All Blacks: 5 Key Players

The talent pool in New Zealand is such that they have a host of players in their squad capable of making a major contribution to World Cup success, and a few outstanding players have not even been able to secure a spot among the 31 selected.

In such a multiply talented group it is difficult pinpoint five key players, but by the nature of the game, some will indeed make a greater contribution than others.

Two of the All Black players though, are at least as consummately genius players as any who have ever played the game in their positions in the history of Rugby Union.

Richie McCaw
If McCaw retires from Test rugby at the end of October, as expected, he may well do so respected as the greatest, most accomplished, most successful, most influential player in all the annals of Rugby Union. Such an accolade can be debated ad infinitum, but certainly no-one would gainsay the gargantuan contribution he has made to the game. As openside flank and as captain, he is an international superstar.

Dan Carter
Has there been a better 10 in Test history? When he is injury-free and on song, his skills and decision-making are close to immaculate. Some of rugby’s all-time great players have been flyhalves/first-fives – the likes of Cliff Morgan, Barry John, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies, Jackie Kyle, Jonny Wilkinson, Michael Lynagh, Mark Ella, Stephen Larkham, Bennie Osler, Naas Botha, and Hugo Porta, to name but a few. Dan Carter is in the same category of genius, and at the end of RWC 2015 may perhaps be regarded as the finest of them all.

Brodie Retallick
World Rugby’s 2014 player of the year has a crucial role in this All Black campaign, because while he may be the most highly rated lock forward in the world, there are only three locks in the 31-man squad, and there are doubts about one of the other two. Sam Whitelock is the other first-choice lock, and a top second row too, but Luke Romano’s contribution to the Rugby Championship was decidedly mediocre, and opposition packs have little fear for him. Retallick is key to New Zealand’s success because he is so respected a player and if he were to suffer injury, it would leave a massive hole in the team.

Dane Coles
Similarly to Retallick, Coles is a vital cog in the All Black machine both because he is superb player and because the gap between him and his replacement hooker, were he to be injured, is enormous. Codie Taylor is a talented young hooker, but he has played only three Tests and is unproven at this level. Keven Mealamu has played 126 Tests over the last 14 years, but at age 36 does he still have what it takes to make an impact in the World Cup?

Aaron Smith
Smith’s scrumhalf skills are wonderful, he is a constant threat to opposition defences, and is potential match-winner in every game he plays. But the wisdom of his decision-making and the precision of his tactical and relief kicking, for the most part substantial assets, can be wayward at times too. Wise options and accurate kicking from Smith are important to New Zealand’s game-plan execution.