comes with a rest.

Anyway, it’s a great opportunity for others to step up and lead. It has to happen at some point, so let it happen.

These New Zealand journalists and ex-players act like they're the ones in charge, always demanding certain players or positions as if their opinion is fact, and now they're all insulted that Ardie Savea is being rested, because they think they know his body better than the coaches do. But if they're such geniuses, why aren't they coaching top teams around the world instead of just writing columns and making noise from the outside?

I am a South African - and there is not a single Springbok captain I can think of who would send his mates into battle while he lay in bed with his wife. Good luck with the upcoming tour. I agree he doesn’t have to play those provincial games but let me tell you any Springbok captain would be in the changing rooms, on the practice field and running water for those provincial games. If he was my captain I certainly would not want to play for him.

Some would tell Hamish the obvious.

The point of a sabbatical is to play overseas and make two or three times more money for a season.

It’s a financial incentive to keep NZ players from signing longer term overseas contracts.

Nothing more and nothing less.

What a clown the author is. The players play way too many games and relative to other sports get paid very little. College football players in the US now make more than Ardie after they allowed them to monetise the social media etc. rest up Ardie.

Rennie knows what he’s doing!

Are you from South Africa? We need our Captain to lead us to victory v the ‘Boks, I guess you want him playing without enough down-time!

What a silly article. Hamish, I think sometimes you lack serious content, bro…respectfully so.

Taking a sabbatical from New Zealand and playing in Japan doesn't mean the man wasn't putting in the work!

And he's been playing for 18+ months straight!

Let's get behind our Abs and especially our captain.

A few more positive minded articles would be most welcome.

Go AB’s💪🏾👊🏾👌🏾

Savea needs spells from time to time, and the November games against Scotland and Wales immediately stick out as fixtures that won’t require the skipper’s contribution. Again, fine.

Writing off the Scottish is a wild call after what they have shown in the last 12 months.

Tbh Ardies ear like in that pic needs a non playing sabbatical, on ears did anyone else notice the big pimple on one of the boys ear during anthems against Italy ? Or was I imagining things you would think the doc would have lanced that for him whoever it was

Players need to be encouraged to be honest with how they are feeling but unfortunately in a professional environment they might have to prove themselves again with form or lose your spot unless you got some real cash in the bank but hopefully in most of these cases wgat helps the person will also help the team

Yeah but he does

So put a sock in it

Bidders

I guess you've got a point there, and I agree with you. He seems rather confident as an established All Black senior member and wants to take the responsibility on and is not shy in coming forward to correct the media where he has referred to the team as “my boys”

Ardie coveted the captaincy and I think he'll go well, it's time to harden up cut out the humble, nice guy BS and take ownership and lead the team from the get go. He doesn't have to play in some of the opening games but he should be there, he chose to earn big bucks on his sabbatical then so be it, you shouldn't be able to have your cake and eat it too.

I will add enlightenment haha

If all that was true JW why would they select him as captain if so perhaps any “fuss” he made had some validity to it in their eyes? And is just saying nothing a good thing?

It's a good thing no one cares about one man's opinion lol