Analysis - For Hurricanes fans, Super Rugby Trans Tasman went from being the best competition format ever to the worst in the space of 80 minutes on Saturday night, writes Jamie Wall.
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Beyond that, where does his test future lie? In the black of New Zealand or the white of Fiji? At 26 years old, the skilful and tough Fijian is in his prime and may feel the All Blacks door is closing if he doesn’t make Ian Foster’s squad this year. One thing is certain, though. His talents deserve the bigger stage that test rugby offers. He’ll be 28 when the next Rugby World Cup rolls around in 2023, and he could make a serious impact in that tournament. He deservedly takes the No 8 jersey in
Stuff’s Team of the Week.
RICHARD KNOWLER Sam Whitelock would get the captain’s wings and take charge of the first All Blacks team named for 2021. With regular skipper Sam Cane, who earlier this month had surgery to fix a pectoral injury and could be unavailable for up to 6 months, it wouldn’t be right to deny Whitelock. Lock Whitelock has played 122 tests, and guided the Crusaders to 3 titles between 2017 and 2019. He deserves to replace Cane. Injuries and playing sabbaticals to Japan have reduced the options after 8 rounds of Super Rugby Aotearoa. Lock Brodie Retallock, first five-eighth/fullback Beauden Barrett and halfback TJ Perenara haven’t been considered because they‘re earning some extra coin and sampling the ramens in Japan.
Havili dropkick seals Crusaders' golden point win over Hurricanes sanantoniopost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sanantoniopost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.