The two 'All Black calibre players' to watch at the Chiefs this season
Chiefs halfback Brad Weber has highlighted two players as All Blacks of the future ahead of this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
The festive season is a special time of year, as everyone celebrates alongside family and friends before ushering in another chapter.
But for rugby fans, the New Year is also a turning point.
When the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Day, the countdown to Super Rugby Pacific well and truly begins.
The highs and lows from last season are left untouched in the history books; now, as players battle through yet another gruelling preseason, is their opportunity to make their mark once again.
But this year means more – it has to be considering it’s a World Cup year.
For some all-time greats, this might be their last opportunity to win silverware with their beloved Super Rugby franchises, while stars of tomorrow stand on the cusp of greatness and opportunity.
As some players prepare to take the next steps in their careers, it’s quite clear that the next generation of Super Rugby talent and All Blacks is bright.
Two rising stars at the Chiefs have been endorsed as All Blacks of the future ahead of this year’s Super Rugby campaign, by one of New Zealand’s premier halfbacks too.
All Black Brad Weber believes halfbacks Cortez Ratima and Xavier Roe have the potential to don the coveted black jersey sometime in the future.
“The good thing for us is that we don’t have a lot of turnover this year, there’s a lot of guys (staying on),” Weber told SENZ Breakfast earlier this week.
“I think we’ve only lost maybe one or two so a lot of continuity which is good, but I certainly am excited by our two backup halfbacks.
“Cortez and Xavier, I think, for the future are going to be two All Black calibre players that (are) already outstanding at the moment.
“They certainly keep me on my toes, I’ve got to keep performing – I don’t have my spot locked in – but certainly for the future those two are going to be seriously good I think.”
Weber has played at the highest level, having played for the All Blacks at a Rugby World Cup and captained the Chiefs in Super Rugby.
But even though his career has been massively successful up until this point, that’s not to say it’s all been smooth sailing.
An injury in 2017 saw Weber miss out on a clash against the touring British and Irish Lions.
Weber admitted that he “didn’t deal” with the lows of the sport “very well” earlier in his career, as he spoke about the importance of mental skills coach Aaron Walsh at the Chiefs.
“Outside of your normal coaches he should be the first one signed up,” he added.
“Mental skills coaches for me over my Super Rugby career and All Blacks career has been massive for me.
“Walshy’s a great man, he’s got a lot of gold nugget in there. Just sitting down and chatting through your experiences how you’ve handled high pressure environments and high pressure situations, and how maybe you do things differently.
“Especially in rugby, you come into some pretty high pressure environments or situations where you need to make some big, big decisions really, really quickly, and how do you deal with that? How do you deal with mistakes?
“To be honest at the start of my career I didn’t deal with them very well at all.”
In review, the Chiefs should be more than pleased with how their Super Rugby season went last year.
After placing fifth in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in 2021, the Chiefs placed third in the new-look 12-team competition last year.
They fought valiantly against eventual winners the Crusaders in Christchurch, but their season came to an end with a 20-7 loss in their semi-final.
But revenge can be a beautiful thing in sport.
The Chiefs will have an opportunity to right the wrongs from that tough semi-final loss, as they take on the Crusaders in their season-opener next month.
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
41 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept 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.
41 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.
3 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
41 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 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
41 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.
41 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. 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.
41 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.
41 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.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments