All Blacks burning questions for 2020
The Rugby World Cup is done and dusted and the All Blacks have returned from Japan without the Webb Ellis Cup.
Change is in the air, with players, leaders and coaches moving on, and there is plenty to ponder on the path ahead.
Stuff rugby scribes Aaron Goile, Robert van Royen, Paul Cully and Liam Hyslop tackle the burning questions for the team, going into 2020.
1. Who should be the next All Blacks coach?
Aaron Goile: Dave Rennie. Time for a fresh start, change of voice, new ideas. Happy to see the exuberance of Scott Robertson, who definitely seems to speak the players’ vocab, but Rennie’s successful record everywhere he’s gone speaks volumes and he has the tactical nous to stay ahead of the game.
Robert van Royen: The All Blacks can’t go wrong with either Jamie Joseph, Scott Robertson or Dave Rennie in charge. But it’s time for a fresh start, which is bad news for Ian Foster.
Paul Cully: Scott Robertson. Dave Rennie is also a good candidate but NZ Rugby needs to grasp this moment for generational change.
Liam Hyslop: Scott Robertson. New blood and a new direction is needed. Robertson offers just that.
2. And what about the new captain?
AG: Sam Cane. Despite his deal through to 2023 I have my doubts Sam Whitelock will be at the next World Cup. My longer-term pick is Luke Jacobson, but with Cane we have a quality player, already with captaincy experience at Super Rugby and the top level.
RVR: Sam Whitelock remains the best choice. He’s shown the captaincy only makes him better since taking over as Crusaders skipper in 2017.
PC: Sam Cane. He’s the right age to go through to 2023.
LH: Sam Cane. Seems the obvious choice given he captained the side in Argentina this year. Sam Whitelock’s upcoming sabbatical, and the fact he’s four years older than Cane at 31, should see him ruled out.
3. Why didn’t the All Blacks win the World Cup, and what will need to be done to win it back?
AG: Quite simply, out-muscled and out-coached in one 80-minute game against some superb young fired-up England forwards. In four years’ time, who knows if rush defences will still be in vogue, but the All Blacks still look like they need work on combating that, while against some teams in particular their lineout needs to be more stable and their breakdown work more physical.
RVR: Selection uncertainty was a biggie. Steve Hansen never found his best midfield combination, and the Mo’unga-Barrett combination should have been installed much earlier. The good news for whoever replaces Hansen is they have time on their side and ample talent to pick from. However, one concern is the lack of quality props coming through.
PC: Because they don’t have an elite forward pack at the moment. England and South Africa are both better there. So, the solution is pretty obvious.
LH: They got beaten by a team better on the day. England’s gameplan worked to counter everything the All Blacks did well.
4. Of the five departing World Cup squad members (Kieran Read, Matt Todd, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams and Ben Smith) plus Brodie Retallick on sabbatical, who will be missed most next year?
AG: Retallick. Of that group only he and Read were certain starters. There’s plenty of leadership and intangibles that will be lost from all those guys, but Retallick’s on-field force will be most missed.
RVR: Retallick. He’s the best forward in the country when healthy and firing.