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World Cup dreams still alive for discarded All Blacks duo

By Online Editors
Asafo Aumua (left) and Vaea Fifita. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Asafo Aumua may have been among the first players to be cut from the All Blacks this season, but his desire to to put his best foot forward remains the same.

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The 22-year-old hooker was one of five players cut from New Zealand’s 39-man Rugby Championship squad by head coach Steve Hansen ahead of the Bledisloe Cup series, and didn’t get any game time after missing out on the match day sides to play Argentina and South Africa.

Despite his limited involvement with the squad, Aumua – who played two non-tests for the All Blacks against the Barbarians and French XV in 2017 – said it has enhanced his drive to succeed and be part of the national set-up.

“One hundred per cent, especially when you don’t play [it makes you hungrier],” the blockbusting front rower told Stuff.

“The team is named early in the week and you don’t get named, but you prep like you’re playing and feel the energy off the players that are playing.”

Aumua revealed that the All Blacks coaches left him with a parting message once he was released back to Wellington for the Mitre 10 Cup campaign.

“I get that question asked all the time and always have the same answer: set piece like always. I still struggle there a bit, but I’m giving it my best.”

Like Aumua, All Blacks utility forward Vaea Fifita has hit the ground running since rejoining the Lions as one of nine All Blacks released for provincial duty this weekend.

After having been involved in the All Blacks’ first two tests of the year against the Pumas and Springboks, Fifita wasn’t needed throughout the Bledisloe Cup series against Australia, despite surviving the five-man drop.

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However, he will still be wanting to put an impressive performance out on the park when Wellington face Canterbury at Westpac Stadium on Friday, as his World Cup aspirations may depend on it.

Hansen will name his 31-man World Cup squad next Wednesday, meaning this weekend presents one last opportunity for Fifita to establish his credentials.

Vaea Fifita. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

With at least one loose forward needing to go from the current six that were named for the Wallabies tests – and probably two should Liam Squire make himself available after exiling himself from the national side – the pressure is on Fifita to perform.

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Given that Kieran Read, Ardie Savea and Sam Cane are all certainties to go to Japan, and Matt Todd likely to travel as the preferred bench option, the final loose forward spot will be a straight shootout between Fifita and test rookie Luke Jacobson.

Although Jacobson has made a name for himself as a versatile defensive machine, Fifita can cover the second row – which has been hit by injuries and suspensions to Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett – as well as blindside flanker.

That, combined with two years of test match experience, could be enough to book the 11-test star a ticket to Japan, but Wellington coach Chris Gibbes said Fifita has shown no complacency since coming back into the Lions squad.

“He’s come back full of energy and excitement, and he knows, as well as the whole country, that there is a lot to play for,” Gibbes told Stuff.

“Credit to Vaea, he’s come back straight in and has got around his role through us and is excited about playing in the jersey against Canterbury on Friday. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do out there.”

Despite the short turnaround from being with the All Blacks to training with Wellington, Gibbes was confident that Fifita can make an impact in two days’ time.

“He’s only going to have a day and a half with us before Friday, so if we start loading too much into him we’re just not going to get anything out.

“Playing his natural game is the key for us and we want him to be in the best spot to do that.”

The Season – Series 3:

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Adrian 56 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

7 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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