What the North v South selections mean for New Zealand's halfback pecking order
If Saturday’s North v South clash weren’t an All Blacks trial masquerading as the great interisland battles of the past, then the world’s best halfback would likely be starting in the No. 9 jersey for the North Island team.
The reality is that the Ian Foster and his assistants are using this weekend’s match as the final trial before selecting their squad on Sunday for what will likely be a supersized Bledisloe Cup series – which could be why TJ Perenara has received the nod ahead of Aaron Smith.
Smith, following a superlative Super Rugby Aotearoa season with the Highlanders, has sent a reminder out across the globe that the fast-slinging scrumhalf adds another level to any team that’s lucky enough to have him in the driver’s seat. There’s a possibility that North coaches John Plumtree and Scott McLeod believe that TJ Perenara can get under the skin of their opposition and wear them down before Smith is unleashed in the final quarter of the game.
In all likelihood, however, the national selectors want to see the All Blacks backup halves go head to head – which is why Perenara and Weber have been selected to square off over the weekend.
Last year, the three most experienced Super Rugby halfback in the country, Smith, Perenara and Weber, all travelled to the World Cup. There’s a very slim chance that all three will be selected for the 2023 competition in France, however, and the All Blacks coaches will be contemplating what the best process is to bring in new talent.
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Mitch Drummond are the only other halfbacks in the country that have earned international caps but neither have been selected for the North v South encounter – not even on the bench.
With Perenara and Smith in the North, 25-year-old Tahuriorangi was always going to struggle to earn a spot in the matchday 23. His selection in the squad in the first place came as a surprise to many, simply given his lack of minutes at Super Rugby level over the past two seasons.
Drummond, on the other hand, was regularly used as an impact player for the Crusaders and could have been pushing Weber for the starting South spot. Finlay Christie’s selection, however, means that neither of the champion Crusaders’ halfbacks have made the North v South matchday teams.
While last year’s World Cup trio were always expected to take up three of the four interisland spots, Christie would have been a rank outsider for the fourth option at the start of the season and his selection is a clear reward for the solid form the former Blues halfback has displayed during the latter half of the Super season.
At 25 years old, Christie could slowly be emerging as the likeliest contender to slip into the All Blacks squad ahead of one of Weber or Perenara. He’s helped hugely by not being perched behind a more experienced option at the Blues and has been playing alongside one of the most experienced 10s in the country.
Prior to the season, you would have thought that the All Blacks coaches would be using 2020 as a rebuilding year to start integrating young talent to slowly replace the men that might not be up to scratch in four year’s time. While it would be unfair to categorically rule out any of the current crop of players from making the next competition, taking three halfbacks aged 31 and over to the World Cup does seem unlikely.
The disrupted year means that Foster has even less time to bring new players up to speed and prepare them for the likes of England and South Africa but, at least at this stage, it looks like any changes in the halves may be another year away.
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Unless, of course, the selectors are considering bring Christie or Tahuriorangi in ahead of Perenara or Weber. Perhaps playing the latter two against each other in Saturday’s match is a trial to determine who of Smith’s back-ups should be preserved in the squad, and who should be let go.
It would be cut-throat decision to make, but that’s the nature of professional rugby.
What the North v South selections have taught us is that the pecking order is still very much up for debate. Bryn Hall and Mitch Drummond were major cogs in the Crusaders machine and have both missed out on selection while Aaron Smith, the best halfback in the world, is riding the pine. Sunday’s All Blacks selection should answer a few questions around what the national coaches are thinking for the future.
Comments on RugbyPass
Its a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend om the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside od World Cup years.
5 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
5 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
5 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to comments