Former All Blacks Kieran Read and Justin Marshall have questioned some of head coach Dave Rennie‘s selection choices after last weekend’s 50-19 Bledisloe Cup win over Australia at Eden Park, arguing that the team should keep its starting XV largely intact for Saturday’s rematch in Sydney.
The All Blacks had lost the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 to the Springboks before beating the Wallabies at Eden Park, which allowed them to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 24th successive year.
Consistency over change
Ahead of the Sydney Test, Read and Marshall agreed that Rennie should avoid tinkering with his team too much and should prioritise consistency in selection.
“It’s a big call. I personally think we’re not in a position to make too many changes,” Read said on The Good, The Bad & Rugby Australia & New Zealand podcast.
“I think we’re at a point where we need to go out and put 50 on the Wallabies again. It doesn’t matter that it’s in Sydney and over there at their home.
“We haven’t shown that we can back it up yet, performances, it’s been that way for a few years. Dave Rennie has instilled a little bit of maybe extra optimism, confidence in us as fans, but we haven’t seen it. I haven’t seen it. So, we need to go out there and put our best foot forward and show that we’ve made those improvements. So, I wouldn’t necessarily make changes for change sake.”
Read added that injuries and concussions would force some changes, but he wanted to see a consistent team wherever possible.
Marshall believes Rennie cannot afford to chop and change his matchday squad before next month’s Nations Championship Tests against Scotland, Wales and England in the United Kingdom.
“I just feel there’s still too much grey for us to be too experimental,” he said. “Like ultimately come the end of this weekend, the All Blacks will be back in New Zealand. I think it’s the 18th of October. And then on the 7th of November, they’re playing Scotland without any more rugby, you know? So I agree with Reado, obviously there’s a few that aren’t going (to play), your (Ethan) Blackadders and Leroy Carters out of the starting team, you know, through injury enforced.
“The rest of it, you just want consistency. And you want to try and challenge that team to be consistent, backing up the performance, don’t you?”
The Fabian Holland question
The pair also focused on Fabian Holland, who has not been involved in the All Blacks’ last two Tests. The lock started New Zealand’s first two Tests against the Springboks, was dropped to the bench for the third, and was then left out of the matchday squad entirely for the fourth clash in Baltimore, USA.
“I think Holland is a starting lock for us. He’s, at the moment, our best lock. That’s what I’m seeing,” Read said. “So, whether they were resting him or not, I don’t know what the reasons were. But to me, he’s our best lock right now. So, I can’t explain that one. And you’ve got to go, ‘Well, he’s got to be in the mix to play’. So, I don’t know why.”
Marshall suggested that the coaching staff are prioritising versatility when naming their bench, and that this works against Holland because he is a specialist lock.
“I think when you look at the dynamic of the bench, so what they were looking at, I guess, he’s lock-specific,” he explained. “So is Josh Lord, so is Sam Darry. Whereas the others, like, you could put Scooter (Scott Barrett) on the side (of the scrum). Obviously, Tupou Vaa’i can go both (lock and flanker positions).
“And so, what the All Blacks did at the weekend is they didn’t pick a lock reserve. If people didn’t notice, they picked (Anton) Segner and (Shannon) Frizell. Because they can move those components around. So I think first and foremost, if they had the conversation, and I believe it was a very debated one amongst the coaches and selectors about Fabian. They didn’t go for him on the bench.”
Read disagreed strongly. “It makes no sense to me. Because this guy’s a world-class player. He’s shown it. Yes, he’s been out for a long time (after injury), but he’s shown it against (the Springboks). He’s outstanding.”
Read acknowledged that the All Blacks’ lineout has not been at its best this year, but he insisted Holland must be in the starting side. “It has struggled (the lineout). I’m unsure why, but it has struggled. So, we’ve been forced to the front a lot of the lineout, which I don’t mind. If we can win ball fast and get in and win it front, it’s fine,” he said.
“It’s the same as middle ball off-tempo. But Holland, he’s a lock, purely. And you need him playing out there, because he can get around the field. I think I said it last time, him and Scott Barrett, those two as a combination will be a world-class combination with Tupou Vaa’i there as well. For me, those guys are world-class, and they just haven’t had the footy in that position just yet.”
Bench balance
Read suggested that a 6-2 split among the replacements would give Holland a route into the matchday squad. Marshall agreed, but he criticised the current bench make-up.
“Yeah, it is (the 6-2 split), because then you can carry that lock and two loosies,” Read added. Marshall responded: “Well, f*ck me, they won’t do it, though, will they? I’m sorry, but why are they picking two wingers (on the bench)?
“Like, I get it. If you want to go 5-3, go 5-3. But don’t pick like for like. (Josh) Moorby and (Rieko) Ioane both play on the wing. You’re not getting anything out of not (picking) a (Timoci) Tavatavanawai, whoever it might be, or a Josh Jacomb and go, ‘You know what, mate? We didn’t want to start you, but if the things are going well in the Test’, which they were after we were up by 40 points (against Australia), ‘go on then’.
“But when you pick two wingers, that 5-3 split just doesn’t make sense to me. I’m baffled by that. I’d love to know what the thought process in that was.”