Sonny Bill Williams, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Malakai Fekitoa – any of these players would command a starting spot in virtually all rugby playing nations. Unfortunately though, the All Blacks cannot start all of them at the same time. So how is Steve Hansen going to approach this conundrum? Who is the preferred starting pair? Let’s take a look at the options.
SBW has already done enough, and won enough in the professional sporting world to fill several careers. He is one of those naturally blessed sports stars, which he combines with one of the best work ethics in the All Blacks. His power and off-loading abilities are the key facets of his game, able to blow open a backline defence at any time. It’s a rare carry when he does not make the gain line, one of the key roles of an inside centre. His defence is also somewhat underrated. However questions remain about his all-round game. He is not known for his kicking, yet in the recent All Blacks loss against Australia, two poor kicks stood out – at a time when the All Blacks needed to hold the ball. This also raises questions about his decision making. He would not be comfortable playing in a second pivot role, and this reduces the options on attack.
Re-united at the Hurricanes with his trusty midfield partner Smith, Nonu has just come off his best ever season of Super Rugby. His experience is invaluable, having made his international debut for the All Blacks in 2003, and amassed 96 test caps since then. He is someone that has experienced it all, and keen to keep on doing it. As a result, Nonu has developed his kicking game, vision, and distribution skills to the point where they are mentioned in the same sentence as his power and off-loading ability. Pleasingly, he has eliminated the habit of dangerous tackles that often saw an ill-timed spell in the sin-bin. On the flip side of the coin, he has lost some of the pace that saw him burst onto the scene in devastating fashion.
Smith is another who’s experience will be such an asset, especially if the wingers outside him are Hurricanes (something quite likely, with Julian Savea established as “the bus” and Nehe Milner-Skudder scoring twice on debut against Australia on the weekend). His positioning and defensive work are second to none, and he seems to have perfected the ‘dummy-kick’ better than anyone. Also, his partnership with Nonu has developed to the point where they have likened it to a “marriage”, having played over 50 Super Rugby games together. This connection, trust, and ease of communication, cannot be underestimated when the pressure comes on. Especially as it’s likely that the All Blacks will play France in a quarterfinal in Cardiff. We all know how that went last time.
Malakai Fekitoa is the ‘rookie’ of the four, however his performances for the Highlanders and All Blacks certainly haven’t suggested anything except potential to be world class. He has 8 test caps to his name, and brings something to the team that is a differential to Smith – raw pace and attacking ability. He has scored some freakish tries, once memorably beating 8+ defenders in a Super Rugby game en route to a 50m try. However questions still remain about his defensive game. Pleasingly, he has developed his distribution skills – a beautifully timed short ball to Dane Coles to score against the Springboks three weeks ago is evidence of this.
So, what should be Hansen’s number one combination? It would be naïve to think that he will start the same two consistently for the All Blacks throughout the World Cup. It’s likely that Hansen will take a ‘horses for courses’ approach – for example, SBW’s off-loading is a huge advantage against a team like Argentina. Malakai Fekitoa will certainly get some starts in pool play. However when the acid comes on in the knockouts, Hansen will look to the married couple, the pair that have been there and done that, and will do it again. When it comes to playoff rugby, expect Nonu and Smith to start, with Fekitoa on the bench to provide the impact. If it ain’t broke…
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