All Blacks - State Of The Campaign

All is on track for the defending World Cup champions. The wins over Argentina (who were expected to be competitive and were), and the world’s number 20 rugby nation, Namibia (who were expected not to be competitive but were, up to a point), were not spectacular, but the All Blacks got the job done.

The pool games against Georgia and then Tonga will be battles of physical intensity, but barring either team ‘doing a Japan’ – which is unlikely, since neither team can match the All Blacks for skill – the road to the play-offs should be smooth.

It’s the looming selection dilemmas that are fascinating:

Waisake Naholo (after his miraculous recovery from a fractured leg, defying medical science with six days of traditional healing in rural Nadroumai Village) and Liam Messam are set to play their first games of the tournament. Messam will be keen to challenge Jerome Kaino and Victor Vito for the big-game blindside position. Nehe Milner-Skudder’s second RWC game performance was superior to his first, and Julian Savea also more effective against Namibia than Argentina, but the latter remains some way off his devastating best. Can Naholo still come through as a star of this World Cup?

Codie Taylor showed against Namibia that he may be a better bet as reserve hooker for Dane Coles than veteran Keven Mealamu.

Ma’a Nonu and Sonny Bill Williams must be rated (along with Jamie Roberts, and with Jean de Villiers close to retirement) the world’s best inside centres. Selecting one of them as 12 and one on the bench for the big games will be a tough decision for Steve Hansen and his advisors.

Beauden Barrett showed his class at 10 against Namibia and is the obvious back-up to Dan Carter, but missing four of his nine kicks at goal did inspire confidence. Compare that with the goal-kicking accuracy of Owen Farrell and Dan Biggar.

TJ Perenara and Tawera Kerr-Barlow were not much more than ordinary against Namibia and the back-up 9 to Aaron Smith is not an obvious selection. Smith remaining injury-free may be essential to the All Blacks winning the World Cup.