ABs do have riches to omit solid-gold Naholo
Backline talent pool lets selectors choose horses for courses, writes Gregor Paul
The All Blacks, clever and innovative bunch that they are, still haven't found a way to fit all of their 33 selected players into their match-day squad and hence every team they pick generates a number of hard-luck stories.
It shouldn't really be a surprise that good players — worldclass players, even — regularly have to be left out. And yet it seems it always is when it happens and the non-selection of Waisake Naholo for the first test of the year has threatened to become a point of greater interest than it needs to be.
The facts are these: there are five supremely gifted outside backs in the squad and only three can start.
Each test there are going to be two players disappointed to miss out but what matters is that they understand they aren't being overlooked because they aren't trusted or rated.
It will probably be, for the outside backs at least, a case of horses for courses in the sense the coaches will configure their back three to suit their tactical approach.
That is the luxury they have — they can mix and match depending on who they play and how they want to play.
For this particular test, the All Blacks want a heavy emphasis on kick-catch — defensively and offensively — and hence the decision was made to play Jordie Barrett at fullback and Ben Smith on the wing.
Naholo, in cracking form and full
of running, misses out but the expectation is that he will most likely feature at some stage in the series when the coaches decide they want to try a different attacking mix.
“We were pretty impressed with how Jordie went for us last year when he played against the Lions,” said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
“He played really well and obviously he's got some aerial skills that we are looking for and we think both he and Bender [Ben Smith] give us a really good aerial back three.
“They are world class and, of course, Rieko picks himself. It is tough on Wais [Waisake Naholo] because he is playing well but at the end of the day you can't please everyone so you might as well please yourself.
“Jordie's last game for us was pretty exceptional and we are talking about building depth so we have to take risks and we will get reward for it.”
It was a little different in the other two areas of selection contention — the midfield and loose trio.
In the former, Hansen said that the recent form and proven test qualities of Anton Lienert-Brown made him the right partner for the impossibleto-leave-out Ryan Crotty.
And in the loose trio, once Sam Cane proved his fitness and Liam Squire was confirmed as available they were locked in. The decision to pick Luke Whitelock at No 8 was relatively simple, too, as Jordan Taufua was struggling with a tight hamstring. Hansen reckoned that despite all the various concerns leading into this week in regard to injuries, he was able to pick the team they had hoped for.
Once, or if, everyone is fit again, the only changes would be Dane Coles in at hooker, Brodie Retallick restored at lock, Kieran Read at No 8 and Sonny Bill Williams at 12, with Crotty reverting to 13.
Coles is still some way off returning but Read, who is with the team this week, is tracking strongly and may yet play some Super Rugby. Williams is expected to be playing again early next month.
The news on Retallick was better than expected, too, with the big lock having been diagnosed with a bone fracture as opposed to the more damaging muscle tear.
“He hasn't got a pec tear which is pretty good news but he does have a small fracture right in underneath his pec and he will be out for probably six weeks which is good news considering a tear to his pec would have been the end of his season,” confirmed Hansen.
“If the Chiefs make the playoffs he may be back for those.”