NZ plans to keep niggling at Sanzaar
Actually, he’d never previously been much of a footballer full stop — more of a strongman with enough mobility and agility to give rugby a decent crack. By the World Cup last year, the difference between him and his understudy, Charlie Faumuina, was pronounced.
Faumuina is a first- five trapped in a prop’s body — a pass and catch player in just about the same league as Dane Coles when it comes to handling. Faumuina’s efficiencies in that area only served to exaggerate what Franks didn’t offer.
Not now. This season, Franks has undergone the most stunning transition. He’s earning a little light- hearted fame for the world record he recently collected when he became the most experienced player in history to never score a test try.
But the implication of that record is far removed from the reality of the sort of player Franks has become.
“I know there i s a bit of lighthearted talk about no tries, but you look at his contribution in the attacking side of the game,” All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster says.
“Forget about the set piece, we know he does that really well. But some of the lines he runs, some of his passing contributions in that area, are things you would probably never have seen from Owie Franks three or four years ago. He’s become a pretty vital component of our attack game. He’s got a game that is really effective — it just doesn’t involve scoring tries.”
It’s hard to know what has been more surprising — the immaculate and clever lines that Franks has con- New Zealand won’t give up its efforts to force a change to next year’s Super Rugby playoff format, but the union is resigned to the prospect of the status quo.
The expanded competition has multiple flaws but the most glaring surfaced at the business end this year when the Chiefs and Highlanders were forced to play away quarter- finals against sides who gathered fewer competition points.
There were knock- on effects of the contrived format felt by the Crusaders, who had to wait an eternity to discover where they would play their quarter- final and were then left stranded in Christchurch for two days, waiting for flights to South Africa.
All five New Zealand teams campaigned for the introduction of a straight top eight next year — where the four teams with the most points, regardless of where they are tinuously run this year or his level of comfort once he has broken the defence and has to make a decision.
He’s made it look like he’s a natural in both aspects and he hasn’t wasted the opportunities he has created. Once he’s hit the hole, he’s been calm, aware and willing to take his time to think through the next option.
Ian Foster on Owen Franks
based, host quarter- finals. But that proposal has been rejected by the South Africans and Australians who want the continuation of a guaranteed home playoff spot for the respective winners of each of the four conferences.
“It’s disappointing we couldn’t get agreement,” said New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew. “We would prefer to see a straight top eight, which we think would be fairer.”
Australia and South Africa argued that the results this year were an aberration and that it would be wrong to change something one year into a five- year agreement.
They also countered with the view that there may be more significant change coming in 2018 and that would be the time to reconsider the finals format.
Both Australia and South Africa are considering a proposal by consultancy firm Accenture to
He has also managed to largely fix the flaw in his tackling technique. He was guilty in the past of getting caught flat- footed — a weakness that made him prone to hit high and late or just not hit at all. It hasn’t happened this year as his footwork and dynamism leading into the tackle are improved.
“Not only does he do his core roles reduce their current allocation of teams for 2018.
Both have been asked to think about cutting one team each to strengthen the competition.
The Western Force are being bankrolled by the Australian Rugby Union and, although the Perthbased franchise began life with corporate sponsors and major local interest, much of that has dwindled in recent years.
The introduction of a sixth team in South Africa has shown they don’t necessarily have the player depth to fill so many professional contracts and compounding matters is the continuing exodus to Europe and Japan.
All decisions within Sanzaar need to be unanimously supported so it will be up to the Australian Rugby Union to determine the fate of the Force. It will be the same in South Africa — the national body there will have to be the ones to agree to any reduction. — scrummaging, lineout lifting and cleaning — he’s a pretty good defender for having a small number on his back,” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says. “He certainly hit a lot of holes for us out in the middle of the park. He’s doing those little things better and for a big man, his handling skills are great.”