For young Kiwi rugby players, 2022 is the year of opportunity.
Between injuries and Covid-19, Super Rugby squad depth is more important than ever before, as players could be forced out of games with little time for their team to enlist a replacement.
That was the case last weekend whenthe Hurricanes had to call in hooker Raymond Tuputupu – uncapped at provincial level and not with the team - just hours out from their clash against the Highlanders, as three of the four hookers with the side were unavailable.
The Blues' situation on Friday night - also against the Highlanders - wasn't quite so dire, but when Beauden Barrett, Nepo Laulala and Sam Nock were all forced out of the match-day squad not long before kick-off, they were forced to scramble.
Coach Leon MacDonald's reshuffle saw Stephen Perofeta – who started the year as the side's third-string first five-eighth – moved to No 10, while Zarn Sullivan and Marcel Renata started at fullback and tighthead prop after being initially named on the bench. Several young players in the squad were in turn called up to fill out the bench.
That came after the side already had to name Taine Plumtree at blindside flanker with Akira Ioane (foot) and Tom Robinson (ankle) out, and Bryce Heem – an outside back by trade – in the midfield.
"This is going to be a squad competition; there's no doubt about it," MacDonald said after the match.
"We pulled in five players, and it's going to happen again. Sometimes we might be 15 players down in a week, so having depth in the squad is important and a few guys showed that they're up to it."
Taine Plumtree impressed for the Blues against the Highlanders in Albany. Photo / Photosport
Plumtree, Perofeta and Sullivan were among the Blues' best players. Each had major roles in the turnaround from a poor first half to putting the Highlanders to the sword in the second half.
Despite the win, MacDonald was frustrated over his side taking so long to hit their best when they had been preparing for such a situation with Covid-19 running rampant across Auckland.
"You can't fully protect yourself," MacDonald said. "Guys go home to their partners or flatmates who work. You can only do as much as you can. When we're in our environment we've got control, but when we go home, we haven't. It sneaks in pretty quickly and when it does, it takes off through the environment pretty quickly so it was a bit of an awakening for us really.
"We were shuffling the team around and the guys hadn't really trained in those positions. Stevie had no time at first-five this week and Zarn had limited time at fullback. Those things don't help, but we have been training together as a squad and talking about that this will happen, we've been expecting it to happen, so I'd liked to have clicked into it earlier than we did."
