Risk Tri-Nations for better shot at RWC
Roar Rookie By Noel Bay, 20 Apr 2011 Noel Bay is a Roar Rookie
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- 2011 Rugby World Cup, All Blacks, New Zealand, New Zealand Rugby Union, Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, Tri Nations
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The phrase “class is permanent and form is temporary” has given the lovers of All Blacks rugby much to think about over the pass few weeks. It suffices to say that none of the incumbent All Blacks have been in sparkling form thus far in the Super Rugby competition.
Looking across the board, players who have been in magnificent shape have come in the form of rookies to the competition and former All Blacks. One would wonder come September, if these players would be chosen to represent the country to battle for the highest honours.
It is not a startling fact that Graham Henry and his team are cautious in selecting vast amount of new blood to supplement the team. But in the current age of rugby, perhaps the winning formula might be mixing experienced players with young blood who have been in superb form in the domestic scene.
While it is certainly difficult to envisage having untested players on the international arena on the World Cup squad, it is necessary to use the Tri-Nations to try out new players and combinations.
With two matches each played against the current World Cup holders, South Africa and the ever improving Wallabies, what better opportunity to blood the best from the domestic competition.
Some may say that this would risk relinquishing the Tri-Nations but one must understand that this is a calculated risk. This would be the best chance to give a solid run out to players such as uncapped youngsters Matt Todd, Robbie Fruen and Sean Maitland and also fringe All Blacks players such as Zac Guildford, Adam Thomson, Alby Matthewson and Rene Ranger to stake their claims.
New combinations can be tried out such as a SBW-Kahui pairing or Nonu-Fruen pairing. There are many other pairings that can be tried out and the lethal combination would only be found if there are opportunities for them to flourish.
Daniel Carter’s backup can also undergo further trials during the Tri-Nations and this would give the coaches a better perception of who to take to the year’s big event.
Personally, I feel that if there are many question marks of who deserves to be in the World Cup squad come the end of the current Super Rugby competition, the Tri-Nations should be used as a trial period and provide an appropriate opportunity to the 10 or so uncapped and fringe players that have set the domestic competition alight.
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April 20th 2011 @ 8:37am
ohtani's jacket said | April 20th 2011 @ 8:37am | Report comment
I think there needs to be a balancing act between playing the strongest side and making two or three changes per game. If the coaches experiment throughout the Tri-Nations you can imagine the flack they’ll come in for if they go into the World Cup underdone. If we’ve won everything by the Brisbane test then I could see Henry resting guys but if it goes down to the wire then I’m sure Henry will play his best team.
Besides, there’s not much to be gained by fielding the types of sides we see on tour. Look at a guy like Andy Ellis. He’s having a strong Super rugby season but everytime he plays for the All Blacks these days it’s a cameo off the bench with the back-up pivot. I’d rather see how he goes with Carter and the other starters. What I’d like to see is Henry make some hard choices about the handful of extra guys he thinks will add something to this team and then use them in a meaningful way. That means that a lot of young and exciting backline talent will miss out, but at least they’re pressing their case which we haven’t really seen in New Zealand since 2005.
April 20th 2011 @ 8:57am
Darwin Stubbie said | April 20th 2011 @ 8:57am | Report comment
The TN draw is favourable once again for the kiwis so I can’t t see there’ll be any mixing and matching for the home tests – the last thing they’ll want is to give either the boks or wallabies a sniff of winning on home soil – and winning both those will go along way to securing the TN and of course retain the Bledisloe … If they take care of business in NZ then it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the touring team have a bit more experimetal …
I can’t see the gamble extending as far as Todd … he may get the away TN legs but only as a bench warmer and as an introduction to the international scene – but we may see Thomson given the opportunity to display he’s capable of doing the back up 7 duties … barring injury he’s a walk into the team – but if he cover 6, 7 and at a push 8 then he allows options to taken elsewhere … also if he continues his impressive form McAllister maybe be given the 10 jersey also
April 20th 2011 @ 10:52am
Sam Taulelei said | April 20th 2011 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Apart from that tough 7 day turnaround DS when we play SA in Port Elizabeth and then have to fly to Brisbane to play a waiting Wallaby team that will be hellbent on knocking us over before the World Cup.
