Rugged road for ABs rookies
Successive losses limits scope of experimentation; wins priority
The start of any new four-year cycle usually presents ample opportunity to blood fresh talent and begin rebuilding depth on the road to the next Rugby World Cup.
Experienced, legacy figures typically sign off at this juncture, paving the path for an influx of emerging prospects the following season.
This year, however, with the All Blacks’ schedule slashed from 14 to six tests and successive losses against the Wallabies and Pumas demanding a win at all costs mentality, development of some rookies suffered.
In an ordinary, non-Covid-affected year, Blues openside Dalton Papalii, Crusaders blindside Cullen Grace and Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua could have expected significantly more game time off the bench.
In the case of Papalii, probably at least one starting chance, too.
As it transpired, the 23-year-old enjoyed one 12-minute appearance in the record Sydney victory, with influential captain Sam Cane too important to rest at any stage.
Grace, the third-ranked blindside behind Akira Ioane and Shannon Frizell, tasted all of two minutes in the defeat to the Wallabies in Brisbane. In that same match Aumua made his only 10-minute cameo.
Hurricanes centre Peter UmagaJensen, a late call-up for the injured Braydon Ennor, was not sighted after his impressive 27 minutes at Eden Park while openside Du’Plessis Kirifi effectively travelled to Australia for training, the wait for his test debut ongoing.
Had the All Blacks beaten the Pumas in their first encounter the final test of the year would have assumed a more development focus that allowed Papalii, Grace, Aumua and third-string halfback Brad Weber, who played 20 minutes in two stints off the bench, more game time.
Having suffered their maiden defeat to the Pumas, the All Blacks were instead under immense pressure to rectify that result.
The same was true following the Brisbane defeat when after making mass changes to give Ngani Laumape, Sevu Reece, TJ Perenara and Karl Tu’inukuafe starts, the All Blacks reverted to their first-choice side for the Pumas. Those successive losses ultimately limited the scope of experimentation through this time, with seeking victory prioritised over development.
The All Blacks did promote a host of fresh faces elsewhere. Blues quartet Caleb Clarke, Ioane, Alex Hodgman, and Hoskins Sotutu were among those to seize their respective chances. So, too, did 20-year-old Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa’i after beginning the year labouring with his father.
Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax savoured significant time, and Will Jordan’s two-try cameo in the final quarter of the year proved his potent attacking potential.
Juggling development ideals against the relentless New Zealand public demands to win every match is no easy task.
This is the task All Blacks coach Ian Foster faces next season, too.
“We had nine new players and five returning guys who had been out for a while. If you look at that group of 14, 12 of them got on the field so it’s not like there were no chances,” Foster told the Herald.
“Some of those people were a little bit limited through injury — Will got concussed within one minute of his first test so he was unavailable for the next one.
“In a very condensed test window I actually think we were able to make sure a number of the new guys got some time, and those that didn’t get a lot of time were still able to spend a prolonged period in the environment training and learning what it’s like to be at an All Black level.
“That’s also part of it. Every tour you get players who don’t get a lot of time but the onus is still on to learn and get better. I’m delighted with that group because they trained magnificently and generally when they got their opportunity they played well.”
Just as development opportunities suffered this year due to Covid, Foster believes the vastly reduced test calendar heavily influenced the style of rugby which, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, has been derided for being boring as defence and kicking dominate.
“It’s a tough year to make those assessments because when you’ve only got a couple of tests to play there’s a real pressure and intensity to just go out and win.
“There was a win-at-all-costs mentality and that probably did show in some ways with the amount of niggle in the Tri Nations where teams were prepared to do whatever they could to stop the other team from playing.
“That has been a great lesson for us and how we deal with that. Clearly it got under our skin a bit in the loss to Argentina and you’ve got to take your hat off to them. They did that well; they prodded us, and we responded. We learned that’s what test match level is like.
“Whether it’s a defensive game you’re dealing with or people just want to stop you playing your game, test matches are about responding and still finding a way. We were able to do that a number of times and there were a couple of times we didn’t.”
I actually think we were able to make sure a number of t he new guys got some time.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster