Dave Rennie is getting the band back together

Dave Rennie is getting the band back together. Midway through Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry he called up Richie Mo’unga and now, for the Bledisloe Cup, he has recalled Scott Barrett and Shannon Frizell.

All three played in the 2023 World Cup finals, and depending on injuries over the next 12 months, it is likely All black people will look the same in next year’s frame as they did when they lost 12-11 to South Africa in Paris. This could get intriguing as if everything goes right, the All Blacks will likely play the Springboks in the quarter-finals.

And one of the big talking points in the recent series is how long some of South Africa’s veterans can continue to play at the incredible level they are. In the beating New Zealand 3-1, the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Cobus Reinach, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Cheslin Kolbe were very influential. But come the World Cup, Etzebeth will be 36, Du Toit 35, Kolisi 36, Reinach 37, De Allende 36, Kriel 34 and Kolbe 34. Other key men in the squad will also be in their 30s – Lood de Jager 34, Malcolm Marx 33, Wi33, Wi36, Esterhuizen and Handre Pollard 33.

It’s not just the Springboks’ age that raises many questions, but for all they’ve rotated and built depth, they remain heavily reliant on many of the players who won them the last World Cup. There is a sense that as great as they have been, they haven’t necessarily rejuvenated or refreshed the team and there is a danger that several of these legends may not have another 12 months of rugby left in them – or at least they may not have the capacity to maintain their current form for that long.

But the question of rejuvenation and refreshment is one that could just as easily be asked of the All Blacks now that Mo’unga and Frizell have been brought back from Japan and Barrett is back from rest and back surgery. These three, due to the circumstances and timing of their returns, serve as the most obvious examples of the All Blacks selecting veterans for the 2023 campaign, but they are by no means the only players involved in France which remain an integral part of the offer for 2027.

The decision to name Codie Taylor as captain in the absence of the injured Ardie Save is another example of Rennie keeping faith in the senior athlete. Taylor, a long-serving and admirable servant of the All Blacks, was under pressure for his starting position from the dynamic Asafo Aumu, as well as Samisoni Taukei’aho. Despite that, and the fact that Taylor will be 36 at next year’s tournament, Rennie has handed the whore the captaincy until the end of the year – a decision that perhaps illustrates that no one has emerged as a clearly strong leader during this World Cup cycle.

It is possible – certainly not out of the question – that the All Blacks could start the first Bledisloe Test with eight players who started the 2023 World Cup finals, and when they are all fit, that their best line-up could be 13 from 23 games.

It is possible – certainly not out of the question – that the All Blacks could start the first Bledisloe Test with eight players who started the 2023 World Cup finals, and when they are all fit, that their best line-up could be 13 from 23 games.

Ethan de Groot, Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Scott Barrett, Frizell, Mo’unga, Jordie Barrett and Will Jordan it all started in Paris, with Taukei’aho and Damian McKenzie on the bench.

Anton Lienert-Brown, Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett were all in the All Blacks’ final Test in Baltimore – and all three were involved in Paris. And next year, of course, Savea will be available again after recovering from shoulder surgery.

With Cam Roigard, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Luke Jacobson, Tamaiti Williams, Caleb Clarke and Leicester Fainga’anuku is also part of the 2023 squad and all are likely to be in Rennie’s mix when they are fully fit, the same question needs to be asked of the All Blacks about how refreshed they have been this cycle.

Quinn Tupaea would probably have made it to the 2023 World Cup if not for injury and Josh Lord has won a few caps and been on the fringes of the squad.

Indeed, the only new discoveries since then have been Fabian Holland, Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai, Kyle Preston, Josh Moorby, Fehi Fineanganofo and Leroy Carter – and not all of them are likely to make the cut when World Cup selection comes around.

Turnover this cycle has been extremely low, but perhaps one key difference in the All Blacks compared to the Springboks is the age profile.

Returning trio Barrett, Mo’unga and Frizell will be 33 at the World Cup, and apart from Taylor and Beauden Barrett (35), the All Blacks will have fewer players in red flag territory and a lower average age than the Boks.

Rennie again gave a strong hint that Frizell will need to get fit to play the kind of game the All Blacks want.

Rennie is clearly confident that he can squeeze more juice out of his old guard. In Barrett’s case, Rennie has hinted that he feels being out of the captaincy will be empowering.

“When I was appointed,” said Rennie, “I spoke to Scooter (Barrett) a lot and it was more about how he found the captain, the leadership group and a lot of things around that.

“I think he was a bit of a reluctant captain. He was very proud to do it for his country but…

“We’re delighted to have him back. He brings a lot of experience. He’s a great player – one of the best locks in the world.

“Even though he won’t be the captain, he will play an important role from a leadership perspective for us.”

As for Frizell, Rennie got a good look at him as he was at Kobe while the bruising side was at Panasonic.

“He didn’t play a lot this year, he got hurt in the first round and then he came back and got hurt in the warm-up and barely played,” Rennie said.

“But the first two years he was outstanding and Toshiba won both titles in that time. He had a huge impact and they must have missed him.”

Frizell, at 1.96m (6ft 5in) and 114kg, is exactly the kind of athlete the All Blacks have been missing. Simon Parker is bigger than Frizell, but he doesn’t have the same explosiveness, shot on the ball or defensive snap. Frizell, at his best in 2023, came so close the All Blacks came to finding the same replacement for Jerome Kain, and Rennie hopes the 32-year-old can return to the same heights in the next 12 months.

But to do that, Rennie again gave a strong hint that Frizell will need to get fit to play the kind of game the All Blacks want.

“It’s great to have him back – and he’s on the mend,” Rennie said. “He played 40 minutes (NPC) and he looked pretty broken in his first attempt, it was just time for him on the grass.

“But he certainly has a big impact on the game physically, he’s got soft touches and he’s very experienced.

“We called him to say there are some things we want to see more of. Definitely get back on our feet and get back into the game faster and more reps.”

When it comes to gender-role, Rennie has said many times that he favors Ruben Love to be a first-choice 10 and feels Mo’unga can mentor the youngster.

“The number six shirt has been very competitive this year. We’ve used Simon Parker there, we’ve used Peter Lakai. We can play Wallace (Sititi) there, Tupes (Vaa’i).

“We’ll sort it out, but we’re pretty clear about what we want from that jersey. We’ve got really good options and it’s great that Shannon is back to put a bit of pressure on that spot.”

When it comes to the fly-half stakes, Rennie has repeatedly said he favors Ruben Love as a first-choice 10 and feels Mo’unga can mentor the youngster while also acting as a much-needed alternative option with McKenzie and Beauden Barrett now considered at full-back.

Mo’unga, however, is also there to compete for a starting spot and with Love injured, the veteran is likely to both start the Bledisloe Tests.

He also started the last test in the USA where its influence was limited – but not necessarily discouraging.

“We just weren’t accurate enough in Baltimore to maybe allow Richie to have more of an impact on the game,” Rennie said.

“If you’re constantly turning the ball over, the game is slower and, obviously, it was nice to give him some time to steer the ship, and I think he’ll be better for it.”