World Cup spots up for grabs for All Blacks
Steve Hansen doesn’t want his All Blacks adopting a trial mindset through the Rugby Championship – but the fact is that for some players their World Cup lives are on the line over the next two months.
In an expanded All Blacks squad, with significant culls to come, a number of players may only get one chance in the heat of battle to stake their claim. For some that will be in the form of limited minutes off the bench. Every action will be watched closely as the coaches fill their dossiers with the information required to come up with the 31 to take to Japan.
Hansen has 39 in his squad reassembling in Auckland today, and for all intents and purposes that can be increased to 41 to include the injured Ryan Crotty and Scott Barrett who should return for World Cup selection.
After the opening two matches, in Argentina on July 20 (early July 21 NZT) and back in Wellington against the Springboks a week later, there will be a cull to 34 for the back-to-back Bledisloe Cup tests in August. Soon after, that will shrink by three more to the mandated 31 to attend the World Cup, and a hitout against Tonga on September 7.
Hansen says he doesn’t want the Rugby Championship treated like a World Cup trial.
‘‘You’re getting an All Blacks jersey, you are expected to play to a really high level,’’ he said. ‘‘How do we get that? We’ve got to have some learning the next few weeks and a bit of fun to balance that out so we get a performance.’’
The key, added Hansen, would be to simplify information given to the players in the early stages of this campaign and let them play their natural games as much as possible.
‘‘At this time of the year less is best. They’re good athletes, they know how to play rugby, their instincts are good, and all you’re trying to do is give them a little bit of structure and idea of how to play as a group.
‘‘Our job is to make the complicated simple.’’
That said, there are a number of All Blacks in this group – with most Crusaders to remain behind to freshen up for the Springboks test – who are well aware they have to impress to stick around.
There are eight loose forwards in this squad, as well as Jackson Hemopo as a designated utility and Barrett also covering 6. Something has to give there with six the likely number for Japan.
Same among the props, with seven to become five. And there are six outside backs, including utilities Jordie Barrett and Braydon Ennor, with room for maybe four at the World Cup. There is a mighty five-way tussle for a maximum of four midfield spots.
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster is excited by the challenge of further reducing an exciting mixture of experienced campaigners and form young performers.
‘‘In some areas we want to give people some opportunity to be around us and for us to learn about them because we’ve got a pretty clear profile of what we want in the 31 and there are some questions to answer in the next couple of months.
‘‘That’s exciting for everyone, and the pressure is on so that will be good,’’ he told Stuff.
Undoubtedly the selectors have been bold. They have rewarded form. And youth, nowhere more than in the backline where Crusaders trio Sevu Reece, George Bridge and Ennor get a crack at the outside spots, and Josh Ioane and Brad Weber come into the halves out of strong Super Rugby campaigns.
You could not accuse the All Blacks brains trust of conservatism, or a safety-first approach. They’ve rolled the dice on form and excitement where they’ve dared. But now they have a small window to assess their suitability for the biggest of stages.
‘‘Brad Weber, Sevu Reece, George Bridge, Braydon Ennor, Josh Ioane . . . they’ve played so well they’ve forced us to keep coming back and looking, so it’s an exciting time, and great they have an opportunity,’’ Foster said.