The Blues and Highlanders stars who could become All Blacks bolters after this weekend's final
Much of this week’s media attention has been focused towards the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final, but there is an underlying narrative surrounding next Monday’s All Blacks squad announcement.
While three of New Zealand’s five Super Rugby sides won’t be able to show off their talent for the rest of the year, this Saturday presents the last chance for All Blacks hopefuls from the Blues and Highlanders to push their case for inclusion in Ian Foster’s side.
Perform well on Super Rugby’s grandest stage at Eden Park this weekend, and fringe All Blacks players could well hear their names read aloud when Foster’s first squad of 2021 is announced two days after the final.
Which players Foster has or hasn’t pencilled in remains unclear, but there are a number of players competing in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final who could lock themselves into the squad with a starring performance in three days’ time.
According to former All Blacks hooker James Parsons, Blues lock Gerard Cowley-Tuioti is among those who could come into consideration if he shines in what is thought to be his final appearance for the franchise this weekend.
“One guy that’s maybe out there but potentially could be on the radar if there’s an injury is Gerard Cowley-Tuioti,” Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“I just think he’s really good with ball in hand and he’s really good defensively. He’s got that, but he’s a student of the game. His preparation, he runs the Blues’ defence and attack, lineouts with Patty [Patrick Tuipulotu], so he knows that side of his game.
“He’s really bone-deep in his prep, which I really like, and that’s what you need at that next standard. He’s had a great season. His game is just the best I’ve ever seen it. I don’t want to lose him for Harbour, but could potentially do so.”
Ex-Highlanders lock Joe Wheeler agreed with Parons’ comments as he expressed disbelief over Cowley-Tuioti’s omission from the North Island squad for last year’s North vs South clash.
“I was a huge fan of his last year and I think he’s put in two consecutive, consistent seasons,” Wheeler told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“The interesting thing for me was he was probably one of our form locks last season in Super Rugby Aotearoa but missed, somehow, the North Island selection, which I still can’t understand how he missed out on that selection.
“He was probably one of the best locks in the country at that stage, so that was interesting for me. I took that as where they stand that he’s a little bit too old for that next World Cup cycle.
All Blacks starting XV selected by Joe Wheeler on this week’s Aotearoa Rugby Pod. pic.twitter.com/e4kjlEOvIs
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 16, 2021
“If guys are good enough now and they’re playing at that highest tier and at a world-class level, then you should pick them, regardless of position, regardless of whether you see them being able to make the next World Cup.
“I think that might be counting against him, but I’ve loved his presence in that Blues side, now running lineouts with Patty and doing a fantastic job, and obviously what you alluded to with their defence, their defensive lineout being the best in the competition this year.”
Parsons also highlighted Blues stars such as Alex Hodgman, Akira Ioane and Tom Robinson as other prospects who could break their way into the All Blacks.
The ex-Blues captain added that key Highlanders players Jona Nareki, Josh Ioane and Mitch Hunt may also be in the running as potential backup options should they impress in the final.
Wheeler made particular note of Nareki, who has caught the eye this year with an array of electric performances on the wing for the Highlanders.
An ex-All Black and a Super Rugby title-winner have shut down concerns over the validity of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman just days before the competition’s final. #SuperRugbyTT #BLUvHIG https://t.co/Fmr71hdBqp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 16, 2021
“I know traditionally the All Blacks have gone for that big, bruising that always wins gainline, but the thing I love about Jona Nareki is he’s got the complete skill set,” Wheeler said.
“For a winger, obviously not the biggest guy, but he plays big. He had that uncanny ability to always beat the first defender. He’s got a great left foot, he turns up in areas a lot of other left wingers wouldn’t turn up in as second receiver.
“He has the ability to throw the wide ball, he has a huge work rate, and I’d just about say he’s one of the best defensive wings in New Zealand at the moment.
“He has a great ability to shut down time and space to paint a picture that he’s got everything covered, but then also pull back when he doesn’t to sell two different pictures. If teams think they can skip pass him, he has an uncanny ability of taking those intercepts.
“I think he’s a guy, even though he’s small in stature, the way he plays, he plays so big and he’s so important to what this Highlanders team does.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Christie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
44 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
5 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
44 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
44 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis 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”?
35 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
4 Go to commentsBut 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.
44 Go to commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
44 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
2 Go to comments