All Blacks’ depth of talent not drawn from bottomless well

OPINION: Is the article of faith of most Kiwi rugby fans, that there is unlimited depth in the All Blacks, a reality?

When the 2011 World Cup All Blacks, as their coach Sir Graham Henry wryly describes it, ‘‘thrashed the French by one point in the final’’, it seemed to be the case. Playing first-five in the All Blacks in 2011 was as risky as a man wearing a dress to a dinner party at Israel Folau’s place.

Dan Carter down, hello Colin Slade. Slade down, welcome in Aaron Cruden. Cruden down, enjoy the rest of your life as a legend, Stephen Donald.

But in 2018, would halfbacks step up to the plate the way Donald and co did at first-five, if TJ Perenara’s knee injury lingers, and then something happened to the best halfback I’ve ever seen play for New Zealand, Aaron Smith?

When Tawera Kerr-Barlow went to La Rochelle last year the All Black selectors made Mitchell Drummond their new No 3 on the tour to Britain and France.

In Drummond they picked the Super Rugby player closest in style to Smith, who has revolutionised the position, by his attitude, that the No 9’s first duty is to feed the backs.

But at the Crusaders this season Bryn Hall is the starter, not Drummond. The other halfback with a lot of Smith’s style, the Chiefs’ Brad Weber, back from a sickening injury, may yet be a contender too. But Drummond is about to turn 24, while Weber is 27, so time may favour the Cantabrian.

On the other hand, despite the Chiefs losing to the Hurricanes, the move of Damian McKenzie to firstfive looks more and more effective, which starts to offset the loss of Lima Sopoaga to the London Wasps.

McKenzie has settled into the distribution role. A pass to Nathan Harris came to nothing because Harris had a brain fade and tried to throw a dummy with an unmarked wing outside him. But the pass itself was a thing of real beauty, threaded between defenders, and perfectly accurate.

McKenzie is also making snap, but good decisions, which often involve ensuring an opposing defensive line can never relax for a moment. His running has never been less than fearless, and what’s even more impressive is that if he does hit a large brutish forward, and shudders to a halt, he appears impervious to harm.

Despite his form he was outshone by Beauden Barrett, just as no lock on the field, no matter how hard he tried, could hope to match Brodie Retallick.

Why? Because Barrett and Retallick are in that rare group of players in a generation who are alltime greats. Barrett’s try showed the full range of his gifts, from the amazing scooping up on the ball on the run, to the perfect kick ahead, to the blistering pace to touch down.

Retallick and Sam Whitelock form one of the two most important combinations in the All Blacks along with Aaron Smith and Barrett. It’s no coincidence that without Retallick on the end of year tour, and Whitelock shattered after playing every minute of the Super Rugby season, the All Blacks struggled.

There are some very good locks happy to step up, but you don’t replace the world’s best with ease.