The majority of the All Blacks’ season is over and results have been mixed.
The draw against the British and Lions, despite some dubious officiating, can only be regarded as a failure.
The Rugby Championship crown was defended, but after thumping victories against the Wallabies and the Springboks first up, New Zealand required the dying minutes to foil the same opponents in the replays.
Several new players have been blooded successfully, but it’s a time of rebuilding with some of the following doubts lingering: who is the best midfield pairing? Who will the third halfback when Tawera Kerr–Barlow leaves? What is the best composition for the loose forward trio?
Steve Hansen has been in charge for over a decade. Are things becoming stale?
Here is a 2017 report card thus far, with every player who has appeared in a Test match ranked out of ten.
Forwards
Dane Coles – 6: Concussion struggles have had a palpable effect on the hooker’s form. Is his career at a crossroads?
Nathan Harris – 4: Limited chances, but even so doesn’t appear to be a permanent contender for the third hooking place, especially if the rapid ascent of Asafo Aumua continues.
Codie Taylor – 7: Strong showing in all three tests against the Lions. Carries effectively enough and was generally precise in the set-piece.
Wyatt Crockett – 6: Few doubt the veteran’s ability to scrimmage, but his exorbitant penalty count remains a concern.
Owen Franks – 7: Injury was untimely after looking reinvigorated against the Lions. The veteran will have to fight hard to stay in the 2019 World Cup frame, with a number of young and talented challengers.
Nepo Laulala – 8: Has been knocking on the door for a while and barged it down with some powerhouse efforts. Shaping as a key figure in the immediate future.
Joe Moody – 9: Was enjoying career best form when derailed by injury. Will be an integral part of the World Cup defence in 2019.
Ofa Tu’ungafasi – 5: Held in own in the scrum, but lapses in discipline were too frequent.
Scott Barrett – 7: Went missing against the Wallabies on Saturday, but otherwise an encouraging prospect who could switch to the back row if required. Not the quickest in the air, but generally has presence around the paddock.
Kane Hames – 6: Got stuck into Mark Hinton, but didn’t back up his self-defence being subbed shortly after halftime in the 57-0 victory against the Springboks. To his credit, he bounced back strongly on the road against Argentina and was effective in Brisbane against the Wallabies. Question marks remain about his long-term future.
Brodie Retallick – 8: Sorely missed in latter Tests, Retallick remains the gold standard for locks in international rugby.
Luke Romano – 5: Not many chances, but has slipped well behind Scott Barrett. Romano is solid, but not a world beater.
Patrick Tuipulotu – 4: Disappointing, this man mountain is capable of so much more.
Samuel Whitelock – 7: Not a vintage season, but workrate is still close to peerless and he could be the captain should Read fall at some point.
Sam Cane – 8: A defensive Trojan, Cane isn’t flashy with ball in hand, but his resolute tacking and breakdown work has kept Todd and Savea at bay.
Vaea Fifita – 7: A star turn in the New Plymouth Test, Fifita was more subbed against the Pumas second time around, but his performance at Yarrows Stadium can’t be overlooked. With more game time and development he could bring a new dimension to the team’s play.
Jerome Kaino – 5: Solid, but unspectacular against the Lions and at 34, his great career appears all but over. The contenders are lining up, but their order is unclear.
Kieran Read – 7: Not quite the same player with ball in hand, but still very good. Defensively imperious. As a captain he was generally good, but failed to stop the Sydney slide, which gave the Wallabies some confidence for the remaining two Tests. Rued missed chances in third Test against the Lions.
AP Photo/Martin Cleaver
Ardie Savea – 5: Appears to have slipped behind both Cane and Todd as the number three openside which is a shame given the energy and skill he can bring with the ball in hand. A player of prodigious talent being underutilised. Perhaps the pattern of play needs to be adjusted somewhat to cater for the differences Squire, Fifta and Savea all bring?
Liam Squire – 6: Started with a hiss and a roar, but cooled markedly in the last two Tests against Australia and South Africa. A hard-working defender, Squire needs to rediscover the strong ball-carrying that was a feature of his early Tests.
Matt Todd – 5: Offers similar attributes to Sam Cane without the same bite. Doesn’t carry as well as Ardie Savea. A good player, but lucky to be ranked number two openside.
Charlie Faumuina – 7: A shame Faumuina is vanishing overseas because he appeared to be approaching peak form. A skilful and tough prop who should flourish in Europe.
