Midfield battle gives selectors headache
An obvious area of contention, Paul Cully asks what will Steve Hansen’s midfield look like come the World Cup?
The midfield is probably the area that will cause the most debate among the All Blacks’ selectors in 2019.
If they are committed to the dual playmaker system, and it appears they are, the No 14 and No 15 jerseys are already locked up, so most of their attention will be at No 12 and No 13.
This year offered a few strong clues as to some new thinking at No 13, but Sonny Bill Williams’ injury-interrupted year somewhat muddied the waters at No 12.
That however, would not have come as a shock to the selectors.
By carrying five midfielders for the French series in June they signalled contingency planning was already under way in case Williams, now 33, or Ryan Crotty, with his history of concussions, didn’t make it to the Rugby World Cup.
Despite all of the permutations it is hard to shake the feeling that, all things being equal, the selectors will go to the World Cup with Williams at 12 and Jack Goodhue at 13.
That is the way they selected for the massive England test, despite both being relatively short of football, a big clue as to how they see the pecking order.
Have the selectors seen anything since then to change their minds?
Probably not.
Will they see anything in Super Rugby that will make them change their minds? Well, therein lies the element of doubt.
Whereas in years gone past the selectors were very patient with Williams and didn’t need to see much evidence of form before picking him, next year they might be a bit more demanding.
They’ll want to see some strong form in the Blues jersey first.
It doesn’t need to be worldbeating – but they’ll surely want to see him put together a string of games where his defence is strong, he bends the line and he gets an offload or two away.
If he does that he will be at the forefront of their thinking again because he meets their positional selection criteria in so many ways.
Does he have size? Yes. Is he a leader? Yes. Is he experienced. Clearly.
In fact, when you break it down like that you can see how hard it will be for the others in the premier midfield quintet – Crotty, Anton Lienert-Brown, Goodhue and Ngani Laumape – to get past Williams.
And as for bolters from outside this group? Next to no chance, although Vince Aso’s name continues to get mentioned as a No 13 contender and all middle-aged men will hope that Ma’a Nonu makes an impact.
But all indications are pointing to Williams and Goodhue to win a race that obscures a bigger concern: no matter who they pick they won’t be as good as the Nonu-Conrad Smith combination that won the ABs the past two World Cups.
‘‘Sonny Bill Williams’ injury-interrupted year muddied the waters at No 12.’’