ABs unlikely to deal any RWC wildcards

There hasn’t been a month quite like June for All Blacks selection surprises. There wouldn’t have been anyone, not even the selectors, who could have predicted three months ago that Karl Tu’inukuafe, Shannon Frizell and Jackson Hemopo would all have been on the field in the final 10 minutes of the last June test.

And given the selectors had to use 54 players last year, there’s a sense now there are no possible wildcard selections, or not many, between now and the World Cup.

The net has presumably been cast as wide as it can be. The All Blacks coaches have been forced to dig unusually deep into the talent pool in this World Cup cycle.

There is little mystery left as to who is on their extended long-list of options in nearly all positions.

Some of that, most of it, has been forced on them due to the prolonged injury crisis the All Blacks experienced last year which has continued in 2018.

Since the All Blacks won the World Cup they have used eight different props. They have effectively been forced to find out their fourth choice on both sides of the scrum. They have fielded five hookers and taken a sixth, Asafo Aumua, on tour.

At lock, they have used five different players in tests and had Tom Franklin and Dominic Bird in their mix without actually playing.

The number of loose forwards used has been extraordinarily high. They have used 12 in tests and Dillon Hunt has been involved without playing.

There have been three halfbacks capped and another two picked without playing.

At first-five there have been five options used, in the midfield eight men tried and there have been eight back three options capped with another, Matt Duffie picked but not let loose in a test.

All of which means it is difficult to imagine there is anyone outside of this extended group who is going to be able to force their way into World Cup contention.

Or certainly it would be a surprise with 17 months to go before the tournament starts, if there is a player who hasn’t been on the fringes, who demands inclusion.

Hard, but not impossible. Nehe Milner-Skudder managed it in the last World Cup cycle and if there is to be a wildcard pulled from the deck, it is probably going to be an outside back.

Milner-Skudder played in the 2014 ITM Cup with such distinction for Manawatu that he not only piqued the Hurricanes’ interest, but the All Blacks’, too.

The latter had him on their radar as a potential World Cup option, but were cautious until they had seen how Milner-Skudder made the transition to Super Rugby.

What set him apart was his point of difference. There was no other wing quite like him.

There is no immediately obvious point of difference back three player in Super Rugby or necessarily likely to come in next year.

Potentially the only back three player who may yet come into the mix is Chiefs wing-cum-fullback Solomon Alaimalo. His aerial skills and versatility would be handy at a World Cup which is why he is probably of more interest than Hurricanes try-scoring machine Ben Lam who brings much the same power-based offering as Rieko Ioane and Waisake Naholo.

And that’s probably the only open selection door. If injuries strike the midfield, then Vince Aso and Matt Proctor are waiting to be called in, but there’s not likely to be a change in the midfield pecking order for any other reason.

The All Blacks have gone so deep already, they know their pecking order down to No 5 in most positions. The next 17 months aren’t going to be about finding the next big selection surprise, but instead determine who of the already known wider group should be kept and who should be discarded.