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Why Scott Robertson isn't worried about fielding six rookies against Fiji
By Ben Smith
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson isn’t worried about the lack of Test experience in his bench for Fiji after naming six total debutants for the San Diego Test.
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Hurricanes midfielder Billy Proctor will start, and last week’s debutant Cortez Ratima will run on in the No 9 jersey, while five new debutants fill roles on the bench are expected to see action in the second half.
The selections are not a slight against Fiji, rather Robertson has seen enough over the last month to determine the new players are ready for Test rugby.
“Obviously we’ve given guys an opportunity to play a bit of footy, there’s a few debutants but we’ve been training for over three weeks now,” Robertson told RugbyPass.
“They are really clear in their roles and responsibilities. We’ve trained under a lot of pressure and we’ve played a hell of a two Tests against England.
“We’ve got a beautiful mix of players with experience and young players to go out there and show their talent.
“We are clear in how we want to play now, we’ve been together for long enough.”
While the bench has only two capped players to rely upon, Jordie Barrett and Emoni Narawa, Robertson has picked a number of veterans in the starting side.
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He has elevated Beauden Barrett into the starting side to play fullback and midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown at second five-eighth, and kept captain Scott Barrett along with Ardie Savea and Damian McKenzie.
On the six rookies picked to play this weekend, Robertson has been impressed with the level of athleticism that the All Blacks coaches have seen.
“All of them are great athletes, that’s the first thing we’ve really noticed,” he said.
“I could named Wallace, he’s trained well he’s prepared incredibly well for such a young man.
“The great thing is he can play all three positions, he’s a good lineout jumper, he’s a low tackler, he’s similar to Ardie in many ways, he’s a comparable athlete.
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“Guys like George Bell are just getting better at their craft. They follow guys like Codie Taylor in their footsteps each week.
“You can see why they are improving and getting better so quickly.”
On how the All Blacks will conquer the Fijian style of play, Robertson is quite aware of the threats they possess.
“We will respect it,” he said on the way Fiji play.
“The get a roll on, they get the arms free, we know those little chip kicks they get a bit of continuity, they are dangerous.
“They’ve put a few big teams away. We are prepared for that.”
Fiji team to play New Zealand:
1. Eroni Nawa 28-year-old 1.89 m 131 kg - Rugby World Cup starter - 350minutes for Saracens back up to Mako Vunipola but has much better carry stats this year
2. Tevita Ikanivere 24 y/o 1.82 m 114 kg - RWC impact to Northampton Saints starter Sam Matavasi but won the starting spot for knockout qf match - Drua rake and much more lively stats on the carry that Matavasi but maybe more raw than the Saints veteran. Behind Asafo Aumua still in all stats (still very impressive). Got the starting spot over Asafo Aumua in Alun Wyn Jones testimonial
3. Mesake Doge 31 y/o 1.80 m 122 kg - RWC impact to Bayonnes starter Luke Tagi
4. Isoa Nasilasila 24 y/o 1.97 m117 kg - RWC and Drua starter
5. Temo Mayanavanua 26 y/o 1.97 m 120 kg - RWC impact to Drua Kiwi Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta - more dominant tackler and impact player for Northampton Saints behind Top 14 bound Alex Moon
6. Lekima Tagitagivalu 28 y/o 1.95 m 110 kg - RWC starter at both openside and blindside but has spent half his career locking - Pau everywhere man, started in their euro knockout loss
7. Kitione Salawa 23 y/o 1.92 m 95 kg - Drua’s new boy tearaway, one of the leading, if not the best per 80minutes turnover mechants in Super Rugby
8. Viliame Mata 32 y/o 1.96 m 116 kg - Fiji and European star
9. Frank Lomani 28 y/o 1.80 m 81 kg - RWC test 9 - Best try involvements 9 in SR for the Drua behind Ratima and TJP
10. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 20 y/o 1.75 m 86 kg - Test rookie comes in in place of Test and Drua star Ilaisa Droasese who might have had flight or visa issues I suppose.
11. Semi Radradra - enough said
12. Inia Tabuavou 21 y/o 1.85 m 101 kg - Youngster has had some good minutes and stats filling in at Racing 92
13. Waisea Nayacalevu 34 y/o 1.93 m 105 kg - RWC starter and captain - Dominant carrier for Toulon when asked to return early after the WC but injured for the season shortly after which saw Leicester .
14. Jiuta Wainiqolo 25 y/o 1.87 m 97 kg - Has some crunching numbers for Toulon on the wing along side his captain
15. Vilimoni Botitu - Promoted to flyhalf for the RWC quarter finals after injuries - Has mostly had minutes for castres as inside center
Reserves
16. Zuriel Togiatama - Drua impact
17. Haereiti Hetet - Drua #1
18. Samu Tawake - Drua impact
19. Albert Tuisue - Fiji and Gloucester impact player
20. Elia Canakaivata - Late 20s in his second pro year (Drua) by the looks must have come through Fiji pathways or 7s
21. Simione Kuruvoli - Test backup and a player many though was best impact at RWC
22. Caleb Muntz - Seen as leader at 10 but regularly injured after coming from English Championship
23. Sireli Maqala - RWC player and Bayonne center
Missing players
Isefo Masi - Star center of Super Rugby for the Drua at the Olympics playing 7’s I think
Josua Tuisova - Fiji’s inside center at RWC got little minutes this Top 14 season so suspect injured still only 30 - Reports about managing his minutes and his body, looks like Toulon have put the hard word on him not to play until November window (back from injury around June)
Levani Botia - RWC star but getting on in years and injured toward back of Top14, hopefully not the same as above
Vinaya Habosi - Another RWC star winger who finished his Top 14 season recently after having a 3 month (injury?) layoff in the middle. Not scoring any tries. Hopefully partaking in 7VNS and not blocked by Racing 92 as he’s just gone missing to my sluthing
Mesake Vocevoce - Breakdown beast of a lock for a young fella in 2024 Drua
Selestino Ravutaumada - Probably Drua’s best attacking back and one who I also confuse for his older captain, their RWC wing and at the Olympics as well
Meli Derenalagi - Block buster 8 for the Drua
Please add a reply if you know better about any of these players (and there wereabouts if not playing)
Very excited
Sadly in the UK it’s at a rubbish time!!
However “George Bell is getting better at his craft”
Seriously Razor?? His throwing for the Saders makes Codies look good during the England series
He’s a very lucky choice as Riccitelli was in great form
Riccitelli is seriosuly as “battler” as a rugby player gets. He is in no way the future at his age or his level of ability. These calls for him to be an AB are laughable. Yea he seems to have found some form the last two or so years, but Super form and ABs form are totally different. Bell’s potentiali is absolutely massive and when he sorts his lineout throwing out, which he will, he is going to be a force
Riccitelli is tiny.
Too short and too light to be a test hooker
Exactly. Can’t wait for this test match. Exciting!!!