The time has come for Beauden Barrett to deliver the Blues what they wanted
They have not beaten the Crusaders in this new era of Blues rugby under Leon Macdonald, losing five from five. They got close in 2…
Ben Smith
02 Feb 2022, 17:48
Contributors
Ben Smith
@bensmithrugby
A former financial analyst & auditor in retail banking, Ben is a columnist at RugbyPass specialising in opinion-based analysis, breaking down rugby as he sees it, to uncover what professional teams are trying to do around the world.
Analysis
Unlocking Marcus Smith's game in the Six Nations
England have one of the best attacking players in the Six Nations at their disposal.
Ben Smith
31 Jan 2022, 4:40
Opinion
Crusaders enter 2022 with more to prove as last year's worst All Blacks performers
Oddly, however, the All Blacks in Robertson's squad enter 2022 having been categorically some of the worst performers in the natio…
Ben Smith
25 Jan 2022, 18:41
Joe Schmidt on why his start date as an All Black selector is after the Ireland series
Ireland were incredibly successful under Schmidt, winning three Six Nations titles including a Grand Slam in 2018 and becoming the…
Ben Smith
15 Dec 2021, 17:19
Opinion
The words you never want to hear from All Blacks leadership have been uttered
Ben Smith
12 Dec 2021, 19:24
Opinion
History suggests the All Blacks will sweep Ireland 3-nil in July
This Ireland team will be second only to the British & Irish Lions in terms of the strength of visiting European teams over the la…
Ben Smith
08 Dec 2021, 17:22
Analysis
Getting the most out of Rieko Ioane as a strike weapon at centre
At 24 years-old, there is so much untapped potential left and if they get things right, he can dominate the international rugby st…
Ben Smith
29 Nov 2021, 16:35
Analysis
The glaring issues with the All Blacks' static attack
The All Blacks have some glaring issues on attack which need fixing.
Ben Smith
24 Nov 2021, 23:31
'He stole about three or four of our balls': Blues excited about Anton Segner
The Blues coaches are ecstatic about picking up Tasman-product Anton Segner, the 20-year-old German-born loose forward that has be…
Ben Smith
23 Nov 2021, 0:44
'A tough 12 months': What the Blues expect from forgotten star Caleb Clarke
After a tumultuous year that saw him miss out on Olympic sevens selection and struggle to replicate his 2020 form, Caleb Clarke is…
Ben Smith
22 Nov 2021, 20:59
Opinion
Curtain call on the Springboks' 8-5 season
For most of the year they used a kick-everything game plan with little-to-no attacking initiative that came down to one or two cal…
Ben Smith
21 Nov 2021, 1:09
'In two years' time, it won't really matter': France clash won't have any bearing on 2023
The review session of the defeat was 'honest' to ensure that the side is clear ahead of this week's clash in Paris with a strong F…
Ben Smith
17 Nov 2021, 20:46
All Blacks side full of 'character' could use some more talent in search of new identity
We are gathering further evidence that this approach will end the same way. Right now Foster is just proving Scott Robertson is a…
Ben Smith
16 Nov 2021, 22:30
Analysis
Why Siya Kolisi should have been nominated for World Player of the Year
The two test sides with the best records this year, New Zealand (12-2) and South Africa (8-4), have no players nominated. France a…
Ben Smith
15 Nov 2021, 19:46
Analysis
The issue with starting Ethan Blackadder in the All Blacks' back row
Blackadder is not the finished product, and isn't expected to be, but, in that respect, the hype needs to be dampened considerably…
Ben Smith
15 Nov 2021, 2:39
Analysis
The ten minute period of inept rugby that cost the All Blacks
They really only have themselves to blame for the weight of defence they were put under. Poor kicking, bad handling, and an all ro…
Ben Smith
14 Nov 2021, 0:25
'We have to come out swinging': All Blacks pack bracing for Irish impact
Ireland's hammering of Japan by 60-5 'surprised a lot of people' according to All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree, with his s…
Ben Smith
10 Nov 2021, 22:15
'A different beast at home': Dane Coles wary of Irish threat
Dane Coles has been an integral part of the All Blacks-Ireland rivalry that developed over the last decade, with the ledger at 3-2…
Ben Smith
08 Nov 2021, 20:10
Opinion
There is a growing sense of parity among the six or so best test sides
The All Blacks-France test in Paris has drawn most of the excitement and anticipation, yet it is Ireland under Andy Farrell that p…
Ben Smith
07 Nov 2021, 23:15
'That's not unusual': Foster not concerned over All Blacks' lack of cohesion
Head coach Ian Foster made mass changes to the All Blacks starting line-up for their clash against Italy which took awhile to bear…
Ben Smith
06 Nov 2021, 20:56
