Crotty might well be the new Conrad
OPINION: At some stage in the not too distant future, when Steve Hansen gets all his broken midfielders back, the All Blacks coach will have a huge decision to make. And the answer may not be as obvious as some people think.
In fact, if he gets it right, if his hunch proves as accurate as most of his gut calls so far, it might end up defining a group that is already well on the way to becoming the finest All Blacks team of all time.
I am talking, of course, about the case of the late-blooming, opportunity-grabbing midfielder Ryan Crotty, who is laying down a pretty significant marker as part of an All Blacks outfit who have extended their test win streak to 15 and run of home victories to an incredible 44 as they hit the road for their last two fixtures in the Rugby Championship.
The 28-year-old has been an answer to Hansen’s prayers in 2016 after, possibly, his first two options for the No 12 jersey, Sonny Bill Williams (ruptured achilles tendon) and Charlie Ngatai (concussion issues) fell over.
Never mind. The no-nonsense, level-headed Crotty has been up for the challenge. So much so that Hansen faces a potential braincruncher in 2017 if and when Williams and Ngatai present fit and recovered and ready to press their own claims for inclusion in the All Blacks midfield to face the British and Irish Lions, among others.
In fact, let’s extend the equation out to both midfield spots, and it’s not difficult to see what has been labelled by some as the All Blacks’ problem area of 2016 erupting into an embarrassment of riches in 2017.
The All Blacks coach could well have, on top of Williams, Ngatai and Crotty contending for the No 12 spot, incumbent centre Malakai Fekitoa being challenged by the enigmatic Seta Tamanivalu, the fast-rising Rieko Ioane and rapidly improving George Moala for the centre spot. And given this is New Zealand rugby we’re talking about, one or two from left field might well join the conversation between now and then.
Further, given the majority of that group are capable of covering both midfield spots, it’s the sort of logjam of contenders that most coaches dream of, but this one has to deal with on an all-too-regular basis.
All of which brings us back to Crotty. Not so long ago you could never have imagined the consistent but hardly game-changing Cantab raising his output to the level where he might have been in the conversation for a long-term, first-string midfield spot.
But as he’s gone about his business in 2016, starting six of the All Blacks’ seven tests thus far (now up to 21 caps), that is precisely what he has done. Demonstrating organisation, clarity, strikepower, defensive fortitude and top-notch decision-making in the No 12 spot, Hansen has found himself a keeper, for sure.
Former All Blacks great and now astute analyst of the game Jeff Wilson offered this glowing tribute unprompted: ‘‘Ryan Crotty is Conrad Smith. He makes tackles, he hits rucks, he runs beautiful lines, he communicates . . . you talk about everyone understanding their roles, that’s the luxury we have. We pick a role and go we’ve got a player who can fit that role. Other countries are out there picking their talent and then going ‘OK, where are we going play them and what are we going to ask them to do?’ Then they can’t do it, so they make mistakes.’’
Wilson’s ‘‘role’’ that he has Crotty pegged for is that of ‘‘glue’’ guy of the backline. The ingredient that makes everything stick. The fellow who does all the little things to help make the line-breakers and game-changers around him even better.
There was a time when we wondered whether Conrad Smith had the sort of abilities that, say, Sonny Bill Williams brought to the table. Thankfully, over time, and with constant exposure to what this heady, smart, hard-working, noweakness player was able to produce, we all became won over.
Smith eventually became one half of arguably the best midfield the All Blacks have ever had, the perfect foil to the more blockbusting and dynamic Ma’a Nonu, but, as we all came to appreciate, no less valuable.
Wilson believes Crotty is this backline’s Snakey. The perfect complement to all that talent around him. The glue that holds it all together.
It’s a prospect that Hansen is going to have to think long and hard about before too long.