Hames must aim up to convince us he has what it takes
No matter his protests, that was a messy start from Kane Hames against the Springboks. These All Black selectors consistently find players they feel will cut it at test level then work hard to bring them through to that standard. Some take longer than others and one of those slow- burn projects was another prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi who made his best impact against the Boks. Until then he’d been simmering and there must have been many wondering why he had the inside run with the selectors. Scrum coach Mike Cron will have been a strong voice while head coach Steve Hansen will have been eyeing the 2019 World Cup and thinking about the depth he needs for that tournament.
On the loosehead, Wyatt Crockett is still going strong but may not last through to that tournament so an alternative had to be tried. Hames got the nod and may be the business but that’s a leap of faith for many because we haven’t seen him play enough.
Naturally we zeroed in on his work when he was promoted against the Boks but didn’t get any insight into the selectors’ interest. Perhaps we’ll find out more if Hames gets a repeat start against the Pumas next weekend in Buenos Aires.
Back in 2009, the propping uncertainty centred on Crockett after a tough debut against Italy then repeat troubles against the same rivals later that year. He and the All Black coaches weathered those blips and moulded an experienced grafting prop who fits the modern game.
We don’t know whether they have zeroed in on a similar nugget in Hames. He got prickly when his pedigree was questioned before the test in Albany then his on- field response did not help. The 29- yearold is obviously confident about his ability and that is a handy trait for any test player but when there’s a disconnect between self- belief and production, questions will be asked.
Test rugby measures the best in the game and those markers are extrahigh with the All Blacks, something Hames might like to dwell on if he wants to convince us he has what it takes.