Picking the first All Blacks 23 of the year
Olympians normally count time in fouryear cycles, but for Eliza Mccartney, it’s been eight.
After bursting on to the scene in 2016 and winning bronze at the Rio Olympics, life hasn’t been straightforward for the New Zealand pole vaulter.
While she won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, soon after she was beset by a series of injuries, which ruled her out of the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and have kept her from setting a new personal best for six years.
Now the 27-year-old is off to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which she feels is “pretty crazy”, because when she started her campaign, “there were so many question marks”.
“There was a huge possibility this was just not going to be possible for me.
“It’s pretty crazy, to be perfectly honest, that I’ve got to this point, and that feels like a real thing to celebrate.”
Mccartney was one of 15 athletes announced in the New Zealand team for Paris yesterday, alongside one other previous medal-winner, Tom Walsh, and a host of up-and-comers, led by 100m sprinter Zoe Hobbs, high jumper Hamish Kerr and 1500m runner Sam Tanner.
Reflecting on her journey to this point, she said it had “been a real rollercoaster ride”.
“I’ve had some amazing moments since the Rio Olympics. 2018 was my last really exciting year, where I got my current PB and won a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
“That was a fantastic year, and, to be honest, this year, so far, has shaped up incredibly well.
“It’s pretty common for a career to be up and down, all over the show, of course, in sports, but particularly the Covid time, for me just happened to coincide with such bad injuries that I was incapable of doing anything.
“I’ve come back out and it feels like I’m version 2.0 right now, which is really cool, and it feels like I’ve just got so much more left in the tank than I actually realised. “It’s a very exciting time.”
While there are still a little over five months until the Olympics begin, with the women’s pole vault final scheduled for August 8 (NZ time), Mccartney feels she cut it close with regard to her return to regular action.
“There was a moment last year where I
Beamish
Samtanner steeplechase: Geordie
Connor Bell Hamish Kerr Tom Walsh, Jacko Gill thought, man, I’ve just got back into things in the nick of time.
There will be new All Blacks this year, particularly if the Hurricanes maintain their form, but how many will we see in the All Blacks’ first test of the year, against England in Dunedin on July 6?
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson is a unique character, but he’s also a pragmatist. England finished the Six Nations strongly, beating Ireland and only being denied at the death by France in Lyon.
Two of their teams, Northampton and Harlequins, are through to the semifinals of the Champions Cup, led by England No 10s Marcus Smith and Fin Smith. So, they are to be treated with respect.
As a result, Robertson will likely lean on his most experienced players for the two tests against England in July, with the game against Fiji in San Diego on July 20 (NZ time) looking like the best chance to usher in any newcomers.
Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett should come straight back into contention after their season in Japan, especially as both look set to miss out on the playoffs in Japan Rugby League One.
Will Jordan’s injury has opened up the All Blacks No 15 jersey, and while Ruben Love is making a charge, he might be best served with a gradual introduction.
By contrast, it’s harder to make a case for Sam Cane at present, as he isn’t playing for Suntory Sungoliath at the moment, and his injury status is unknown.
But, if there is to be a newcomer against England, Hurricanes winger Kini Naholo is making a strong case.
He’s not the finished product, but he’s probably the most compelling power athlete among New Zealand outside backs at the minute.
He doesn’t need much room to work in, and he would take his place in No 11 in
All Blacks matchday squad for the opener against England.
Ethan Olivier Zoehobbs
Lauren Bruce*
Eliza Mccartney, Olivia Mctaggart*, Imogen Ayris*
Tori Peeters
Maddi Wesche Camille French * Subject to additional selection conditions
“It was probably a year ago now almost, which sounds a bit crazy, because it was a
Blues’ new style doesn’t necessarily favour wingers but Tele’a has shown he is world class.
13 Rieko Ioane (Blues): Billy Proctor is pushing him hard, but Ioane deserves first crack.
12 Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes): One of the first names on the team sheet these days.
A debut under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium would be the perfect place to start.
He’s been outstanding for the Chiefs: at the top of his game now. year and a half out from Paris, but in my mind that was in the nick of time, to be not just going to the Olympics, but to be competitive and prepared and ready.
“Then I had another moment again, this season, where I was like, yeah, we’re on top of things. Nothing’s guaranteed, but if I had to choose, this is a great place to be right at this moment.”
Mccartney will be joined by two other pole vaulters – Olivia Mctaggart and Imogen Ayris – in Paris, provided they meet further selection conditions. injury.
8 Ardie Savea (Hurricanes): Won the World Rugby Player of the Year award in the No 8 jersey, so why move him now?
7 Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders): He would provide serious workrate and edge to the All Blacks pack. Old school.
6 Samipeni Finau (Chiefs): He leads Super Rugby Pacific in dominant tackles, with 10 in seven games. Built for test rugby.
He’s doing enough to keep ahead of his rivals in the tight locking race.
