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Justin Marshall's tip to replace Caleb Clarke in the All Blacks set-up

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Former All Blacks scrumhalf Justin Marshall is tipping an imposing ball carrier for a Test call-up as a potential replacement for Caleb Clarke, should the Blues winger be sent to the Olympics in Japan.

What’s more, Marshall has posited a simple theory as to why block-busting ball carrier Clarke has failed to make the same impact in 2021. Clarke took the sport by storm in 2020, leading to comparisons to the legendary Jonah Lomu, such was his ability to cause chaos in the rank of Tri-Nations opposition.

Clarke’s focus is shifting away from the fifteen man code temporarily in favour of a return to the shorter form of the game. A former All Blacks Sevens representative, Clarke is one of a number of Super Rugby players competing for a place in head coach Clark Laidlaw’s squad to travel to the Japanese capital in July, and made a successful return to the sevens field against Australia in a Trans-Tasman tournament held in Auckland this weekend.

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Episode 30 – Jerome Kaino and Jamie Roberts, European Champions Cup Final Preview and All Blacks v Lions Memories

The move comes after a relatively quiet Super Rugby season for the 6’2, 107kg Blues back. Writing in his column in The XV, Marshall suggests it’s not just a case of second-season syndrome.

“…Clarke has struggled a bit since then and that can often happen to players who burst on to the scene,” writes Marshall. “This year he didn’t brush aside defenders and make the same impact in Super Rugby because he was more heavily marked. That’s when players have to make adjust and find their way into the game.

“I feel Clarke has been stuck on his wing this year and therefore struggled for form because he didn’t get the ball enough. I remember playing against the great Jonah Lomu and Rupeni Caucaunibuca – as a defender you give everything to bring them down before they get momentum and that’s what Clarke is running into this year.”

Marshall believes Clark’s lack of form may open the door for Crusaders back Leicester Fainga’anuku, who at 6’2 and 109kg offers a near-identical physical presence to Clark.

“What has impressed me about Fainga’anuku is that he had to show versatility following his move to centre once Jack Goodhue was ruled out. Some people say if you can play wing you can play centre too but that’s simply not true.

“The running lines and defence – everything changes. Wings move off their sidelines these days and are often very proactive, but centres don’t move as much and have to pick their lines. Fainga’anuku did a great job at that and showed impressive composure and maturity.

“Fainga’anuku’s ability to finish, break tackles and defend well must have put him in the frame for the All Blacks this year.”

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JW 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson explains the new halves pairing for the All Blacks ahead of France

More indecision and excuses from Razor.


You've given a spot at 6 to Finau whom you haven't even had the courage to use off the bench in the last two games. Now the young enforcer is going into a big much with no rugby, we should expect a similar result to how Aumua struggled to impact a game after he'd hardly been given any chances of the bench either.


Weve now dropped a back three player who also wasn't even given any game time off the bench for someone coming in cold when they really need to have been playing constantly to perform at their best. There are just so many better pictures that should have been present rather than this mickey mouse selection.


I really hope Finau can overcome this, it won't be the first time he's had to. How is the bench even made up? Could you not just have included these changes in the article as well? I actually like BB coming back in, it highlights how courageous he is after sitting out through another concussion that could just as easily sent him back into months of symptoms again.


Dmac was also off his game last week, as was Ratima, with the poor platform Razor and his team have been setting the players up with. He needs to freedom to clear his mind from the clutter that saw him make so many bad decisions last week. It will still probably be a net loss for the team performance not having him on from the start but it should be better for them in the long run if he's allowed to just come on late and play his game trying to claw things back for the team.


With Roigard starting that might prove an outlet for the team to actually get on top first however. Along with Ardie busting a gut in his new role and emptying the tank by halftime, and being replaced by another new star, might mean that Dmac is just icing on the cake at the end.

13 Go to comments
F
Flankly 1 hour ago
Jake White: If I was England coach, I’d have been livid

I am not an England fan, but still very disappointed at what Borthwick is serving up. Regardless of winning or losing, they should be executing the basics at a world class level. That was the reason they replaced Eddie with Steve. After two years England has not built the solid foundations that the RFU were presumably after. Its hard to see it as anything other than a coaching problem.


Having said that I really hope that Rassie has got his team fired up for the game. The Boks at maximum intensity and with no crises (eg red cards) would be expected to win this game. But it does not take much reduction in pressure for Bok teams to lose. The Boks lose when complacency sets in.


On Felix Jones, my guess is that they can't agree on a non-compete so they kept him on payroll for the duration of the Nov tests. The risk was that he would be hired by Rassie or Razor prior to the tests.


As relates to law tweaking, it feels like WR are more comfortable discussing changes in laws than insisting on implementation. For my money the biggest thing they could do is to be strict and consistent in officiating ruck behavior. In every game we see flopping, lazy lying, clearing of unbound players, making plays while off your feet, delays in placing the ball, side entry, offside line infringements, and similar nonsense. It's really really bad, and the WR attitude seems to be that we should turn a blind eye in pursuit of "flowing rugby". In truth it's just boring, because it randomizes the outcome.

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