Well it certainly has been an exciting weekend in the rugby world, with the anticipation of international tests kicking off in the Southern Hemisphere next weekend. The All Blacks have named their squad that will face England over the coming weeks – with the starting line-up being named later in the week.
One player I am very pleased to see back in the formidable black jersey, is Blues loose forward, Jerome Kaino. There has been a lot of discussion at the beginning of the season as to whether Kaino should be allowed to simply “walk back in and expect a jersey”. I, for one, have always been a fan of Kaino since his early days playing for Auckland in the NPC and was absolutely delighted when it was announced that he would be returning to New Zealand Rugby. This has been the general consensus amongst rugby fans both inside and outside New Zealand. So, why all the hostility when it comes to him walking back onto the field as a starting All Black?
I guess the main reason has been that there are so many other talented players that work hard week in and week out, and won’t really get anywhere, simply because there are more experienced players, like Kaino, available.I completely understand this and can definitely see the reasoning behind it, given that New Zealand has a number of young men who would be able to get the job done. The likes of Liam Messam, Steven Luatua, Keiran Read, Victor Vito and Nasi Manu, all have varying levels of experience but would easily slot into the spot and do what is expected of them. To be fair, putting Messam and Read in this category was a bit of a struggle – I’d probably have rather placed them in the “Fully excepting to get a start” category but not everyone can run on in the starting XV.
Anyway, putting that aside for a minute, I have to admit that when I heard the news that Kaino was returning to the Blues, my first thought was “yes, he’ll be back in the All Blacks.” He is a talented player, no doubt about that but it certainly had others questioning his position in the All Blacks. Should he just be handed a jersey? Or should he have to prove that he deserves it?
Having been named in the 31 man squad on Sunday afternoon, I think it’s safe to say that given the way he has been playing, Kaino has more than proved that he deserves the spot on the team. He has played 48 tests for the New Zealand international team in the past, including being part of the starting team in 2011 when the All Blacks played and won against France in the Rugby World Cup Final in Auckland, and after taking a season out to play in Japan, it seems Kaino is back to prove his worth.
Being a Blues fan, it has been great seeing him pull on the Blues jersey all season and not only taking part in the team but also leading the team to victory on a number of occasions. He was an integral part of the 37-24 victory over the Hurricanes at Eden Park on Saturday night, scoring a try of his own and leading from the front to bring the forwards together to walk all over the Hurricanes forward pack.
Since re-joining the Auckland based team back in Round 6, Kaino has been one of the most consistent players on the team with tackling and metres going forward. He is known for his consistency and has across his career held this up through all teams and competitions that he has played in.
I would compare this style of play to that of Western Force captain, Matt Hodgson. Again, it’s the consistency and the ability to lead the whole team from the front and give not only clear direction but to actual lead the team forward. That’s what makes the difference.
There certainly is a lot of competition for a starting position in the All Blacks for this coming weekend but I have no doubts that Kaino will get a spot on the team, whether it’s starting or coming on as a replacement, I’m sure he will thrive where ever he ends up.
Super Rugby obviously takes a break for a few weeks to make way for the International tests but the Blues will be back in action at Nib Stadium in Perth on Saturday 28th June as they take on the Western Force. That will certainly be a game to watch.
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