The new men the All Blacks might call upon for the Rugby Championship
After a first-ever series defeat at the hands of Ireland, Ian Foster’s All Blacks will be licking their wounds ahead of what mounts as a crucial two-game series in South Africa to kick off the Rugby Championship.
Never in the professional era have the All Blacks started their season with such a tough run of matches and after two disappointing losses to the Irish, Foster may look to rejig his squad ahead of the upcoming tournament.
The All Blacks named an unusually large 36-man squad for the July tests and it’s unlikely Foster will increase the size for the Rugby Championship, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.
Five players from the initial squad, Josh Lord, Hoskins Sotutu, Stephen Perofeta, Jack Goodhue and Caleb Clarke didn’t feature against Ireland.
Lord was ruled out of the series – and the rest of the season – before it even kicked off, while Goodhue and Clarke were on the mend from ailments, while Sotutu and Perofeta simply missed the cut.
The only major change that’s already been flagged is Brodie Retallick’s absence. The towering second-rower was forced off the field early in Saturday’s loss and is now on the mend from a broken cheekbone, which will see him out of action for at least the first few rounds of the Rugby Championship.
Patrick Tuipulotu has already been training with the squad and is all but a certainty to come into the squad but with Lord out of action and Scott Barrett seemingly the first-choice blindside flanker, it could be that Foster and his selectors call upon the services of another lock.
The likes of Quinten Strange and Mitchell Dunshea have spent time in the camp before but it’s more likely that one of the Maori All Blacks’ top performers gets the nod.
Josh Dickson has been a pillar of the Highlanders lineout for a number of years and has come close to selection in the past. At 27 years old, Dickson is no spring chicken – but could still have two World Cups in him – and with the likes of Tupou Vaa’i and Lord already blooded in black, perhaps a more experienced option would be a more worthwhile call-up.
Alternatively, Dickson’s teammate at both the Highlanders and Maori All Blacks, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, has been growing into a formidable presence and has similar mongrel about him – although he does possess a chequered past.
In the loose forwards, Pita Gus Sowakula wasn’t exactly a massive success in his two appearances off the bench against Ireland – but it would be a harsh move to drop him from the squad now. Similarly, Sotutu would be an unfortunate casualty after not getting the opportunity to earn any minutes throughout the series.
The drums have been beating loudly for Crusaders loose forward Cullen Grace, however, who was superb in the Super Rugby Pacific final and again when the Maori All Blacks defeated Ireland in Hamilton.
If Grace were to earn a call-up, who would be the unlucky man to drop out of the squad? Sowakula or Sotutu loom as the obvious candidates potentially facing the axe, given they cover the same positions as Grace, but you could make the case that with Sam Cane and Ardie Savea the only guaranteed selections in the loose forwards, Dalton Papalii might be one openside flanker too many.
Papalii can cover the blindside flank but given the All Blacks’ preference for a bigger ball-carrier in the No 6 jersey, the Blues captain might be surplus to needs, thus granting Sowakula, Sotutu and Grace the opportunity to fight it out for two spots in the matchday squad.
At halfback, whether Foster wants to deviate from the trio he named for July will come down to whether Brad Weber and TJ Perenara were actually ‘dropped’ from the All Blacks, or if they were simply pushed into the Maori All Blacks in order to get more game time. If it’s the former, then there’s little reason for the All Blacks to switch things up.
The only other area that desperately needs reassessing is the front row – specifically the tighthead side of the scrum.
Nepo Laulala, Ofa Tuungafasi and Angus Ta’avao were all disappointing throughout July. Laulala was unavailable until the third test, where he offered little around the field and was originally pulled from the match at halftime but was required to return after Tuungafasi copped a shoulder to the head. Tuungafasi, on the other hand, had an absolute stinker in Dunedin, incurring multiple penalties and generally not looking like a test-level player. Ta’avao, meanwhile, spent next to no time on the park and will likely have to sit out one more match due to the red card he incurred in the second match.
The All Blacks can probably afford to carry one, maybe two of these players – but all three? Crusaders props Fletcher Newell and Tamaiti Williams are up-and-comers who made great strides throughout Super Rugby and are both better long-term propositions than the current crop of tightheads and while some may argue that they’re not yet ready for test rugby, the same argument could be made for the current trio, based on their performances in recent times.
That leaves one ‘wild card’ – utility back Damian McKenzie. McKenzie wasn’t eligible for the July tests, having left the country at the end of last year to play in Japan without a new deal inked with New Zealand Rugby. Jordie Barrett was safe but mostly subdued in the No 15 jersey throughout July and a bit of flair at the back would help the All Blacks immensely – especially if they continue to rely on counter-attack and individual plays to net them tries. That flair doesn’t necessarily have to come from a man like McKenzie, who would be tested under the high ball by the Springboks next month, but he wouldn’t be the worst option. Without any vacant spaces in the squad, however, McKenzie’s selection would likely require the omission of someone like Stephen Perofeta – which would hardly be just rewards for the Blues playmaker’s superb work throughout the Super Rugby Pacific season.
Ultimately, despite some unimpressive performances throughout July, the All Blacks have the individual players to go undefeated throughout the Rugby Championship, even though they face a tough ask first-up against the Springboks in South Africa. It’s unlikely that Ian Foster and co will make any sizeable changes to the squad for the coming tournament but it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see a few new faces come in to mix things up.
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments