Fifita could complicate
Impressive display leads Hansen to say All Blacks now have “three very good No 6s”
Jearne firs d s erome Kaino’s road back to the All Blacks is increasingly challenging. With each passing test Kaino is not involved, the possibility grows he may not feature again at this level.
Test rugby has no room for sentimentality. Selection decisions are made around what is best for the team. So as much as it would be nice to see Kaino, the 81 test veteran, make a comeback and eventually pass the baton in different circumstances on his own terms, ultimately this is a performance-based business.
Moves towards the future at blindside were evident well before Kaino’s off-field personal issue saw him return home from Sydney on the day of the opening Bledisloe Cup test.
Liam Squire missed the British and Irish Lions series through injury but his mongrel, pace and physicality were already hard to ignore. Vaea Fifita delivered a potential seismic shift in New Plymouth, and Akira Ioane lurks in the loose forward mix.
Fifita, known to teammates as ‘the Beast’, remains a raw, shy talent but clearly has some special qualities. Few forwards run 113m, make three clean breaks and beat 10 defenders in their first test start after only 23 minutes of previous test action.
“He had some barnstorming carries in that first half, and to see him finish a try, and the second one, he nearly set up for Damian McKenzie . . . he’s a bit of a freak,” Hurricanes teammate Nehe Milner-Skudder said.
As the All Blacks prepare for the Springboks this week, Kaino will be across town training with Auckland to take on Southland on Friday.
It will be his second match for Auckland since leaving the All Blacks. He will then need to prove to management things are in a good enough space on the home front to be in contention for the All Blacks’ away leg to Argentina and South Africa.
Lessons were learned last year when Aaron Smith was brought back too soon after his off-field indiscretions and struggled to perform.
Don’t make the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship away leg and Kaino’s next push will be for the end of year tour, long seen as a chance to groom younger contenders.
“He played [Saturday] and he’ll get another game during the week, then we’ll make some decisions about bringing him back in after that,” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.
“We’ve now got three very good No 6s. We’ll have to wait and see about the rankings.”
Fifita is far from the finished product, and may well make way for Squire this week. He is still learning several aspects of the All Blacks’ game plan and that contributed to problems at the breakdown where the Pumas largely dominated by getting over the ball and pilfering turnovers.
“We need him to be at the right places in the different structures. That’s something he needs to be able to do better and that’s just normal because it’s his second opportunity.
“As he gets out there and understands the structures better, he’s likely to be in the right place more often than not. You can’t just go out to the flank and wait for the ball to come to you. Sometimes you’ve got to do the hard work, too.”
But the 25-year-old Tongan has compelling characteristics which could cloud Kaino’s future.
“He’s not going to say much and he doesn’t have to. The boys really enjoy his company. He’s like any young Pacific Island player — when they first come in, they are incredibly shy and you’ve just got to take your time with them. He’ll grow and blossom and if we keep asking him to aim higher, he’ll get there.”