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'They probably would have known': Solace for some dropped All Blacks

Braydon Ennor and George Bridge. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

For every success story that comes out of an All Blacks squad announcement, there are inevitably two or three players left feeling disappointed at the fact they’ve either missed out on a first-time call-up or, worse still, have been dropped from the squad.

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That was certainly the case in Christchurch on Monday afternoon, where Leicester Fainga’anuku had the good fortune to hear his name read out by New Zealand Rugby board director Bailey Mackie while surrounded by his Crusaders teammates – but there were inevitably a few downcast figures amongst the group too.

Cullen Grace, an All Blacks debutant in 2020, has hit a rich vein of form with the Crusaders in recent times but evidently has not yet done enough to force his way back into the squad while backline merchants Braydon Ennor and George Bridge both featured for the national side last season but haven’t been able to hold their places in the team ahead of the coming July series with Ireland.

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Reacting to the first All Blacks squad of the season.

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      Reacting to the first All Blacks squad of the season.

      For halfback Bryn Hall, it was a new experience being in camp with his Super Rugby side at the same time as the All Blacks squad announcement and he was able to experience both the highs and the lows of the event.

      “It’s probably the best time of the year for a lot of those men that were selected,” said Hall on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. “It was a great moment to be able to watch the team naming in the squad – [it was] probably the first time an All Blacks team has been named during Super Rugby and being able to see faces like that and being able to celebrate moments like that, it was awesome.

      “It’s a unique situation, to be honest, because you’re so happy for guys that are deserving of that spot but then you’ve also got to cater for the boys that are disappointed. You do celebrate and it’s an acknowledgement and a clap [while] we’re all watching it together on the TV. You obviously acknowledge when they are selected but then also have a pretty good understanding that some boys will be disappointed and it’s also getting around them.”

      Fellow ARP panellist James Parsons, who earned two caps for the All Blacks in 2014 and 2016, said that while it would have been a tough time for the men who missed out on the squad, they at least would have been able to brace themselves for the public announcement.

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      “Having had a little bit of experience in being dropped myself, you get a phone call a little bit earlier than the announcement so they probably would have known and would have had the ability to prepare themselves for any new caps,” the former Blues hooker said.

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      And while there are inevitably players from around the country who will be feeling disappointed following the squad naming, Hall noted that at least the Blues and Crusaders players have an opportunity to prove the selectors wrong when they take the field on Saturday night at Eden Park for the Super Rugby Pacific final.

      “Those boys did really well, I thought there were a couple of guys that could have been in and around there but obviously didn’t make it but they had their chins right up,” he said of the unlucky men, “and I guess the best thing is that they’re able to go out and play in a final and be able to get over that disappointment and look forward to … a pretty massive occasion in Auckland.”

      Six new caps have been named in the All Blacks’ first squad of the year, Aidan Ross, Pita Gus Sowakula, Folau Fakatava, Stephen Perofeta, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Leicester Fainga’anuku, while eight players who featured throughout 2021 have not made the cut, as well as a number of injured or unavailable men such as Joe Moody and Damian McKenzie.

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      Comments

      2 Comments
      M
      Martin 983 days ago

      I feel Bridge would be first call up to cover injury’s

      r
      rod 983 days ago

      I think the selectors have named this squad only for the Irish tests! So plenty of time for other players to shine before the Rugby Championship

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      Comments on RugbyPass

      J
      JW 1 hour ago
      Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

      Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

      That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


      All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


      Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


      In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

      88 Go to comments
      J
      Jennifer Ross 4 hours ago
      One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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      28 Go to comments
      J
      Jennifer Ross 4 hours ago
      One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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      28 Go to comments
      J
      JW 4 hours ago
      Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

      JJ and DMac shows how little attention you actually pay to the substance of the articles.

      What do you mean by that? For lack of an answer from you I’d suggest yuo need to look at the game again and then read your article. Because although I’m not going to again but I did quickly review the videos and they all match correctly with my perception.

      JTPL is shifting towards overseas players being JQP in future

      No they’re not, thats a flatout lie Nick. You can find an article on here with their CEO where they want more out of their deals but it’s standard professional sports fair, nothing underhand like the NH does. I find that quite foul that you would share such a view.


      I suppose the new World Club League thats starting would die for the best ABs even for just a year, and probably set them up even better. Mo’unga hadn’t done enough to earn a sabbatical though. This is where NZR needs to start questioning itself. You can’t blame the player if the NZR are not even interesting in offering you a contract. In situations where say NZR aren’t able to reach 70% of the offer I think a great starting point would be for them to be treated differently than someone who just left for money. NZR could say make that player immediately eligible if NZR decide to make a fair offer and they sign to return, with players putting in their overseas contracts a right to leave early if they resign back with NZR.


      Even with Japans fading desire for sabbaticals I still think NZ can make it a good destination and have many reciprocal agreements with JRFU and the JRLO teams. The situation still very much favours NZ and Australia but it’s upto them to make the most of it or the JRFU won’t see any reason to be the ones always giving the favours.

      88 Go to comments
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