Talent drain is happening right now and it’s
If you accept that New Zealand rugby is something more than just the All Blacks’ winning percentage, the opening two rounds of Super Rugby brought some bad news.
We don’t have to wait until the post-Rugby World Cup exodus to see the negative effects of the overseas talent drain: it’s already here.
It’s no coincidence that the two teams that have looked most rudderless at times have been the Hurricanes and Chiefs.
That will happen if the Brad Shields and Charlie Ngatais of this world are taken out of the equation.
But that is the way of it in Super Rugby now.
For all the talk of All Blacks being rested, the teams that are truly damned are those that produce players deemed not quite good enough for the All Blacks.
These fringe All Blacks, who are commonly the best or close to it at their franchises each week, are the ones particularly vulnerable to overseas suitors.
But when they go, they take their mana with them: Matt Proctor will be the next to leave the Hurricanes.
In fact, if you look at the Hurricanes’ Super Rugbywinning team only three years ago you can see how badly they have been hit.
Victor Vito, Michael Fatialofa, Loni Uhila, Jason Woodward, Willis Halaholo, Shields, Callum Gibbins, Mark Abbott, Jamison Gibson-Park, Julian Savea – all gone.
None of them All Blacks regulars but all valuable to the Hurricanes.
Here are some of the Chiefs to depart in the past two years: James Lowe, Tim NanaiWilliams, Michael Leitch, Ngatai, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Hika Elliot, Dom Bird and Liam Messam.
And it’s not just players. You could add Dave Rennie, Tony Brown, Jamie Joseph and Chris Boyd to that list, with their four Super Rugby titles between them.
Of, course some will insist they aren’t missed.
There is a churlish habit in this country of immediately denigrating a player/coach who isn’t holding down a regular All Blacks spot/role and has decided to move overseas.
The logic seems to be if they can’t make the All Blacks they are dispensable, the New Zealand talent machine will quickly replace them.