Can the Black Ferns win the cup? Former Black Fern and Sky Sport Analyst Les Elder joins Herald NOW as the Black Ferns kick off their world cup campaign.
Opinion by Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith is a Rugby Commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor for Newstalk ZB.
The Pumas defeated the All Blacks 29-23 in Buenos Aires, showing superior organisation and discipline.
Scott Robertson is dealing with injuries to key players.
They face the Springboks at Eden Park on September 6.
It’s time for Scott Robertson to pick up the phone – first to the New Zealand Rugby top brass – and use his best Uri Geller impersonation to bend one of the seven levers that can supposedly be pulled to make a player eligible for All Blacks selection.
Then his next call should be to a Japan-based legend who is currently visiting these shores.
Razor needs to get Aaron Smith on the line and ask him for help – nay, perhaps tell him his country needs him, to grab his boots before he heads back to Japan and get into camp later this week in Auckland to prepare for the two tests against the Springboks.
It might sound knee-jerk, reactionary or the wrong message to send to those players still in New Zealand but if you take a step back, there is a compelling case for the All Blacks to ask the 125-test veteran to come back for at least a fortnight as the side face South Africa.
It’s possible all three halfbacks originally picked by the All Blacks this year will be out of the running for the Springboks tests – Cortez Ratima is getting scans on a chest injury, Cam Roigard is dealing with a foot fracture and still a couple of weeks away at least, and Noah Hotham is likely out for even longer with a high ankle sprain. That would mean the All Blacks would probably be starting Finlay Christie with uncapped Kyle Preston off the bench and another rookie halfback in the squad at Eden Park – in a test of the utmost importance.
Players can always take opportunities when given, but with the three best halfbacks in the country all out, there is a compelling case to look beyond the borders in a “needs must” scenario to best equip the All Blacks.
All Blacks loose forward Ardie Savea with Aaron Smith after the great halfback's 100th test, in 2021. Photo / Photosport
Christie is a serviceable halfback and frankly was one of the few All Blacks to hold their heads high in the insipid performance against Los Pumas in Buenos Aires. However, he is a stop-gap measure until Roigard, Ratima and Hotham are fit, and Preston and whoever would be option six for Robertson and co are further down the chain. Christie could do a job off the bench at Eden Park, but if you’re going to have a stopgap measure, go for the best stopgap you have – and that means Smith.
Smith has had two seasons playing for Toyota in Japan and still retains the crisp, seemingly effortless passing he had at test level, the box kicking is still in great nick and he can still run great support lines. In his 12 years in the All Blacks, he was always the first choice and still has the edge over Christie in terms of pace and accuracy of kicks. Getting kicking right against South Africa is a must or the game will be lost.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) have always been adamant that they must protect their domestic competitions by refusing to select All Blacks from overseas, but are any of the current crop of halfbacks likely to get the pip if arguably the greatest No 9 this country has ever produced is whistled in to fill a gap for a fortnight? Most would surely understand. What’s more important? Beating South Africa or calling up the country’s sixth-best halfback for a one-off visit to the All Blacks camp?
Preston and Christie would still learn off one of the best. The precedent would not be a major for NZR given three players in one specialist position are unlikely to be ruled out too often. South Africa, as rivals, could say the panic button is being pressed, but in 2021 they called Morne Steyn back in after five years in the wilderness to help them win the Lions series – it worked.
Smith – who has visited the All Blacks camp this year in Hamilton – didn’t get to sign off on his All Blacks career they way he wanted to in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final. To get a coda against the Boks at home would be a special way to sign off his test career again, then he can go back to his holidays and then to Toyota.
Smith is the answer, even just for a week or two. If only the other answers the All Blacks need – the ones hovering around their discipline, aerial kick receptions and the clunky attack – were as straightforward.
