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From the get go, I need to proclaim that I have never been a fan of Mr Donald and have for some time thought him out of his depth in Black. He has struggled at Super 14 controlling games, let alone that one step higher.
However it is not like his performance was out of character on Saturday was it?
Donald, it has to be said, has been consistent in all his performances in Black over the last few years in that he is not possessive of a big game temperament, not “hot n cold” either, but consistently tepid.
We have grown to appreciate that about his game.
So why when the All Blacks were only a dozen or so points ahead did Smith, and to a lesser degree Henry, sub him on? (Why is he in Hong Kong for a start?)
The word is that Henry and Smith were only ever going to trial Carters dodgy ankle/calf/whatever it was for 60 minutes anyway, but then from another scribe close to the Carter camp we hear that he was good to go for the entire 80 and didn’t want to be benched.
You can be assured that if he was good to start, he was good to finish. Period!
Too much has been laid on the shoulders of Donald for the loss and no eggs are being tossed where IU believe they should be hurled: at messers Smith and Henry.
We hear about Smith’s, and to a lesser degree Henry’s, style to choose players for what they contribute to their playing style, pattern, game plan, however you want to frame it. And herein lies the dilemma.
What do they see Donald bringing to the table that we all are oblivious to?
The same can be said about several other players who featured in Black and were the ire of a nation but not the three wise men: Sione Lauaki comes to mind.
Shouldn’t the selectors’ credentials come into question? Who are they again?
I don’t need to go into detail here as you all will have varying degrees of adjectives to describe Donalds’ and other “project players” added-value, but for me the buck stops with the conductor pointing at a violinist to produce a sound more resonant with a drum.
It’s as simple as that for me.
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.