Has Perenara done enough to be an All Black?
RUGBY: TJ Perenara could be suited to the role of a pertinacious salesman if such a role was offered by his local playhouse theatre group.
Rather than quietly wander into the background, the Hurricanes halfback has perfected the art of repeatedly rattling the door that provides access to the All Blacks squad. And just in case noone has been listening, he has given it a couple of hefty kicks in recent times.
The 25 year old just won’t go away. On Monday, when the All Blacks’ 32-man squad for the Rugby Championship is named, Perenara will know exactly where his All Blacks career is at.
To rewind this story a bit, Perenara was extremely close to being yesterday’s man when the All Blacks squad for the three-test series against Wales was announced on May 29. Aaron Smith and Tawera Kerr-Barlow were picked as the halfbacks, and the only reason Perenara was included was because Kerr-Barlow was recovering from injury.
Perenara, who was used as a sub in the first two tests against Wales, may not have been too surprised. His form for the Canes being so-so and he had already slipped down the order because Kerr-Barlow had been promoted to the reserves bench for the playoff games during the World Cup last year.
To complicate matters even more the Chiefs’ Kerr Barlow, who he will mark in the Super Rugby semifinal in Wellington on Saturday night, is fully fit. So, too, is Smith. Three doesn’t go into two. Make that four if you want to add another Chiefs’ No 9, Brad Weber, to the list.
Maybe selectors Steve Hansen, Ian Foster and Grant Fox, who will retain the nucleus of the squad that completed the 3-0 series sweep over Wales in June, will wait to see which halfback handles the pressure best in the Cake Tin.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the rise of Perenara, who has made 19 test appearances since 2014, has coincided with the Hurricanes’ rushing into full stride; his ability to boss his forwards, communicate with playmaker Beauden Barrett and run accurate support lines have been difficult to miss.
We already know there will be at least one change from the Welsh series.
Although he won’t be available to play the first Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Sydney on August 20, Sonny Bill Williams, who hasn’t played Super Rugby because of his commitment to the New Zealand sevens programme for Rio, is guaranteed passage.
Charlie Ngatai, who never played Wales because of concussion issues, has yet to return to action and, as a consequence, his conditioning is likely to have suffered. Williams is likely to be a straight swap, meaning there will also be no room for George Moala who impressed with his hard running in the third test against Wales in Dunedin.
You wouldn’t select wing Julian Savea – who cannot force his way past Jason Woodward in the Hurricanes side – on his current form, but it would be a shock if he was ditched. Given the encouraging noises out of the All Blacks camp in June, the likelihood is Savea is once again plonked in the Special Project category as the task of rebuilding his confidence continues.
There will be some unlucky ones. Hurricanes loose forward Brad Shields and Blues loosie/lock Steve Luatua will probably be among that lot.
If Dane Coles cannot shake the rib injury he suffered against the Sharks last weekend, an extra hooker may be named as insurance. The selectors could do worse than have a look at the Highlanders’ Ash Dixon.