Kieran Read and Justin Marshall have questioned some of All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s selection choices after last weekend’s 50-19 win over Australia at Eden Park, which saw New Zealand retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 24th successive year.
The All Blacks had lost the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 to the Springboks before cruising past the Wallabies. Ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Sydney, former number eight Read and former scrum-half Marshall agreed that Rennie should not tamper with his starting XV too much, as consistency in selection matters.
Consistency over change
“It’s a big call. I personally think we’re not in a position to make too many changes,” Read told The Good, The Bad & Rugby Australia & New Zealand podcast.
“I think we’re at a point where we need to go out and put 50 on the Wallabies again. It doesn’t matter that it’s in Sydney and over there at their home.
“We haven’t shown that we can back it up yet, performances, it’s been that way for a few years. Dave Rennie has instilled a little bit of maybe extra optimism, confidence in us as fans, but we haven’t seen it.
“I haven’t seen it. So, we need to go out there and put our best foot forward and show that we’ve made those improvements. So, I wouldn’t necessarily make changes for change sake.”
Read accepted that some changes are unavoidable. “Obviously there’s to be a few enforced ones with concussions and things. So, you make those changes, but I’d like to see a consistent team as much as we can.”
Marshall believes Rennie cannot afford to chop and change ahead of next month’s Nations Championship Tests against Scotland, Wales and England in the United Kingdom.
“I just feel there’s still too much grey for us to be too experimental,” he said. “Like ultimately come the end of this weekend, the All Blacks will be back in New Zealand. I think it’s the 18th of October.
“And then on the 7th of November, they’re playing Scotland without any more rugby, you know? So I agree with Reado, obviously there’s, there’s a few that aren’t going (to play), your (Ethan) Blackadders and Leroy Carters out of the starting team, you know, through injury enforced.
“The rest of it, you just want consistency. And you want to try and challenge that team to be consistent, backing up the performance, don’t you?”
Fabian Holland’s omission
The pair then turned their attention to Fabian Holland, who has not featured in the All Blacks’ last two Tests.
The lock impressed in the first two Tests against the Springboks before being dropped to the bench for the third. He was then left out of the matchday squad altogether for the fourth clash in Baltimore, USA.
“I think Holland is a starting lock for us. He’s, at the moment, our best lock. That’s what I’m seeing,” said Read.
“So, whether they were resting him or not, I don’t know what the reasons were. But to me, he’s our best lock right now. So, I can’t explain that one. And you’ve got to go, ‘Well, he’s got to be in the mix to play’. So, I don’t know why.”
Marshall believes the coaching staff are prioritising versatility when selecting their matchday squads, and that this is counting against Holland.
“I think when you look at the dynamic of the bench, so what they were looking at, I guess, he’s lock-specific,” he explained.
“So is Josh Lord, so is Sam Darry. Whereas the others, like, you could put Scooter (Scott Barrett) on the side (of the scrum). Obviously, Tupou Vaa’i can go both (lock and flanker positions).
“And so, what the All Blacks did at the weekend is they didn’t pick a lock reserve. If people didn’t notice, they picked (Anton) Segner and (Shannon) Frizell. Because they can move those components around.
“So I think first and foremost, if they had the conversation, and I believe it was a very debated one amongst the coaches and selectors about Fabian. They didn’t go for him on the bench.”
‘He’s outstanding’
Read disagreed with that call. “It makes no sense to me. Because this guy’s a world-class player. He’s shown it. Yes, he’s been out for a long time (after injury), but he’s shown it against (the Springboks). He’s outstanding.”
He acknowledged that the All Blacks’ lineout has not been at its best this year, but insisted Holland is essential to their starting side.
“It has struggled (the lineout). I’m unsure why, but it has struggled. So, we’ve been forced to the front a lot of the lineout, which I don’t mind. If we can win ball fast and get in and win it front, it’s fine,” he said.
“It’s the same as middle ball off-tempo. But Holland, he’s a lock, purely. And you need him playing out there, because he can get around the field. I think I said it last time, him and Scott Barrett, those two as a combination will be a world-class combination with Tupou Vaa’i there as well.
“For me, those guys are world-class, and they just haven’t had the footy in that position just yet.”
Read then suggested that a 6-2 split among the replacements would give Holland a route into the matchday squad. That prompted Marshall to criticise the make-up of the bench.
“Yeah, it is (the 6-2 split), because then you can carry that lock and two loosies,” he added. “Well, f*ck me, they won’t do it, though, will they? I’m sorry, but why are they picking two wingers (on the bench)?
“Like, I get it. If you want to go 5-3, go 5-3. But don’t pick like for like. (Josh) Moorby and (Rieko) Ioane both play on the wing.
“You’re not getting anything out of not (picking) a (Timoci) Tavatavanawai, whoever it might be, or a Josh Jacomb and go, ‘You know what, mate? We didn’t want to start you, but if the things are going well in the Test’, which they were after we were up by 40 points (against Australia), ‘go on then’.
“But when you pick two wingers, that 5-3 split just doesn’t make sense to me. I’m baffled by that. I’d love to know what the thought process in that was.”