Crockzilla SOS looms
IS it time yet to send out that SOS to Wyatt Crockett? You know he’ll pick up if he sees Steve Hansen’s number flashing on his phone.
It might not be quite at the Beaver Donald grabbed from the banks of the river stage yet for the All Blacks coach as he surveys his fit and available loosehead props for June, but it is not far off it. One more twist of fate, or sinew, and that Crockzilla sequel might be coming earlier than you thought.
The 35-year-old Crockett, who has played 71 tests for the All Blacks, earlier this year announced his international retirement. It is time, he figured, to ease the load on the body and spend a bit more time with the family.
But here’s the thing: we have a crisis of sorts at the loosehead prop position, with Chiefs No 1 Aidan Ross the latest to join the unwanted sideline club with a brutal season-ending ankle injury in Friday night’s Super Rugby clash against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
The Chiefs have now lost their top three looseheads, after 2017 All Black tourist Atu Moli went down with a season-ending quad injury, and test starter Kane Hames has also been a long-term defection with a mysterious head problem.
Oh, just for good measure, their premier tighthead Nepo Laulala is gone long term with a fractured arm.
It is little wonder that skipper Sam Cane is getting a little emotional, seeing so many of his mates go down in such dramatic circumstances. It’s a mark of their character, resilience and sheer doggedness that they’ve remained as competitive as they have through the mounting toll.
Anyway. Back to the loosehead prop situation. The best in the business, the Crusaders’ Joe Moody, was supposed to be nearing a return now, but suffered a setback last weekend with a finger injury that looks like it will seriously torpedo his comeback plans.
Taking Moody, Hames, Moli and now Ross, who had piqued the national selectors’ interest before Friday night’s ankle injury, out of the equation leaves a rather bare cupboard.
Tim Perry, who is just making his way back from injury himself, is probably the top-ranked loosehead running about, with the Blues’ Pauliasi Manu, the Hurricanes’ Chris Eves and the Highlanders’ Daniel LienertBrown maybe the best of the rest.
Manu was a backup round the 2015 World Cup, but has fallen from favour since, Eves is a hardened character but has minimal experience at the higher levels and Lienert-Brown is a fine technician, but might be a little undersized for a test assignment against the French.
Hansen will be banking on Moody making it back in time, but it could be a close-run thing with his finger injury understood to be problematic. He also won’t have played any rugby for the best part of a year.
Hansen is adopting a ‘‘wait and see’’ approach around his looseheads, but he knows that if push comes to shove he can make the call to Crockett, still going strong with the Crusaders, and he will never say no to a temporary return.
With plenty more Kiwi derbies to come (and the physical toll they exact), it is a scenario that could be closer to a reality than many realise.
The other position causing consternation among the national selectors will be halfback, with TJ Perenara’s ruptured medial cruciate ligament making him touch PHOTOSPORT and go for June.
In Aaron Smith and Perenara the All Blacks have two of the best No 9s in the game. But there is a wide gap between them and their nearest challengers.
The Chiefs’ Brad Weber was considered the frontrunner but he’s gone off the boil lately, and has picked up a wrist injury. His backup Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi looks promising but is still raw. The Blues’ Augustine Pulu is injured and Chiefs pair Bryn Hall and Mitchell Drummond have their supporters, but also their limitations.