Axing of Savea raises questions
OPINION: Julian Savea. Dropped.
Few of us saw this coming. And those who did forecast the left wing’s omission from the All Blacks team to face the British and Irish Lions in the first test must have done it quietly from beneath their bed covers.
Because this is a bombshell. Savea, a veteran of 53 tests (just three as a substitute) and secondequal on the all-time All Blacks tryscorers list with 46, has been booted out of the All Blacks team for the Eden Park fixture and replaced by Rieko Ioane, a 20-yearold pup who earned his two test caps as a replacement against Italy and France late last year.
Ioane’s form for the Blues has been decent, and he accentuated his talent when he gassed past the Lions defence to score a try in the upset victory at Eden Park on June 7, but was unable to build on that as the NZ Maori folded to the tourists in Rotorua last weekend.
Clearly, the All Blacks selectors like a lot of things about Ioane. Speed, takes the ball in the air, looks for work. For Savea, that’s bad news.
He was satisfactory in the All Blacks’ romp against Samoa last weekend, while his form for the Hurricanes has been tepid. But that is nothing new.
Last year Savea, now 26, was such a dud missile on the left wing for the Hurricanes that coach Chris Boyd had no option but to start Jason Woodward for the Super Rugby playoff games against the Sharks, Chiefs and Lions.
Yet the All Blacks selectors held firm.
They wrapped their arms around Savea, publicly admonished the doubters and, as a consequence, he appeared in 11 tests.
At the start of this year it seemed inevitable Savea would chase down Doug Howlett’s record of 49 test tries, possibly during the three-test series against the Lions.
Then Ioane, reputedly the fastest player in the All Blacks, got picked to start against the Lions in Auckland tonight. Now everything has been turned upside down.
If Ioane earns repeat starts during the series it’s possible Savea’s only appearance against the Lions will be for the Hurricanes on Tuesday evening.
Things could also get tricky, pretty quickly, ahead of the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup.
Savea’s problem is that the congestion for All Blacks wing spots is only going to get heavier, with the majority of contenders capable of playing several positions.
Waisake Naholo has played in tests on both wings. Israel Dagg can operate at wing and fullback. So can Ben Smith.
World Cup right wing Nehe Milner-Skudder, on the comeback from a broken foot after skipping the majority of last season because of a serious shoulder injury, has played at fullback for the Hurricanes.
Ioane was outstanding as a replacement centre against France in Paris last year, and also made nine appearances at No 13 for Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup.
Savea, contracted to NZ Rugby until 2019, is a specialist left wing. That is important to note, when you consider how much the All Blacks selectors value versatility.
The twitch of the selectors’ pens when selecting this team for the first test has created problems for the man also known as ‘‘The Bus’’.
Howlett’s record isn’t safe. Few milestones are in an age where so many tests frequent the calendar, but it isn’t under siege either.
Not while Savea is on the outer, anyway.