April 20th 2011 @ 11:02am
Darwin Stubbie said | April 20th 2011 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Sam – I here what you say and of course the travel tabletable is hectic which may even add further credence to what I outlined … what I meant was because the AB’s start off with 2 home games if they secure both with their full strength 15 / 22 – then it allows room for movement and possible expreimentation ..
as a complete aside great to see Holah back for the NPC – given Tana’s return last year – are we seeing the NPC starting to take the form of what club rugby used to be like many, many moons ago … where the up and comers get to rub shoulders with and learn off the top quality veterans of the game …
April 20th 2011 @ 11:50am
Sam Taulelei said | April 20th 2011 @ 11:50am | Report comment
Aahhh see your point, yes it’s an advantage to start off with two home games if you win them both.
Not wanting to hijack this thread DS but yeah it’s great to see Holah back in the Waikato, he may still be good enough to play Super rugby which would be an unexpected bonus for Dave Rennie and the Chiefs next year.
What do you think of Tawera Kerr-Barlow? do you remember me telling you to keep an eye out for him last year?
April 20th 2011 @ 12:14pm
Darwin Stubbie said | April 20th 2011 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
I do and yes he’s another up and comer and I see Smith is getting valuable run on time with the Highlanders and performing well …
can’t help but think that by the end of next year the Hurricanes ‘brains trust’ might be feeling the heat even more as, when the had the chance, they overlooked the considerable talents of both Rennie and Joseph (and I’d also throw Russell in there as well) to take a punt on Hammett … Rennie has been excellent at Manawatu and is exactly what the Chiefs require
April 20th 2011 @ 5:41pm
Jerry said | April 20th 2011 @ 5:41pm | Report comment
The Canes brains trust has been non existent for ages.
April 20th 2011 @ 7:20pm
Moaman said | April 20th 2011 @ 7:20pm | Report comment
“canes brain trust” is an oxymoron mate
April 20th 2011 @ 4:02pm
soapit said | April 20th 2011 @ 4:02pm | Report comment
from a tri nations winning point of view you’d probably rather start with an away game or two to let you get the rust out without too much risk. if you lose at home in the first two games you can basicly kiss the title goodbye. i guess hardly ever losing at home might make new zealanders feel a bit different about this.
understand your point tho about it being a good way to trial people for the world cup.
April 20th 2011 @ 10:46am
ionz said | April 20th 2011 @ 10:46am | Report comment
NZ won’t take any risks, we will play our best and as always aim to win everything on offer – if we have secured the Bledisloe and the TN by Brisbane then they may rest some players. We need to learn from 2007 and apply some consistency to our selections and play them at every opportunity
April 20th 2011 @ 11:28am
Monty String said | April 20th 2011 @ 11:28am | Report comment
If the ABs lose in Port Elizabeth and Brisbane, so what? They’re away games. This year the truncated TN is just a rehearsal for the big show. But were the ABs to lose in Wellington or Auckland, calamity!
Forget about experimentation. The Boks game is July 30. There won’t be time to chop and change.
April 20th 2011 @ 11:56am
Die hard said | April 20th 2011 @ 11:56am | Report comment
How about just reverting to the obvious. Every test match is considered to be exactly that. A TEST between the best of the two respective countries to discover which one is deserving of a victory. Perhaps if this attitude is taken into EVERY game a win/lose ratio of better than 75% is possible. Perhaps then a test jumper will become revered and a time in the team could be treasured. There is no such thing as an experiment for experiment sake at this level and I think that Ted would not change now. His “rotations” have always had a cohesiveness and have never put the game at risk. New blood has followed a pathway onto higher responsibility even allowing for premature injury driven promotions such as Cruden last year in lower risk games.
