mens
nations-championship
A little change of pace this week.
Now, maybe that didn’t convince me All black people‘ A 43-21 win over Scotland and I could believe they’ve hit a tactical and personnel impasse, but it’s not all bad.
Yes, I love moaning and, yes, I’m sure some find it tiring. Just not as tiresome as I find rooting relentlessly for this team.
I understand why this happens. Nobody gets into sports journalism unless they’ve grown up a fan. It’s just that you should leave your pompoms at the door once you actually enter the industry.
Approach also matters, and if you need people’s quotes and content, the easiest way to get it is to be nice to them.
I don’t need anything from anyone, which is why I don’t feel obligated to say how great the players and team are. That is also the reason why what I am about to write is true.
I think Fabian Holland is outstanding. Not just as a player, but because of the way he seems to have coped with the mental rigors of Test rugby from the first time he stepped onto the field in a black jumper.
And his is an incredible story, and it’s incredible to think that Anton Segner’s story is the same. It just goes to show, in case any of us in this country take it for granted, how huge the international mystique of the All Blacks is.
Where their paths diverge is that Segner has yet to show us that he belongs in the Test arena.
Not Holland. No, not by a long shot. Becoming an All Black with his background is one thing, but becoming an integral part of the team so quickly is quite another.
For me, he is by far the best shot in New Zealand and he proved that again at Murrayfield.
But he’s not the only guy who continues to impress me.
It’s not all diamonds at Tupou Vaa’i. There are stones, but there is also effort and work and physical strength.
You forgive mistakes or misjudgments, because he’s actually out there trying. Some guys are forever on the periphery of games, but Vaa’i is always in their midst.
I don’t know him and I’ve never heard him speak or read any of his quotes, but I think he’s absolutely brilliant.
Peter Lakai too. You can play him anywhere in a loose three and he will move around the park and hit guys and carry hard and never waver in his effort. His is another rapid rise and the All Blacks are very lucky to have him.
Such as relaxed props Ethan de Groot and George Bower.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget what happened to the All Blacks in their series against South Africa. Rude would be a kind way to describe the sight of being blown to smithereens, but I still think De Groot and Bower are excellent Test footballers.
Asafo Aumua hasn’t established himself to the same degree, but his physicality is absolutely invaluable to the team. For now, that’s delivered off the bench, but I don’t think you can ignore him as a starter for long.
No, I’m never sure when he’s going to throw himself into the line, but that’s what coaches are for. Aumu’s overall package is such that I can forgive the odd stray throw if she’s going to carry and fight with that ferocity.
I don’t have much to say about the back. They tend to look like viewers anyway when it becomes Damian McKenzie’s No 10 show.
But hey, I’m not complaining today.
There are good things about the All Blacks. Great, even. Throw in Ardie Save and try to develop some depth at tight end, and you have the basis of a decent team there.
Whether they can become the finished article between now and next year’s World Cup remains to be seen. For now, the second division should count on Wales comfortably, then I’m intrigued to see what happens against England.
They didn’t impress me in batting Australia over the weekend and I believe their settings are vulnerable. If the All Blacks pack can get the upper hand there, then it’s all on their backs.
We’ll see.
