Following the All Blacks' clean sweep of France, ODT Online rugby contributor Jeff Cheshire looks at key positions that were under scrutiny leading into the series.
Fullback
This was perhaps the most heavily debated position over the past few months. Not only was there an out-of-form superstar who prior to the season would seem to have had a lock on the jersey, but there was also another who was playing so well that it was near impossible to leave him out.
The players of course were Israel Dagg and Ben Smith. As it happened, Dagg got the nod and you would have to say he came up with a pass mark at the very least. After a quiet game in the first test where he did the basics well but did not really threaten, he has responded with two performances that should see him nail down his spot for the Rugby Championship.
In the second test his kicking game was outstanding, finding land and putting the French under all sorts of pressure. His ability under the high ball and his positional play were top notch too and he even began to run more and started to threaten again. This week he was not quite as dominant, but his kicking game was again valuable and he was once again safe under the high ball.
Perhaps he was not making the breaks that we are accustomed to seeing him make, but aside from that he has been fairly solid. He has contributed to putting the team in a position to win and that has to be the most important factor in determining how well a player played.
Would Ben Smith have done better? He certainly would have been more of a threat on the counter attack and coming into the line. But he does not possess the kicking game of Dagg and is not as good under the high ball, which were major determinants in the win in the second test. And besides, Smith was still able to be one of the best players on the field on the wing.
For now, Dagg keeps the jersey.
Second Five-Eighth
This one was a little more problematic coming into the season. There was an out of form Ma'a Nonu who has been struggling with injury for most of the season. But there was not really anyone else putting their hands up either.
Nonu was given the nod due to his tendency to perform when wearing the black jersey and did not disappoint, coming up with three good performances. He looked dangerous on attack once more, pretty solid on defence and even showed a kicking game which he executed well at times in the second and third tests. Playing outside Aaron Cruden, he was getting the ball at the line and was being put into gaps, which was enabling him to make the breaks he has been struggling to make with the Highlanders.
Ultimately you cannot knock him on what he has done during this series and should retain the No. 12 jersey for the rest of the year.
Halfback
Aaron Smith has been the subject of much criticism for his poor Highlanders form, but he has shown none of that for the All Blacks. His pass has been fast and his kicking game in the second test was influential in keeping the French under constant pressure. Add to this his ability to organise the defence so efficiently and his good support play and it is hard to fault his performances in the first two tests of this series.
Piri Weepu did not offer the same quick service and still has not regained his form of two years ago, while Tawera Kerr-Barlow added spark but was not on the same level as Smith. Smith was clearly the best option and should retain the No. 9 jersey for the Rugby Championship, while the other two did enough to ensure they will be included in the squad too.
Blindside Flanker
Since the departure of Jerome Kaino, the All Blacks still have not found a permanent blindside flanker. Liam Messam and Victor Vito have been the two main ones tried over the past 18 months and while both have been solid, neither has exactly grabbed the jersey with two hands. The Super Rugby form of Steven Luatua has added another name to the discussion and provides a contrasting style of play to choose from.
After this series, we are no closer to answering the question. Messam and Vito are both similar players and were both reasonable without being standout. Both are hard workers on defence and are strong in the close situations. Neither tend to be prominent on attack, Vito tends to be an explosive runner in the tight while Messam can link well but does not tend to range as much with the All Blacks.
Messam is at his best in a real scrap, as was the case in the second test. He is a player who will tackle and tackle and tackle under pressure and will do so strongly. He is also very good at tying up the opposition ball in the mauls and holding up them up to enforce a turnover. From this point of view, he was good in this series and was a large part of the strong defensive effort. Vito is similar, perhaps not quite as strong but makes a lot of tackles and tends to work hard at a constant rate.
In Luatua there is another option. He is a looser player, one who is going to range and make runs out wider. The flip side of this is that he is not as strong in the tight stuff and his work rate is not as high, particularly on defence.
Who you want in this jersey depends on what you want from you blindside flanker. Sure Messam and Vito may not have been prominent in the loose and ranging, but they are not players who will stand out here. They are workers and in tight games they are valuable to the team. That said, neither really stood out above the other and the jersey still remains up for grabs.
Hooker
Another position where there has been considerable debate and to an extent concern. Dane Coles was given the starting position in the first two tests to try to blood a younger player to take over when Andrew Hore and Keven Mealamu move on. It was never going to be an easy task filling the boots of these two long-time campaigners, but what we saw from him was encouraging.
His lineout throwing was sufficient and generally found its target, while he also looked to get his hands on the ball and ran well. He was involved in the tight and got around the field well enough. Certainly a satisfactory display and one which will see him remain the leading candidate to take over the All Black No 2 jersey.
