NZ Rugby World October - November 2020

THE ONE THING EVERYONE IS MOST DESPERATE FOR is certainty. And it is the one thing that can’t be given at the moment as no one is able to peer into that crystal ball and determine what the next two months look like yet alone the next two years. It’s hardly ideal. It’s barely manageable even and hardly practical for professional rugby to find itself in this world of unknowns and ever-changing circumstances. But it is the landscape we have and the landscape we are likely to have until there is some kind of material change in the world’s sense of how to manage Covid-19. Uncertainty is the new normal and that has left the professional game here having to plan and prepare for multiple eventualities but essentially always remain focused and prepared…

ALL BLACKS WANT TO GET PHYSICAL The scar of the All Blacks last defeat can clearly be seen running through the first selection made by new coach Ian Foster. The All Blacks of 2020 have the look of a side that has decided that whatever else happens this year, they won't tolerate being beaten up by anyone. The physical edge contained within the 35-man squad is obvious and Foster has put together one of the largest packs of the professional age. He has picked a squad with such a heavy emphasis on size and physicality that it suggests he is going to rebuild the national team on the basis that the forwards must win the collisions and the backs avoid them. The piano movers have been brought in en masse to allow the piano players…

There was something about Beauden Barrett's body language that told a bigger story when he played against the Chiefs at Eden Park in Super Rugby Aotearoa. He was moving that little bit quicker than he had been in previous weeks. He was almost skipping as the ball came his way, his hands were out, his brain flicking through the options as he assessed the shape of the rushing defence. There was an energy about him, a boldness in his decision-making that hadn't been apparent, or actually had been missing in his previous five games for the Blues. Perhaps it was a sign that having not played rugby between November and June, he was finally feeling more like himself halfway through Super Rugby Aotearoa. Maybe. But really what had sparked him into better form and…

BEAUDEN BARRETT Barrett was selected in 2012 as a 20-year-old with huge promise. He spent most of his first four years as an impact player, typically coming off the bench at fullback. But in 2016 he won the starting role at No 10 and established himself as arguably the greatest attacking No 10 the world has seen. Blessed with incredible speed, Barrett could hurt any defence when he ran at it and also developed a vast array of kick and catch skills that made him the one player every team made a plan to stop. Twice named world player of the year – 2016 and 2017 – he was the world's most consistent first-five in the 2019 World Cup cycle. AARON CRUDEN Was first capped under Graham Henry in 2010 but didn't become an All Blacks…

10 Crusaders captain Codie Taylor dives for the bouncing ball against the Highlanders. The big question you probably have is…did he manage to score the try? The answer is no. It had bobbled over the deadball line before he could get to it. 9 Will Jordan shows just how quick he is to score against the Chiefs. Look at Aaron Cruden in the background – he's thrown himself at the Crusaders fullback but he can't get anywhere near him. 8 There isn’t a tougher assignment in the game these days than trying to stop Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu. 7 Now this is how you make the perfect tackle. Ben Lam of the Hurricanes is text book perfect in his technique here, with this tackle on Crusaders wing George Bridge. 6 Dane Coles shows he’s…

CRUSADERS WIN FOUR IN A ROW WEEK ONE Highlanders 28-27 Chiefs Blues 30-20 Hurricanes WEK TWO Chiefs 12-24 Blues Hurricanes 25-39 Crusaders WEEK THREE Blues 27-24 Highlanders Crusaders 18-13 Chiefs WEEK FOUR Highlanders 20-40 Crusaders Chiefs 18-25 Hurricanes WEEK FIVE Crusaders 26-15 Blues Hurricanes 17-11 Highlanders WEEK SIX Hurricanes 29-27 Blues Chiefs 31-33 Highlanders WEEK SEVEN Crusaders 32-34 Hurricanes Blues 21-17 Chiefs WEEK EIGHT Chiefs 19-32 Crusaders Highlanders 21-32 Blues WEEK NINE Hurricanes 31-18 Chiefs Crusaders 32-22 Highlanders WEEK 10 Highlanders 38-21 Hurricanes Blues P-P Crusaders…