Paul Thomas: Invisible on the blindside

COMMENT

Given that we're rapidly approaching the point of my-country-right-or-wrong, this might be our last chance for a frank discussion about the All Black captain - Captain Invisible to his detractors.

If central casting had any input, they'd certainly go for Reuben Thorne. He looks the part. His three predecessors didn't, despite the qualities they brought to the role.

Taine Randell never got out of his gee-whiz phase. He came across as the wide-eyed rookie who couldn't quite believe he was hanging with the big boys.

Todd Blackadder had a touch of the hayseed which didn't necessarily travel and Anton Oliver was handicapped by his alarming appearance. If he'd ever taken tea at Buckingham Palace, the corgis would've freaked out.

Thorne has a stillness and stoical bearing that suggests iron self-belief. Here is a man, you feel, who won't be deflected or intimidated.

He's also, as coach John Mitchell has pointed out, a winner, having led the Crusaders and the All Blacks to significant success.

The big issue - in terms of public acceptance - is whether he should actually be in the team.

The case for the defence is an intriguing one: the very fact that he doesn't shine proves he's playing well. He doesn't charge around in open play, ball in hand, because he's putting in the grunt and graft.

The sub-text to this argument is that we understand the game and you don't. It's also a classic Catch 22: the less visible Thorne is, the better he must've played. Taken to its logical conclusion, he could play a blinder by hiding in the dressing-room and not playing.

This argument was sometimes expanded to point out that those touted as alternatives were error-prone without acknowledging that the more a player does, the more likely he is to make a mistake.

The All Black coach went down this path. Invited to comment on Jerry Collins' performance against Wales, Mitchell observed that he'd lost the ball in contact a couple of times.

For my money, this was Mitchell's most abject moment.

Here was a 22-year-old who'd fought back from career-threatening injury, who'd had to live with the fact that being the best blindside flanker in the Super 12 wasn't enough to earn him the number 6 jersey.

Never mind that his tackle on Colin Charvis changed the tenor of the game or that he'd hit the advantage line on attack and defence with a ferocity the All Blacks have lacked since the departure of Michael Jones and Zinzan Brooke.

He made a couple of errors and that was all Mitchell could talk about.

Next time, Jerry, hide behind the dressing-room door.

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