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New Zealand’s search for a third halfback following the departure of Tawera Kerr-Barlow (La Rochelle) has been heating up this season, with no clear-cut candidate coming to the forefront yet.
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Now, after eight weeks of Super Rugby competition, the halfback stocks will really be under the microscope following news of incumbent All Blacks reserve TJ Perenara’s MCL injury.
The ruptured ligament will reportedly keep Perenara out for up to eight weeks, and with the All Blacks’ first test series of the year coming up in early June and the World Cup closing in, the door for New Zealand’s halfbacks has flung wide open.
So, who is trying to get their foot in that door and secure a black jersey in two months’ time? It’s a bit of a funny one.
Four of the country’s next best halfbacks (after Perenara and Aaron Smith) are split between two franchises, the Crusaders and the Chiefs. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Brad Weber play for the Hamilton based franchise, while Mitchell Drummond and Bryn Hall ply their trade down south with the Crusaders (Blues halfback Augustine Pulu also deserves to be in the conversation when healthy).
Not only has this created a headache for All Blacks selectors, but Super Rugby selectors as well.
For the Chiefs, Weber has started four games while Tahuriorangi has started two; for the Crusaders Hall has started five times and Drummond twice.
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What separates Weber and Drummond as All Black contenders is the fact that the pair have already appeared for the national side. Weber made his lone appearance against Samoa in 2015, while Drummond earned his cap as a late call-up to play against the French XV at the end of last year.
23-year-old Tahuriorangi is the youngest of the quartet and shapes as one to keep tabs on in the future, while Hall has the most experience at the Super Rugby level. The North Harbour product has asserted himself as the starting scrumhalf for the Crusaders, joining for last year’s title-winning run after three seasons with the Blues.
Statistically, Weber and Tahuriorangi are in the Perenara mold, with run metres (289 combined) and offloads (eight combined) taking centre stage, while the Crusaders pair of Drummond and Hall tend to play a calmer and more controlled game, darting from the breakdown more sparingly.
With the June test series against France looming, there is no doubt that Steve Hansen and his selectors will be eager for someone to put their hand up and claim an All Blacks jersey. The four will have ample opportunities to prove themselves in the coming weeks. Former Hurricane Tahuriorangi will look to make his mark against his old team on Friday, while Hall and Drummond will be eager to sink their teeth into the Sunwolves next weekend.
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