What does New Zealand's greatest-ever halfback's new contract mean for Folau Fakatava?
Aaron Smith’s re-signing with New Zealand Rugby will be applauded by all and sundry – and rightly so.
Smith is perhaps the greatest halfback that New Zealand has ever seen. The speed and accuracy of his pass is second to none, his fitness is exceptional and there are few better than instructing and motivating a forward pack than the man affectionately known as Nugget.
There’s understandably some concern surrounding the All Blacks taking three ageing halfbacks to the next Rugby World Cup, with no obvious long-term replacements as yet, but few will have issues with Smith wearing the No 9 jersey come France 2023 if he’s still performing to the same level that he is today.
Given that the 32-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down in recent times, it’s looking more and more likely that Smith will be New Zealand’s premier halfback for a third world cup running.
Against the Crusaders on Saturday, it was a trademark pearler of a pass from Smith that gave Shannon Frizell the space to dive over for the Highlanders’ first try of the night.
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If Smith can continue to offer up the ball on the platter for his teammates as he did in that moment, then the All Blacks will travel to France with one of, if not the best halfback in World Rugby – though Antoine Dupont may have something to say about that.
What does Smith’s re-signing mean for the rest of the No 9s across New Zealand who are eyeing up a potential spot in the national side?
In short, it means that there won’t be any free passes.
TJ Perenara, for all his talents, is not in the same league as Smith when it comes to the core responsibilities of a halfback. Neither is new Chiefs co-captain Brad Weber. They’re fantastic players, but the next young No 9 with a bullet pass and pace to boot would fancy their chances of quickly scaling the ranks and taking over as New Zealand’s first-choice – much in the same way as Smith did in 2012.
Smith earned a call-up to the All Blacks just one year after he made his Super Rugby debut and in his first season wearing black, he cemented himself as the then-world champions’ starting halfback.
High praise from All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith. ? https://t.co/AgLOfR7QCT
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 11, 2021
It was a meteoric rise, but Smith was competing against the likes of Jimmy Cowan and Piri Weepu – players less known for their pace and delivery and more respected for other aspects of their game.
That’s the situation that New Zealand would again be going through in a post-Nugget world and while it worked out well in 2012, there are no guarantees. Competition breeds success and with Smith staying on, the nation’s up and comers know that they’ll need to be at the top of their game in order to usurp the king.
And while NZR’s re-signing of Smith should be applauded, it should also be somewhat expected.
Yes, Smith could take an off-shore offer and chase the money – who would begrudge him that after almost a century of caps for the All Blacks? Realistically, however, when New Zealand fell to England at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, Smith likely set his sights on redemption – and that can only come in France in two years’ time.
So then what about Folau Fakatava, the man that many hope could take over from Aaron Smith one day?
If Fakatava wants to be an All Black, he has three options.
If he stays at the Highlanders, he has to either perform so well off the bench that Ian Foster and the All Blacks coaches can see his talents and readiness for international rugby, even if he’s not a Super Rugby starter, or he has to ascend even further, and actually knock Smith off his perch. Is that latter option likely, given the limited minutes that Fakatava will again be faced with for the coming three seasons?
Smith managed it, taking over from Cowan at the Highlanders in 2012 – but we’ve already covered the differences there.
"Speed is the great strength of Smith’s game. Why, then, would you ever replace that guy with TJ Perenara?"
– Hamish Bidwell says the All Blacks halfback selection needs to be reviewed if they want the backs to fire. #AUSvNZL #TriNations #BledisloeCup https://t.co/yn5mVM354y— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 9, 2020
The alternative, of course, is to take his wares elsewhere.
Who, amongst the New Zealand teams, could use a man with the undeniable potential of Fakatava?
We can probably rule out the Chiefs and the Crusaders, who are well stocked with experienced options as well as some up-and-coming stars. Even if the likes of Brad Weber or Bryn Hall call time on their NZ careers, there are others who have been biding their time who are ready to step into starting roles.
