The flipside to any All Blacks selection, amid all the joy and back-slapping, is the emptiness of the not-required; those who nearly make it but don’t quite.
Anderson had played as part of the Baby Blacks – the 1986 team hastily patched together from youngsters and provincial stalwarts like Anderson when senior All Blacks were banned because of the rebel Cavaliers tour of South Africa. When he replaced the injured Gordon Macpherson, he was effectively the seventh-choice lock after Andy Haden, Gary Whetton, Murray Pierce, and Albert Anderson were banned and Andy Earl and Macpherson took over.
Brent Anderson was one of the contenders for the tour herded into an Auckland venue to hear the World Cup squad named, then a televised event.
Those named in the team had muted celebrations – you didn’t want to be too much of a show pony on TV, but couldn’t hide their pleasure. When the name “Anderson” was read out it belonged to Canterbury’s Albert Anderson; Brent was not required. The camera lingered on him for too long, his sadness at missing out a disturbing sight, even though he kept his facial expression as immobile as he could.
We shouldn’t give the wrong impression – there was no gnashing of teeth or crying into the Diet Coke. His body language, the slump of the shoulders and the visible certainty racing through his mind that all his work had been in vain was only too obvious.
It had one benefit – never again were such matters televised, at least not with the cameras lingering on those who miss out.
Anderson was also selected for the 1987 tour of Japan when senior All Blacks locks were rested – but his unfortunate exposure on national TV remains a bad memory.
Brent Anderson in action for Waikato against Auckland in the NPC in 1992. Photo / Photosport
On Monday, when Scott Robertson names his much-anticipated squad for his first season in control, who will be the 2024 Brent Andersons? One thing’s for sure – there won’t be too much angst in the locks.
With Tupou Vaa’i and Scott Barrett, the last two senior locks left standing and Patrick Tuipulotu making a miracle return, most are predicting Robertson will plump for the Crusaders’ Quinten Strange or the Blues’ Sam Darry (both, if injury strikes Tuipulotu again) – although a few think the Hurricanes’ Isaia Walker-Leaware has made a late bid for inclusion. But while the locks cupboard is fairly bare, what about other positions where New Zealand has abundant riches – like loose forwards and outside backs?
The All Blacks have always enjoyed world-class loosies; they’ve been the difference in many test matches against tough opposition; the internal competition has always been intense.
Look at the contenders for what will be, depending on your point of view, five or six loose forward berths in the first Robertson squad: Dalton Papalii, Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane (Blues); Luke Jacobson, Wallace Sititi, Samipeni Finau (Chiefs); Duplessis Kirifi, Braden Iose, Peter Lakai (Hurricanes); Ethan Blackadder, Cullen Grace, Tom Christie (Crusaders); Billy Harmon (Highlanders). That’s 13 class contenders for what could be as few as five places – four once you factor in Ardie Savea returning from Japan.
None is what you might call a long shot. All could wear the black jersey with distinction. Someone very good is going to be excluded; more than one, come to that.
It’s the same in the outside backs. The picture here is a little more blurred as the two remaining Barretts – Beauden and Jordie – can both cover fullback (as can Damian McKenzie and Stephen Perofeta, if he is selected), so there could be a little more emphasis on wings in the five outside back spots. Main contenders: Caleb Clarke, Mark Telea and A.J. Lam (Blues); Emoni Narawa, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs); Salesi Rayasi, Kini Naholo, Ruben Love (Hurricanes); Sevu Reece, Macca Springer (Crusaders); Jona Nareki, Timoci Tavatavanawai (Highlanders).
That’s another 13 – not even counting the injured Will Jordan or Beauden Barrett, newly returned from Japan and not yet battle-hardened here. The six main candidates: Clarke, Telea, Narawa, Stevenson, Love and Reece. However, there is an awful lot of game-busting ability in that 13. Again, people with plentiful talent are about to be left without an international stage on which to display it.
For what it’s worth, here’s this column’s view of who should make the squad in these positions:
Loose forwards – I think they may select five props, meaning there’s room for six loosies in a 32-man squad: Blackadder, Finau, Savea, Papalii, Sotutu and one of Sititi or Lakai, with Lakai getting the nod as he can play in all three loose forward positions.
Outside backs – if you listen to the gossip, Ruben Love is about to make the squad, though my preference would be for Stevenson who can play wing and fullback. However, assuming Beauden Barrett is named elsewhere, the five could also be: Clarke, Telea, Narawa, Love, and Stevenson.
