tukapa1:

 

So you want him to be doing things only Ngani can do?  Pretty high bar - how many of the other All Blacks do you want doing things only they can do?  Name me one that does things only they can do and nobody else in world rugby can do.

 

What I mean is, something(s) that separates him from most or all others at 12. Someone who scores a try they basically had to fall over the line to score, then that's anyones try. The example against the French, yep, that was very very good. Few players could have scored that.  The try against BB was good, but BB had to turn from stopped, Ngani had the head start, BB was catching him up. Almost got him. I think it was a good try, but perhaps not as brilliant as you do.

I think you're remembering what you want to remember. (had to bold this as I can't quote it)

What possible motivation do you see me having for that? What nefarious motivation do you think the AB's had for not giving Ngani more time? The coaches made clear the reasons were because he was asked to work on areas of his game they deemed problematic, and he hadn't improved sufficiently. Sometimes you can be an excellent player and not a right fit for the team, the culture, or the current gameplay needs of the squad (don't currently need a crash baller at 12 for the way the team wants to play for example).

Not once did I say he wasn't a good Rugby player, in fact I've said the opposite.  I have no axe to grind, I'd have been happy for him to be the next Maa' but he wasn't/isn't. Instead of doing what many players do, and take the feedback, work on their game and bide their time, he decided to head overseas, and has since made a bunch of what I consider to be butthurt petulant comments about how he was treated.

He had dropped off what he was at the heights of his time with the Hurricanes, a lot to do with the fact that teams worked out how to neutralize him.

 

Fokotava has done nothing to prove himself at test level.  Christie did nothing to prove himself at test level.  Do you disagree?  Name your top three halfbacks in order based on what they have proven at test level.  After all that is the bar you set for Ngani.

 

Fokotava barely played due to injury. All the Half backs struggled this year, but there is a fair bit to be put on the tight five who were poor at the start of the year. No, I haven't been impressed by Christie, he seemed an odd choice to start with to me, no, Fakatava wasn't as impressive at test level, but pretty hard to judge that under the circumstances.  Perhaps Weber is the second best in the country though that says less about him and more about the general performance of the half backs currently playing.

Brad is 31, he would be 35 heading to the next world cup, we need to look to the future, but I feel we haven't seen the emergence of someone to replace Smith (Fakatava probably has the best 'potential').

I think Bryn Hall played well for the Crusaders esp in the last two years, he has a very crisp and accurate pass, he isn't slow to the ruck like Perenara, but again, at 30, he isn't the future.

Half Back, 10 and Lock are the areas I worry about the most post RWC.