Hobbs and Tanner will be joined on the track by Geordie Beamish in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, while Camille French will run in the women’s marathon.
Jacko Gill will join Walsh in the men’s shot put, while Connor Bell will contest the men’s discus and Ethan Olivier will compete in the men’s triple jump.
Lauren Bruce will be in the women’s hammer, subject to meeting further selection conditions, while Tori Peeters will compete in the women’s javelin and Maddi Wesche the women’s shot put. the Hurricanes scrum. Discipline issues of a few years ago also seem a distant memory.
2 Codie Taylor (Crusaders): A toss of the coin with the rampaging Asafo Aumua, but Taylor’s 85 caps get the nod.
1 Ethan de Groot (Highlanders): Not at his best yet in a struggling Highlanders side, but has credit in the bank after three outstanding games at the Rugby World Cup from the quarterfinals onwards.
Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes), Ofa Tuungafasi (Blues), Fletcher Newell (Crusaders), Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues), Dalton Papalii (Blues), Cortez Ratima (Chiefs), Anton Lienert-brown (Chiefs), Sevu Reece (Crusaders)
The Crusaders’ legacy is a major motivating factor, but hooker Brodie Mcalister knows the importance of the set-piece for today’s Super Rugby Pacific cellar dwellers’ battle in Perth.
It’s 11 versus 12 at HBF Park where the bottom-of-the-log Force and defending champions Crusaders are both targeting their second win of a disappointing season.
Mcalister will make his first start after returning off the bench from a long injury break in last week’s after-the-buzzer loss to the Waratahs in Sydney.
He replaces rookie rake George Bell in a rejigged front row, alongside veteran ex-all Blacks props Joe Moody and Owen Franks.
Rob Penney’s pack reshuffle smacks as more of an opportunity to rest Bell and All Black bookends Fletcher Newell and George Bell after hectic workloads rather than a wholesale dropping.
But it represents an opportunity for Mcalister to make his mark, especially at the lineout where the Crusaders have had their frustrations this season.
The 26-year-old said that while the loss to the Waratahs was “gut-wrenching’’, he was relieved to be back for his first game since he tore a hamstring in the 2023 semifinal.
The hamstring setback was the worst injury of his career, he said. “It took me a bit of time [to get over] and I’ve still got to stay on top of it. The physios say it takes a good year to get it back to full strength. I’m glad I’m not a winger.’’
But after working hard in the summer, Mcalister seemed set to start the season as No 1, with All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor on sabbatical.
Then, the All Blacks XV rep suffered a second setback when he dislocated a knee in the final pre-season game.
He said that was hugely frustrating but he had to quickly “put the injury aside’’ and help “the young boys’’, Bell and Ioane Moananu, get to grips with Super Rugby. “You have to be a team player.’’
While it had been “pretty tough sitting on the sideline’’ watching the Crusaders lose their first five matches, Mcalister is still confident of a stronger finish.
He described the set-piece as “the gate to our game’’ and said it was critical to ”do the right stuff during the week“, talking with his locks and making sure there was an alternative way to set up a call if crowd noise became a problem again.
Heat could certainly be a factor. Mcalister said Perth felt as hot as Fiji this week, and the Crusaders held a training session in the middle of the day to adjust to the sapping conditions.
The Crusaders haven’t always had it easy in Perth. They scraped a 23-23 draw in 2006, and have had three wins and two losses there. This Western Australian side, however, may not be the Force of old, but they have bolstered their backline by naming Kurtley Beale at fullback to join Wallabies halfback Nic White.
The Crusaders will face two familiar faces in starting No 8 Reed Prinsep, a former Canterbury captain, and ex-crusaders and Canterbury hooker Ben Funnell.
Where and when: HBF Park, Perth; today,
Coverage:
Stuff.
TAB odds: Crusaders: $1.20, Force: $4.60. Draw: $21.
Crusaders: Chay Fihaki, Sevu Reece, Levi Aumua, Dallas Mcleod, Macca Springer, Riley Hohepa, Mitchell Drummond, Christian Lio-willie, Tom Christie (capt), Ethan Blackadder, Jamie Hannah, Quinten Strange, Owen Franks, Brodie Mcalister, Joe Moody. Reserves: George Bell, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Dom Gardiner, Cullen Grace, Noah Hotham, Rivez Reihana, Ryan Crotty.
Kurtley Beale, Bayley Kuenzie, Sam Spink, Hamish Stewart, Chase Tiatia, Ben Donaldson, Nic White (capt), Reed Prinsep, Carlo Tizzano, Will Harris, Thomas Franklin, Sam Carter, Santiago Medrano, Tom Horton, Ryan Coxon. Reserves: Ben Funnell, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Izack Rodda, Michael Wells, Issak Fines-leleiwaa, Max Burey, Henry O’donnell.
Sky Sport 1, live updates on