Storylines That Will Hold the National Agenda
01 Ma’a Nonu and an All Black s’ Recall
It can’t happen can it? Ma’a Nonu back in the All Blacks? It’s too much and yet we will be asking that question throughout the tournament as the 37-year-old has probably still got it.
He’ll no doubt make it look like time hasn’t moved since 2015 and his last Super Rugby campaign with the Hurricanes where he was sensational.
And if he does play that well the All Blacks will consider picking him. Crazy.
02 Sanzaar Considering a Back to the Future Plan
Reports out of Australia – where all Sanzaar information leaks – suggest that there will be a return to a 14-team competition in 2021 and a genuine round-robin.
It is what everyone wants but it means there will be ample speculation about which team will be bladed. The short odds are on the Sunwolves so every time they play this year, there will be a comment made about their heads being on the chopping block.
03 World Cup Wildcard s
In 2007, Brendon Leonard bolted into the World Cup squad from the Chiefs and in 2015 it was Nehe Milner-Skudder who was the surprise pick from the Hurricanes.
So there is some history of All Blacks World Cup bolters and hence there will be predictions every week about this player or that being the possible wild card that is going to be the shock pick.
There will be some outrageous claims so we will get our – serious – guess work out of the way now... George Bridge and Gareth Evans are the men we think could go from outsiders to insiders.
04 World Cup Heartbreak
Some poor sap is going to be crocked along the way. A World Cup dream will be broken some time between February and July. In fact it is likely to be dreams – multiple – and depending who it is, it could have a massive impact on the All Blacks’ plans and create a whole enduring storyline of its own.
In 2015 it was Aaron Cruden who went down in Super Rugby and couldn’t get back up in time.
05 Last one ou t Turn of the Lights
There will be players who announce they are leaving after the World Cup and when they do, the business of retention and recruitment will pop out the bottle and be hard to put back in.
Some will say it is an exodus that can’t be stopped. Others will say it is business as usual – the natural cycle of things around a World Cup.
Others will demand a review of the selection criteria and a reversal of the decision to not select players based overseas. It will drag on and on without ever getting interesting.