This would be a better strategy for teams challanged with the depth of NZ such as the Wallabies to follow. Perhaps it could even work for them, but I would rather a 100% win record to move forward than a late show best new thing at the death to hang my hopes on.
April 20th 2011 @ 12:56pm
Rusty said | April 20th 2011 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
Its a bit of balancing act isnt it – you want the momentum but you also want your best players to be injury free and in top form. The Boks in ’07 effectively ended their involvement after losing the Durban test and sent the backup squad on tour to resolve some questions and give them some game time. The reason it didnt overtly effect the Boks confidence is that they were still living in the warm after glow of until recenltly very rare Super rugby success. I dont think this approach will work for the ABs. Success is the norm – the last thing you want to do is give the Boks and Wallabies for that matter some confidence. The best approach would be put the boot on the throat in every match you play in the 3N to strike fear into the consciousness of every team in the WC you play before you play them
April 20th 2011 @ 5:40pm
Jerry said | April 20th 2011 @ 5:40pm | Report comment
“It is not a startling fact that Graham Henry and his team are cautious in selecting vast amount of new blood to supplement the team.”
What is this sentence trying to actually say? That he doesn’t select a lot of new blood, or that the fact that he does select a lot of new blood is cautious?
April 20th 2011 @ 5:52pm
ab ftw said | April 20th 2011 @ 5:52pm | Report comment
i guess he meant that henry and his team do not select alot of new blood given that we hardly ever see more than 3 or 4 new players during the end of year tours or during the TN.
April 20th 2011 @ 9:54pm
Jerry said | April 20th 2011 @ 9:54pm | Report comment
If he meant that, he’s completely wrong. Henry routinely bloods loads of players – he’s capped about 70 players in his tenure, which considering he inherited a fairly young side* is notable. If anything, Henry can be criticized for giving too many people a chance.
*eg, guys like Woodcock, Mealamu, Oliver, Hore, Hayman, Williams, Thorn, Jack, Thorne, McCaw, Collins, So’oialo, Marshall, Kelleher, Carter, Nonu, Howlett, Rokocoko and Muliaina – all of whom were capped prior to Henry taking over and all of whom have played a lot of tests under Henry.
April 21st 2011 @ 11:13am
ab ftw said | April 21st 2011 @ 11:13am | Report comment
But if we take a look at the past two or three years, there haven’t been many who are newly capped. Henry has been putting much trust on the old heads. Perhaps only two players who might make it to the starting xv this year would be relatively new, ie. Sam whitelock and sbw.
April 21st 2011 @ 12:18pm
Jerry said | April 21st 2011 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Yes he has –
2010 – 8 new caps
2009 – 13 new caps
2008 – 16 new caps
Those two you mentioned may be the only two introduced last year, but Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Hosea Gear, Israel Dagg, Cory Jane and Adam Thomson are all likely or highly possible starters who’ve debuted since 08.
April 21st 2011 @ 12:51pm
ab ftw said | April 21st 2011 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Point noted, bro:) just something to mention would be that not many new capped players over the above period would be present in this year’s squad, given that out of 27 new caps since 2008, possibly only a quarter would feature prominently this year.
April 21st 2011 @ 1:47pm
Jerry said | April 21st 2011 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
Not necessarily, the guys I mentioned are just those likely to feature in the starting XV. There’s also the likes of Cruden, Stephen Donald, Ben Franks, Victor Vito, Liam Messam, Anthony Boric, Richard Kahui, Zac Guilford, Alby Mathewson and Rene Ranger as possible squad members.
And I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Matt Todd and Robbie Fruean given a crack.
If you look at the last XV Henry selected (v Wales on the end of year tour) Gear, Williams, Read, Whitelock and Franks started, so that’s a third of the first XV (with a further 2, Donald and Boric, on the bench).