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The standard of play in the New Zealand Conference of Super Rugby has been vastly superior to that of any of the other conferences.
On actual points New Zealand teams make up four of the top five places in the championship standings.
The All Black selectors will be enthused by the emergence of young talent like Damien McKenzie and delighted with the form of perennial contenders like Ryan Crotty.
However a concern that still lingers is the standard of goal-kicking. Replacing the 1598 Test points Daniel Carter scored was never going to be easy, but who will actually kick goals for the All Blacks from now on?
If an 80 per cent success rate is the mark considered to be a world class goal-kicker then the All Blacks don’t have one at present.
Below are the regular Kiwi kickers in Super Rugby and their respective success rates.
•Lima Sopoaga – Highlanders, 29/38 (76%)
•Ihaia West – Blues, 31/42 (74%)
•Damien McKenzie – Chiefs, 37/51 (73%)
•Richie Mo’unga – Crusaders, 30/47 (%)
•Beauden Barrett – Hurricanes, 31/51 (61%)
The next question to ask is who of these players are contenders for the All Blacks? Despite his promise Mo’unga it would appear is a long way down the first-five pecking order so he is immediately eliminated.
Ihaia West is the only other player among the kickers listed above not to have played a Test. West would rank behind Aaron Cruden, Sopoaga and Barrett as a contender for the All Blacks ten jersey, but interestingly he might be the most accurate Super rugby standard kicker in the country.
In the 2015 ITM Cup West kicked 49/64 (77%) and he was even better in Super Rugby slotting 38/44 (86%). West is a very good goal kicker.
Sopoaga is the leading kicker this year, but he has the benefit of playing his home games in an enclosed Stadium. During last season’s Super Rugby however he only kicked at 69 per cent.
He kicked 26/31 in the ITM Cup and 5/7 in his only All Black Test in the caldron of Ellis Park. Sopoaga’s numbers overall are pretty good, but will be considered ahead of Cruden and Barrett.
Barrett has played 36 Tests, but only eight as a starter of which two were at fullback. He has been promoted to the All Blacks leadership group which suggests more Test caps beckon. However his numbers as a leading or back-up kicker are alarming.
In Super Rugby in 2015 he only kicked 41/64 (64%). Goal kicking is a major Achilles’ heel for arguably the best attacking pivot in the competition and a player who has made a genuine impact at Test level.
Aaron Cruden has scored 280 points in 37 Tests and has been a reliable kicker at international level. However he has only taken three attempts this season for one success. Last year he kicked 34/46 (74%) in Super Rugby. Can Cruden step up again?
Young Damien McKenzie is the other contender for the kicking. He has kicked 37/51 (73%) in Super Rugby and kicked 39/50 (78%) in the 2015 ITM Cup. However will the 20-year-old crack the experienced World Champion team and does anyone know about some of his past frailties with the boot?
In the 2015 Super Rugby season he kicked a modest 16/25 (64%) and at Christ’s College just three years ago his kicking boots went missing in two of the biggest games of the season.
In nationally televised fixtures against Christchurch Boys’ High School and Otago Boys’ High School he missed a combined total often kicks across both games as Christ’s lost each contest by one and three points respectively.
The first person chosen for any team must surely be the goal-kicker. Who kicks for the All Blacks in 2016?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.