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Backs
Tawera Kerr–Barlow – 5: Little minutes. Won a vital turnover in Newlands Test, but given he is heading abroad in 2018 should have been put out to pasture by now.
TJ Perenara – 6: Good showing in the New Plymouth Test against Argentina and occasionally added hustle from the bench. Lacked composure in key moments, most notably the second Lions Test in Wellington.
Aaron Smith – 8: Emphatically reinforced his number one status at halfback. Some lively displays and maturity showed under pressure.
Beauden Barrett – 7: Missed kicks against the Lions were costly, but creates so many chances with his speed and flair. His masterclass against the Springboks will be remembered for a long time. Comparisons to Dan Carter are unfair, but very good.
Lima Sopoaga – 5: Pinpoint kicking against Argentina in New Plymouth was vital, but struggled in his start in Brisbane. Looks set for a long duel with Richie Mo’unga for the backup first-five place in 2018.
Ryan Crotty – 6: All Blacks midfield lacked cohesion when Crotty was absent. A really smart and dependable performer whose only poor Test in black was his recent outing against Australia.
Ngani Laumape – 7: Surprisingly overlooked for further starts after his powerhouse display in the third Test against the Lions.
Anton Lienert-Brown – 6: Nothing particularly memorable, but did more than enough to stay in the midfield mix.
Sonny Bill Williams – 6: The always polarising Williams supplied plenty of reasons to antagonise. His red card against the Lions was disastrous, but his form thereafter solid. His bruising defence is a real asset, as his ability to offload, however diminishing pace reduces his attacking threat. Could he switch into the back row? Perhaps it’s too late, but Williams has always been one to rise to new challenges.
Jordie Barrett – 8: Assured and exciting performance in the third Test against the Lions. Looks set to tussle with Damian McKenzie for either the fullback or first-five jersey for years to come.
Malakai Fekitoa – 4: Only played 13 minutes against the Lions. Could have been the future, but overseas bound with baggage from Auckland fallout.
Israel Dagg – 6: His educated right boot was thoroughly missed throughout most of the Rugby Championship. Lacks the spark he once enjoyed on attack, but a safe option with the added bonus of versatility.
Rieko Ioane – 9: A huge success. A world-class finisher with searing pace and the uncanny ability of almost always beating the first defender. Looks set for a long tenure in black.
Nehe Milner-Skudder – 7: Hit full stride immediately upon return, only to be seriously hamstrung again. A class player whose best might be hijacked by ongoing injury.
Waisake Naholo – 5: Frustratingly inconsistent. His best is dynamite, but his mistakes are glaring.
Ben Smith – 5: Poor first Test against the Lions suffering the effects of a head injury. Still has plenty to offer, but for the first time in a long time has genuine competition for his place.
Damian McKenzie – 8: Began 2017 as the fourth-choice fullback, but fallen comrades led to regular selection, and what a joy it was to watch him! He tries things other players wouldn’t dare attempt and invariably they succeed. Not always perfect, but for a 22-year-old, who’s lighter than George Nepia, McKenzie is a marvel who should only get better. Hopefully the dour chorus of critics who complain about the odd mistake won’t tarnish McKenzie’s reputation. Damian is a breath of fresh air in a gym junky’s game.
Aaron Cruden – 6: With no obvious back-up to Beauden Barrett, Cruden is sorely missed. A consistently good Test player.
David Havili – 7: Made the most of limited chances. Played with admirable flair and composure.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
I think the team is finally going through the rebuilding phase that people suggested it would as far back as 2012. There are some areas where the team is doing well -- the scrum, for example, has improved this season despite the loss of our starting props.But there are big problems with our bench and our defense. We can no longer rely on the bench to come on and do the business in the last 20 minutes. And we're conceding far too many tries. Unfortunately, I can't see things improving much on the EOTY. Those matches are ugly at the best of times but this year they're being played under different laws. That doesn't seem ideal circumstances for developing the quality of performance that fans want to see.
mapu
Guest
I also truely believe Retallic would of played had it really mattered,maybe not, but Hansen prob told him to stay home and be with his family.
mapu
Guest
I believe it all adds up to future success with a lot of players with a higher caps number to their name when it really counts, unlike a dead rubber. Hansen is one smart cookie.Just look at last World Cup,allowing teams to put pressure on our plays.My Aussie mates scoffed at me for this mere observation but hello, we all know what happened next.