That’s not to say that Fakatava couldn’t force his way into a No 9 jersey at either team – but it’s difficult to imagine that the Chiefs or Crusaders would be willing and able to really commit to the transfer when there are other positions that need better bolstering.
That leaves the Blues and the Hurricanes.
Fakatava, of course, has made a name for himself with Hawke’s Bay in the Mitre 10 Cup and there will forever be questions regarding how the Hurricanes let the prodigious talent slip from their grasp.
TJ Perenara is set to return from Japan next year and will be hoping to resume his place in the No 9 jersey but behind him, the cupboard is a little bit bare. Jamie Booth is the next cab off the ranks, but there’s no telling how significantly he’ll be impacted by the serious knee injury that’s keeping him off the field at present.
This year’s current crop, Jonathan Taumateine, Luke Campbell and Cam Roigard, are all inexperienced players who could develop into stars but they’re certainly not sure bets.
Fakatava, in the space of less than a year, could be the starting halfback in Wellington. Certainly, he’d have greater luck seizing power from Perenara than uprooting Aaron Smith.
The @HurricanesRugby team relied on TJ Perenara to shift into the first receiver role in the latter stages of matches last season. That means they have lost more than just a very good halfback. #SuperRugbyAotearoa #HURvBLUhttps://t.co/9yOoncgx0Y
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 25, 2021
Further north, Fakatava could have an even cleaner run at things, with Finlay Christie, Sam Nock and Jonathan Ruru sharing duties in the No 9 jersey at the Blues without any of the trio ever really locking it down.
Then there’s the wild card option – Moana Pasifika. Fakatava represented the composite Pacific Islands side in their inaugural fixture against the Maori All Blacks last year and could thrive in an environment that specifically caters to Pasifika players. Fakatava was born and raised in Tonga, only moving to New Zealand in his mid-teens, and would no doubt appreciate the cultural benefits of linking up with a side that should be joining Super Rugby in 2022.
In short, however, Fakatava is realistically in exactly the same position he was prior to Smith’s signing. He knows that it’s going to take something special to take over from the current All Blacks No 9 and all signs already pointed to Smith continuing his legacy with the Highlanders.
For Fakatava, the brief hasn’t changed. Bide his time, and throw everything into the opportunities he gets off the bench in 2021.
With Aaron Smith signing on until the end of 2023, it’s probably fair to expect that his term in New Zealand and with the Highlanders is now coming to a close. He has almost three years to prepare for what will likely be his All Blacks sign-off and you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll be doing everything he can to get his nation over the line come the next Rugby World Cup.
Smith has nothing left to prove, however. In over a century of matches for the Highlanders, and not many fewer for the All Blacks, Aaron Smith has shown the breadth and depth of skills that most professional halfbacks could only dream of possessing. Whatever happens in the coming years, Smith will sign off as New Zealand’s greatest-ever halfback – and perhaps the best that the world has ever seen.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Great story. Rugby needs new investment in teams like Brussels another pro league in Europe would be great.
1 Go to commentsAlso, looking at the data from last year, it seemed like by far the two biggest predictors of success were (1) kicking more than your opponents, and (2) having a higher rate of line-out wins than your opponents. I haven’t gone through the stats this year with a fine tooth comb, but the increase in kicks per game and the increase in tries from lineouts would suggest that these two metrics are only getting more important. England’s move away from a kick-heavy game to win against Ireland was seen by some as evidence that running rugby is on the rise. Alternatively it could be taken as evidence that if one team kicks more, and the other team wins more lineouts (as England did) a match is bound to be close to a draw.
2 Go to commentsI have been finding it odd that points per 22 entry has become such a talked about stat, given that your points per entry can be driven down by having more entries. These data would seem to confirm that it isn’t a useful metric, or at any rate is less useful than total entries.
2 Go to commentsI think the last two games England have played is some of their best rugby they have played under Borthwick. There has been a lot more attacking instinct and as a reward have created some well worked tries. Ollie Lawrence is a good foil at 12 as he offers the hard direct lines whilst the rest of the backs can play open. As much as it pains me to say but I do hope England keep playing this way. On a side note my favourite try of the weekend was Lorenzo Pani’s for the nice loop play that put him away and his finish was excellent. Thanks as always Nick.
