Tue, 15 May 2012 9:56a.m.
Opinion By Jim Kayes
Zac Guildford or Hosea Gear?
That seems to be the simple choice for the All Blacks selectors as they look to replace the desperately unlucky Richard Kahui who is once again out with a shoulder injury.
While Gear and Guildford head the short list, neither is in great form.
Gear has scored one try for the Highlanders and Guildford three for the Crusaders. Given scoring tries is a wing’s key job, that’s a pretty paltry return.
Still, Hansen suggested when he named his training squad that one of those two will be brought in to replace Kahui who faces another long rehab program after he dislocated his shoulder in the Chiefs loss to the Reds.
Hansen doesn’t have too many other options because none of the wings have truly shone in Super Rugby. Jane and Savea have scored only three a piece for the Hurricanes. Super Rugby’s leading try scorers are Hurricanes fullback Andre Taylor and Chiefs prop Sona Taumalolo with eight each.
Sam Cane’s elevation to Richie McCaw’s understudy is extraordinary as it’s come largely from the Chiefs bench.
Cane’s clearly a player with talent and considerable potential but he’s come second to Tanerau Latimer for much of this season with the Chiefs, starting in just four of his 11 games and coming off the bench in the other seven.
While five players will be culled from Hansen’s training squad, Cane’s not expected to be one of those. Instead, he is likely to join McCaw, Kieran Read, Victor Vito and Adam Thomson as the five loose forward picked.
Those who will probably miss the cut are loose forwards Brad Shields and Luke Whitelock, Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna (though if he really can play either side of the scrum he could squeeze Wyatt Crockett out of the final 30), Andy Ellis and Tawera Kerr-Barlow.
I said last week, and stand by it, that though it’s an extremely harsh call I expect Hansen to pick Aaron Smith and Piri Weepu as his two halfbacks – the latter largely because of his goal kicking ability.
There’s certainly no romance left in the naming of an All Blacks team. Long gone are the days of 30 names being read out in the bowels of Athletic Park, cigarette smoke matching the anticipation hanging in the air as beers warmed and sausage rolls cooled while the chosen few were named.
It wasn’t always a nice way to discover you’d made the grade or slipped off the pace – but there was at least plenty of drama. Not so these days, or this year at least.
That’s because Hansen stole his own thunder when he named a training squad of 35 that will be whittled down to 30.
Hansen argues it had to be done, that he needed time to get his squad together to offset the limited build up (a week) to the first test against Ireland in Auckland on June 9.
He might be right but in the process the likes of Savea, Beauden Barrett, Brodie Retallick and Cane might feel that the special moment when they are named in the All Blacks has been diluted just a bit.
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