Why All Blacks may prefer TJ Perenara or Brad Weber over Folau Fakatava for Ireland series
One of either TJ Perenara or Brad Weber may be preferred over Folau Fakatava as an All Blacks halfback for July’s test series against Ireland.
That’s the verdict delivered by former All Blacks hooker James Parsons and Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall, both of whom believe the national selectors may opt for experience over youth when picking the New Zealand squad for the three-match series.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Hall said halfback will be a tough positional group to pick from given the depth in that area across the country.
The Maori All Blacks representative said there are an array of candidates vying for All Blacks selection at halfback, including the four players – Perenara, Weber, Aaron Smith and Finlay Christie – who represented New Zealand last year.
Adding Fakatava – the highly-touted uncapped Highlander who has impressed in Super Rugby Pacific over the past two seasons – to that mix makes for a tight selection race given only three halfbacks are expected to make the cut.
However, while he acknowledged Fakatava’s recent form, Hall said the All Blacks “need to see more” from the 22-year-old if he is to dislodge any of last year’s incumbents from the national squad due to their collective test experience.
That, Hall said, could prove to be invaluable against an Irish side that finished second in the Six Nations and beat the All Blacks last November.
“It’s tough because there’s depth in that position,” Hall, a five-time Super Rugby title-winner, told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“You’ve got Nuggy [Smith], you’ve got Brad, you’ve got TJ, who’s done a lot in that All Black environment, you’ve got Finlay Christie, who you could arguably say is the form halfback in the competition.
“What Folau has done really well, and is probably [down to] the fact that he gets to be at the Highlanders, is he gets to play under Aaron Smith in that bench role.
“If you’re thinking around the All Blacks starting [team], it could go in any direction, but you’d think that Nuggy would be the incumbent starter.
“What can we bring off the bench? What Folau’s been doing in the last two weeks off the bench and being able to influence games, that’s a real strength of his.
“That’s a feather in his cap that he can bring, the fact that he is at the Highlanders [playing under Smith], but I think you need to see more from Folau because there are a lot of guys that are proven at that level, knowing that the Irish are coming.
“They’re coming after a really good Six Nations, and then obviously with the result they had against the All Blacks, and so you want to have your three best halfbacks.
“Whether he can come in, I’m not too sure, just because there’s just experienced No 9s around, but if he keeps continuing to play like he is, and there’s an injury there, then he could get an opportunity in that All Blacks squad.”
Parsons doubled down on Hall’s comments, adding that Smith’s vast experience and Christie’s form this season makes them the two first-choice selections at halfback.
Asked whether Perenara and Fakatava are in a head-to-head battle for the third halfback spot due to their points of difference as physical and combative halfbacks, Parsons said Weber couldn’t be excluded from that discussion.
Of that trio, the former Blues captain and centurion noted that either Perenara or Weber might be the preferred candidates as the All Blacks are likely to need their experience against the Irish.
“It’s a tough one. I don’t think you can leave Christie out because, I agree, I think he’s the form halfback and I think he was great on the end-of-year tour as well,” Parsons, a two-test All Black between 2014 and 2016, told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“He’s backed that up now with form, so you’ve got to think he’s going to take one spot, you know Nuggy’s going to take the other, and then you’ve got Brad Weber, TJ and Folau fighting.
“I think it may potentially help that he’s [Fakatava’s] got something that he offers that is different, like we’ve seen from TJ over the years.
“I don’t think you can rule out Brad Weber, either, of picking up that third spot and what he can offer that All Blacks squad as well.
“I know I’ve sort of gone around not answering that, but I just don’t have it clear in my own head, if I’m honest, because the Irish tests are key in terms of, I think, experience could play a part.
“That may give TJ or Brad the upper hand to pick up that third spot.”
Alternatively, Hall – who may face Ireland himself as part of the Maori All Blacks squad in June and July – suggested that Fakatava could instead travel with the All Blacks on their northern tour later in the year.
On that tour, they will face England in London, Scotland in Edinburgh and Wales in Cardiff, with another match expected to be played against Japan.
Hall indicated those tests may be a better opportunity to introduce Fakatava into the All Blacks set-up rather than in the pressurised environment of a blockbuster home test series against Ireland.
“I think also, you’ve got the Irish series and there could be injuries where that happens and Folau could be given an opportunity, but there is an end-of-year tour that is coming,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“I think the schedule is where we play Japan and we end up going to the Northern Hemisphere after that.
“I know that’s not a lot of time, but that could be an opportunity where they might be able to blood in Folau to get him into the environment and seeing how he goes with that backend of the year.”
The comments of Hall and Parsons come in the same week it was reported that Fakatava, who was born and raised in Tonga, will be eligible for All Blacks selection after being deemed ineligible following a tweak to World Rugby’s residency laws last year.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good 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.
17 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.
7 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.
17 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?
7 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.
7 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.
26 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 🤐
17 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….
26 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….
17 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….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
17 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
17 Go to comments