OPINION:
Phil Gifford presents five talking points from the Rugby World Cup.
Last chance for change?
There’s now a massive, almost two-week gap before the next All Black game, against Italy.
Rugby World Cup 2023: All Blacks selectors must make a change - Phil Gifford
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Opinion by Phil Gifford
Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.
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If there’s one change the workmanlike 71-3 trouncing of Namibia in Toulouse almost screamed out for it’s the promotion of wing Leicester Fainga’anuku into the All Blacks’ starting XV.
As he has been all year, Fainga’anuku was powerful, elusive, and constantly seeking work.
The potential for breaking down defences with a back three of Fainga’anuku and Mark Telea on the wings, and Will Jordan at fullback where he’s best suited, is huge.
For it to happen will take a substantial mind shift for the All Blacks selectors. It would mean discarding the interchanges during a game between first-five and fullback involving Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett.
It may be too late in the day for such a dramatic shift to occur. But a change of mind is not unknown in the Ian Foster era.
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Those of us who see Jordan as a even greater, potentially match-winning threat in the 15 jersey than he is on the wing can cling to the fact that for the first eight of 13 tests just last year Jordie Barrett was locked in as a fullback.
Second-five was then not considered an option for Jordie by the national selectors. Now he’s without question our starter in the position.
Talking of changes
Let me join the chorus of those deeply impressed with halfback Cam Roigard.
He arrived late to the Twickenham hiding at the hands of South Africa, and was so unintimidated he almost immediately scored a terrific solo try.
Against Namibia he surely showed that in the pecking order at halfback he’s now snapping at the heels of Aaron Smith. If anyone in the All Blacks camp epitomises the phrase impact player, it’s surely Roigard.
Wheel of misfortune
How the All Blacks managed to attract so many penalties while running over the top of Namibia will no doubt be a source of intensive study in the yawning days before the Italian test.
And of immediate concern is how tough a judicial panel will be on prop Ethan de Groot.
Given that England’s Tom Curry was banned for two games after what was as non-malicious a clash of heads as you’d ever see on the rugby field, it feels inevitable that de Groot won’t be playing the last two pool games for New Zealand.
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Did a red card feel the right call for Curry and de Groot? I’d suggest that to the great majority of rugby followers it was overkill.
But at this World Cup many of the referees and the television match officials suffer from serious cases of premature recrimination, and to keep our best team on the field there can’t be too much time spent this week hammering home the need to reclaim the discipline the All Blacks had earlier this year.
Diamonds from the Emerald Isle
Composure was just one of many elements that were impressive in Ireland’s clinical 59-16 demolition of Tonga in Nantes.
Ireland look every inch potential Cup winners. The energy in their forwards has been honed to a fine edge, to the point where a Tongan pack, itself filled with tough, experienced campaigners, was in trouble every time the Irish maul started rolling.
The mastermind in the backline is 38-year-old Johnny Sexton, in his fourth World Cup. There have been computers less calculating than he is in the heat of a test. But if anyone doubted his passion, he missed Ireland’s three warm-up games before the Cup when, after his club side Leinster lost the final of the European Champions Cup, he ran on the pitch and shouted abuse at the match officials. “It’s a disgrace you guys can’t get the big decisions right,” was the only printable remark in the disciplinary committee’s report.
Ocker wisdom
Outstanding Wallabies loose forward Tom Hooper, proved he could only be an Aussie with my quote of the weekend, from before his side played Fiji: “Fiji are always a team you had to keep two scores ahead of, just in case they pulled something out of their clacker and went full field.”
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