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Clayton McMillan compares new Chiefs halfback to former All Black

Cortez Ratima. (Photo by Aaron Gillions/Photosport)

In Brad Weber, the Chiefs have arguably the second-best halfback in New Zealand at their disposal and in 2022, they’ll have two exceptional young talents backing up the All Black for minutes throughout the season.

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Weber, who will enter his ninth season of Super Rugby when the competition kicks off next year, put his best foot forward for the All Blacks this season and were it not for an untimely head knock suffered against Italy, was odds-on to start in the New Zealand national side’s final two games of the season against Ireland and France.

Instead, the 30-year-old had to make do with just 30 minutes of action off the bench against Les Bleus and while he will undoubtedly make the most of an extended summer away from the game, Weber will likely enter the new season rearing to build off his solid outings in black throughout 2021.

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The panel of Ross Karl, Bryn Hall and James Parsons run their eyes over all the developments from the past week of rugby.

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The panel of Ross Karl, Bryn Hall and James Parsons run their eyes over all the developments from the past week of rugby.

For similar reasons, 22-year-old Xavier Roe will be hoping to quickly put his best foot forward for the Chiefs during the pre-season after missing the latter half of the NPC through concussion. The Pauanui native made his Super Rugby debut earlier in the year and while he started out as the Chiefs’ third-choice option behind Weber and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Roe fought his way into the No 21 jersey for the Trans-Tasman section of the season.

With Tahuriorangi heading south to the Crusaders to try and reignite his fleeting international career, the Chiefs have now called up another Waikato halfback, 20-year-old Cortez Ratima.

Ratima was Roe’s back-up during the first half of the NPC season but following Roe’s injury, Ratima took over at halfback and made a solid fist of a handful of starts in the No 9 jersey. Already, the evidence was there that the young No 9 was likely to quickly ascend the ranks, with Ratima selected in the 2021 New Zealand Under 20s side, despite undergoing shoulder surgery late last year and playing next to no rugby in the lead-up to the team selection.

Although Roe may enter 2022 as the third-choice halfback at the Chiefs, there’s likely little between him and Roe and whoever impresses the most during the pre-season may get the first chance once Super Rugby Pacific kicks off.

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With Tahuriorangi heading south, McMillan said that Ratima was clearly the next cab off the ranks in the Chiefs region, even if he still has huge room for growth.

“We think he’s a real player for the future,” said McMillan after the squad was named last week. “He’s making a bloody good fist of his craft at the moment but we really, really like where we think that Cortez can get to.

“He reminds us a lot of Tawera Kerr-Barlow, another great Chief. He’s a bigger halfback, he’s combative, he’s a competitor and we think that he’s going to really challenge the other two in our environment for an opportunity in a match-day 23.”

Ratima is just one of several Chiefs players to have featured in the NPC Premiership and Championship finals played last weekend.

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Newbies Ratima, Finau and Wrampling were all on Waikato’s books this year, as well as Ollie Norris, Laghlan McWhannell and Simon Parker. Taranaki, who won the Championship, included the likes of Bradley Slater, Josh Lord, Kaylum Boshier and Pita Gus Sowakula.

McMillan said that the importance of those players getting some knockout rugby under their belt can’t be understated.

“I think it’s huge,” he said. “First of all, I’m really happy for my old mate Barnesy [former Chiefs forwards coach Neil Barnes], he’s gone down to Taranaki and he’s been able to create something special down there. To go through a season unbeaten is pretty phenomenal, really, and they’ve played some bloody good rugby. It hasn’t come easy to them because they’ve had a whole number of injuries but they’ve still managed to maintain a high level so it’s been great for them and I think a lot of the Chiefs boys that are in that squad have played really well.

“And equally, Waikato. I like to think that they probably had a great six weeks living in the paradise that is Mount Maunganui but for them, it’s been bloody tough to effectively move away from home and base yourself in a hotel and yet they’ve punched their way through that and to see them win a final against a quality Tasman side was a fantastic achievement so congratulations to both of those teams and I really thought they played some great rugby and some of our players who have been selected in the Chiefs squad were at the forefront of those performances.”

The inaugural season of Super Rugby Pacific is set to kick off in late February.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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