- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
There’s remaining Rugby Championship game for the All Blacks, with the clean sweep of that particular tournament’s trophy under threat for New Zealand. An Australian side building in confidence and eager to continue that winning momentum is the challenger.
There’s one remaining home Test match after that, before the World Cup squad of 31 has to be finalised. The Bledisloe will potentially be up for grabs and New Zealand’s impressive home record – stretching back to 2009 in Hamilton against South Africa – at risk.
In terms of replicating the white hot intensity of knockout footy, Steve Hansen can be thankful the Wallabies have everything to play for in Sydney and Auckland.
The motivation is there for both sides and given Hansen’s desire to experiment with the squad since his hand was forced with the Apia Test match, it’s inevitable he’ll make a few changes in these remaining Tests.
His comments that the Bledisloe and World Cup are his priorities this year suggest that he will put out his best available side in Auckland. That implies the experimentation is more likely to continue in Sydney to some extent. Already Nehe Milner-Skudder has been picked to make his debut on the right wing.
If that means coming off a loss in Sydney then there is much merit to a do-or-die scenario in Auckland. A Rugby World Cup final has a similar feel to it, albeit with much higher stakes.
That would mean, however, surrendering the Rugby Championship trophy to the Wallabies. I can’t imagine Hansen would like giving a main rival such a confidence boost just before the World Cup. Topping the Pool of Death likely opens an easier route to the final.
Rugby World Cups are notoriously unpredictable but who would you most like to meet in the final? To me that question is best answered by how would New Zealand get to the final?
A quarter final match between the Springboks and Australia would arguably be the best match-up from a New Zealand perspective, and that means Australia coming second in their pool and South Africa winning theirs.
I say this because England’s record against South Africa is not great, and regardless of who wins that hypothetical match, either side is going to be physically beaten up by the experience.
Beating the All Blacks and winning the Rugby Championship and having a shot at the Bledisloe might scupper those plans. I am wary of a Wallabies side full of confidence. It might get bold and behave like a grey roo and deal an unexpected killer blow. The hosts as final opponents seem less of an ambush.
Of course, there’s only so much forward planning you can do when it comes to World Cups. The trick is not to look too far ahead and concentrate what’s in front of you and get the job done.
For Steve Hansen, that means signing off on the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup and setting in stone which players he is going to include in his Rugby World Cup 31-man squad.
When we eat a packet of licorice all sorts, we all have our favourites. But sometimes we are pleasantly surprised at some combinations we didn’t care too much for in the past. Other times we tire of our favourites and occasionally we marvel at ones we didn’t know even existed or had paid no attention to previously.
Steve Hansen has some basic block combinations he can go with.
1. I know what I like so let’s stick with the favourites.
This is a team Hansen thinks can get the job done. Ma’a Nonu won’t figure in these two games I’d wager so that’s likely to see Sonny Bill in the fray.
Charlie Faumuina is another on the injured list so this season’s surge in form will be relied on for World Cup. It may not be the best side individually, but it’s perhaps the most rounded side with a bit of everything.
15. Israel Dagg 14. Ben Smith 13. Conrad Smith 12. Sonny Bill Williams 11. Julian Savea 10. Daniel Carter 9. Aaron Smith 8. Kieran Read 7. Richie McCaw 6. Jerome Kaino 5. Sam Whitelock 4. Luke Romano 3. Owen Franks 2. Dane Coles 1. Tony Woodcock
16. Wyatt Crockett 17. Keven Mealamu 18. Ben Franks 19. Brodie Retallick 20. Sam Cane 21. TJ Perenara 22. Beauden Barrett 23. Malakai Fekitoa
2. Random mix selection
This is a mixture of players who have been there and done that already for New Zealand but are not in the best form, players who have failed to impress in their brief outings or players who have shot up in the esteem of the selectors.
15. Nehe Milner-Skudder 14. Cory Jane 13. Malakai Fekitoa 12. Ryan Crotty 11. Charles Piutau 10. Lima Sopoaga 9. TJ Perenara 8. Victor Vito 7 Sam Cane 6. Liam Messam 5. Jeremy Thrush 4. Brodie Retallick 3. Nepo Laulau 2. Codie Taylor 1. Tony Woodcock
16. Joe Moody 17. Hikawera Elliot 18. Ben Franks 19. Luke Romano 20. Liam Messam 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow 22. Colin Slade 23. Charles Piutau
3. I’m not expecting great things but surprise me.
I like red licorice, personally, and though I can tolerate black licorice acting as sandwich filler, those little gnarly sticks that find their way into the back molars and cling on there like limpets are not my favourite.
But sometimes, you get a few and start to appreciate their moreish value. This could be veteran players in a rut or relative rookies playing in unfamiliar positions or combinations that don’t seem to make a good fit.
15. Israel Dagg 14. George Moala 13. Ryan Crotty 12 Malakai Fekitoa 11 Charles Piutau 10 Daniel Carter 9 Andy Ellis 8. Kieran Read 7. Sam Cane 6. Liam Messam 5. James Broadhurst 4. Luke Romano 3. Charles Faumuina 2. Keven Mealamu 1. Joe Moody
16. Wyatt Crockett 17. Hikawere Elliott 18. Ben Franks 19. Sam Whitelock 20. Richie McCaw 21. Brad Weber 22. Colin Slade 23. Julian Savea
You could make a lot of these teams and play around with who starts and who comes off the bench. The first team is probably closer to the Test side in Hansen’s head but many of you will undoubtedly single out Luke Romano starting ahead of Brodie Retallick and think that unlikely.
This is how the two started out their Test rugby and Romano’s injury really put the spotlight on Retallick’s huge work rate with Sam Whitelock, and how much the pair got around the park. I know many would not even have Romano in the team but who would be the lock coming off the bench to add impact now that Patrick Tuipulotu is injured?
James Broadhurst might still get a chance to show his impact value instead of starting much like Liam Messam might get a chance to show Hansen that Victor Vito is not the only one who can add impact when Kaino goes off or injury occurs to a back-row forward.
Yet to me the sight of a fresh-legged Brodie Retallick coming on after half-time is a depressing thought for any opponent after making hard work in the scrums in the first half.
Consider the selection against Scotland last November.
1. Joe Moody (6) 2. James Parsons * 3. Charlie Faumuina (25) 4. Jeremy Thrush (10) 5. Dominic Bird (1) 6. Richie McCaw – captain (135) 7. Sam Cane (21) 8. Victor Vito (25) 9. TJ Perenara (9) 10. Daniel Carter (101) 11. Charles Piutau (12) 12. Ryan Crotty (11) 13. Malakai Fekitoa (7) 14. Colin Slade (15) 15. Ben Smith (36)
16. Dane Coles (25) 17. Wyatt Crockett (34) 18. Ben Franks (40) 19. Luke Romano (16) 20. Liam Messam (38) 21. Augustine Pulu (1) 22. Sonny Bill Williams (21)
23. Julian Savea (31)
It’s not a bad team, but certainly not a great one with good combinations. Not a bad bench either with a bit of everything for everyone but equally not ideal. Their performance was pretty horrid from a viewing perspective but they got the job done when many thought Hansen had gone too far.
Just how far will Hansen’s experimentation go for these Bledisloe Tests? How set in stone are the squad positions or who is causing the sleepless nights and, indeed, who will still be given a chance to stake their claim or prove that they have the goods?
What difference will there be between the Sydney and Auckland Tests in terms of selection? Will that be based on results – as in a win is needed – or the amount of experimentation first up? And if a largely experimental side wins, does that lead to more experimentation.
What licorice All Blacks do you think Steve Hansen will pull out of the bag over the next fortnight?
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.