39 Go to commentsMost exciting player on the planet right now, worth the price of a ticket.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith and Ireland live rent free in Safa’s heads. Their comments only triggers because its true. If the Boks had dismantled a 14 man AB’s, then there would be more respect. But they didnt, in fact quite the opposite, the 14 man NZ were clearly better. And the Bok have always been ordinary between RWC’s, thats why their supporters are now ‘only RWC’s matter’. They know thats BS. Its BS to both AB’s and Bok’s due to their history. But now its all the Safas have. Now we’ll hear excuses when they lose “oh we didnt have all our players available, the ABs/France/Eng/Irel were at full strength”, forgetting for a minute that its because of their own dumb policy. Oh well, makes a change from blaming ‘cheating refs’.
23 Go to commentsNo Nick, they did not, in fact, justify any ‘probables’ label. At no time did they seriously compete for the championship. Ireland led from start to finish and in the end, as a result of glaring referee errors, were never under serious pressure to lose their crown.
39 Go to commentsMoney for him, and his family, has been the sole motivator since he signed for Queensland aged 17. Why else sign for Melbourne. Tupou is poorly advised. If he’d stayed and developed in NZ he would have had a long Test career. If Leinster offer him a few more coins than he’s currently earning, he’s goneburger.
4 Go to commentsFinn. No one would say Ford had played well up until the last game. One standout performance in 5 is hardly in form . It should be a given that a 10 will control play . Not in Fords case be praised for suddenly doing so. Where was he against Scotland ,Italy. The pundits were saying how far away from play he was standing and one even said that the Ireland game was his last chance saloon to perform . Not exactly top form catching anyones eye. If he can play like this game after game then great. Keep him in . But after 90 odd caps we all know he just doesnt keep it going . By all means keep him there but the issue is that Borthwick will persist even when he plays poorly. Which is more often than not. Thats why i am concerned that Smith ,despite fab form , cannot get a game at his preferred spot. Can you imagine Ford at full back .
5 Go to commentsI do not really get why put Ollivon at 6 when he’s a 7, while Cros was the best Frenchman of the tournament, playing at…6. His only game replacing Aldritt at 8 doesn’t change much in terms of his impact. Lamaro was also outstanding in that brilliant Italian side, probably better than Reffell. So putting 2 Welsh players from the wooden spoon holders, and none of the 4th nation (Scotland) is also strange. Is it about showing that in this harsh transition Wales is, there were some standouts…?
6 Go to commentsThe events at this year’s six nations should undermine many of the arguments made against promotion and relegation between the six nations and the REC. If Italy had been allowed to yo-yo between divisions it conceivably could have really hurt their development, but if Italy, Wales, and Scotland are all at risk of relegation, with none of them being relegated more often than once every 3 or 4 years, you’d have to back all of them to muddle on through it, especially when you factor in the likelihood they’ll still be guaranteed world league matches against tier 1 opponents. Another way of looking at italys resurgence would be to say that the development model of adding an extra team to the six nations has worked, and now must be done again. Georgia could join to make it a 7 team round robin, and if and when Georgia demonstrate an ability to consistently win games, Portugal can also be added to make it an 8 team 2 conference competition. Frankly at this point I think it falls to world rugby to demand that the 6N act in the interests of the game. If the 6N won’t commit to expansion then the 6N teams should be handicapped in world cup draws (i.e. world cup seedings would not be based on their ranking points, but on their ranking points minus a 5 point penalty).
6 Go to commentsSteve Borthwick deserves credit for releasing the shackles on his England side and letting them play in a manner that somewhat resembles the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership. Will they revert to type in New Zealand in July.?
39 Go to commentsJames Lowe wouldn't get in any other 6N team. He's a great example of Farrell’s brilliance, and the Irish system. He is slow. His footwork is poor. But he fits perfectly in that Irish system, and has a superb impact. But put him in another team, and he'll look bang average.
6 Go to commentsCrusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
2 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
4 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
4 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
6 Go to comments