Hoy
Roar Guru
True.
Brian USA
Guest
I agree with you that some of the scores seem a little off. Crockett, Romano, Tuipolotu and Kaino's scores are all about where I would put them as well. But Naholo and Crotty surely deserve a higher score. SBW is confusing to be, because sometimes he looks great, other times he seems to go missing. The score that confounded me the most was Jordie Barrett's. He did look good when he was on, but certainly not better than almost every AB.
cuw
Guest
Ennor is yet to play super rugger. Where he will play for Crusaders remains to be seen , becoz they have George Bridge , Jone Macilai, Manasa Matele, Seta Tamanivalu as the established wingers. not forgetting Havili and Dagg can also play on wing. Ennor was a center at under 20. Crotty , Tim Bateman , Sean Wainui , Jack Goodhue the centers. again Havili and Seta can also play in centers. one thing for sure - under ScotR the only way is up for Ennor.
moaman
Guest
I think there is some hard marking going on here. The team (without 6.7 or 8 frontliners) breezed through the RC without a loss....if that is a squad full of 5s and 6s then I would hate to see the scores some of their opponents' would be given! True they were below 2015 standards (well-below) but pretty formidable nevertheless in my view.
cuw
Guest
seems there is a lot of bias in the analysis Crockett , Romano , Patrick, Todd, Kaino , Crotty , SBW , Naholo, Dagg , Smith - all deserve more. Jordie , Laumape , DMac deserve less. seems the thrill factor is wht gets more marks , than the solid test-class rugger.
Wal
Roar Guru
I think it is about the sheer volume of replacements this year, where they could bring in a player and trust them to the job. They have struggled to repeat that this year because the player beside them has only had 10-15 tests as well. A bit easier to make your debut beside Dan Carter and Conrad Smith.
Wal
Roar Guru
I think most of those depth building decisions were taken out of their hands. So whilst Hansen mentions the depth as a positive I don't think it was his plan to have so many players rotate through this year. In any normal year Hames, Laulala, Mckenzie, Havili, Tu’ungafasi, Tuipulotu. Even Ioane would have gotten as much game time as they did this year. Some made the most of the chance Ioane and Mckenzie in particular.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I might anger some Kiwis here, but this year was a really strange one from the team in black. I would have thought they would deal with the Lions 3/0. Even having lost the second test because of being a man down, I would have been comfortable that they would have had enough ability to do the job in game 3. Then they smashed a hopeless Wallabies in game 1 of the Bledisloe. Dealt them a hiding. Very different game in game 2 with a great escape in the dying minutes. Then were workman like against the Argies and Saffas until they belted the Saffas in a pretty embarrassing scoreline... Then lost to the Wallabies in game three. I just don't know what to think... I guess their second tier isn't quite as good as they used to be, so when called upon, they just aren't quite stepping up to the mark? Example? Barrett played pretty well (except his goal kicking), but Sopoaga isn't going to be a world beater. I guess this year of all of them is the one for them to try players out and see what they have to offer. From here, they can build into next year, then the WC after that... no point peaking too early.
Ralph
Roar Guru
It seems to me as though the AB's are trying hard to build almost an entire backup squad to a similar level as the run on team. One assumes the main reason to do so is provide seamless depth for the RWC. Teams that arrive without that depth will require a bit more luck on the injury front to win it. Or I could be completely wrong.
klee gluckman
Guest
SBW is fine when he is on the field. But that send off probably cost us the series in the end.
Wal
Roar Guru
Would be interesting to get your take on the generation Next, Who is going to make in 2019 or might have to wait until 2023 My Picks are 2019 Aumoua, Fidow, Goodhue, Michael Alaalatoa, Mounga or a true bolter Ennor 2023 Falcon, Clarke, Enari And could Tevita Li be a late bloomer and make the squad next year?
Riccardo
Guest
Yeah, same here Wal. Pretty decent analysis Adam.
Wal
Roar Guru
Thanks Adam, only one I'll disagree on is Crotty. His value became very obvious when he wasn't there. Thought he might be worth a point or 2 more than Laumape or SBW. He finds gaps runs great lines and organises defence better than any of the other midfielders. Just doesn't have the obvious bulk or flash of some of his contemporaries.