Bigger is better for All Blacks as Williams readies for return
Scott Robertson's argument before the All Blacks' first Test against France last month that size is now mandatory for Test rugby - and proven by the performances of converted flanker Tupou Vaa'i - was further strengthened by the Wallabies over the past two weekends.
Vaa'i, who stands 1.98m (6 foot 6 inches) tall and weighs about 118kg, excelled in the first two Tests against France in the relatively unfamiliar No.6 jersey after being moved from lock. He brought bulk, height and physicality to an All Blacks' pack before missing the final Test due to concussion.
Vaa'i's influence went far further than contributing to an extremely tall All Blacks' lineout – a credit to his adaptability and the work he put in before the series.
Similarly, giant lock Will Skelton proved his worth for the Wallabies over the final two Tests against the British and Irish Lions. In many ways he was responsible for Australia's rejuvenation during a series which suggested that the game across the Tasman is very much on the up.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 140kg, 2.03m (6ft 8in) tall Skelton plays in France and was not available for the first Test in Brisbane – a relatively comfortable 27-19 win for the tourists – due to a calf injury.
Skelton transformed the Wallabies when starting the second Test in Melbourne. He brought not only a physical edge but also an intimidatory one during his 45 minutes on the field as the Wallabies lost a controversial Test
29-26.
Big Will Skelton, second from right, makes his presence felt for the Wallabies in Melbourne. (Source: Photosport)
It was a mere appetiser for last night's performance from Skelton and the Wallabies, who, fuelled by the disappointment of a week earlier at the MCG, brought a hard edge the Lions simply couldn't match in the home side's deserved 22-12 victory.
Retiring halfback Nic White and try-scorers Dylan Pietsch, Ryan Lonergan and Tate McDermott deserve credit but it was Skelton's high-impact 80-minute performance and no-nonsense attitude which got them across the line.
There is no doubt the 45-minute lightning delay at Homebush helped Skelton's big body go the distance but in a game of the highest intensity in appalling weather conditions, the 33-year-old was both an irresistible force and an immoveable object. Fellow lock Nick Frost was also excellent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Which brings us back to the All Blacks and one Tamaiti Williams that Robertson will take great delight in naming in his Rugby Championship squad tomorrow.
Williams, all 144kg and 1.98m (6ft 5in) of him, was missing from the French series due to a knee problem exacerbated during the Crusaders' grand final victory over the Chiefs in June.
The 24-year-old could be touch and go for the All Blacks' first Test against Argentina in Cordoba a week on Sunday but having such an influential scrummager, who can play either side of the scrum, back in the mix will be a huge boost for Robertson and the team.
Tyrel Lomax's hand injury means the tighthead prop will be unlikely to travel to Argentina – the All Blacks also play in Buenos Aires on August 24 – so Williams' return alongside Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell, Ollie Norris and Pasilio Tosi will be welcome.
Tupou Vaa'i on his way to scoring a try against France in Wellington last month. (Source: Photosport)
Blues prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi, who had neck surgery in April and also missed the French series, may also come back into the mix.
Australia's recent rival under Kiwi coach Joe Schmidt sounded a warning ahead of an intriguing Rugby Championship and the Pumas will also be a formidable foe at home.
ADVERTISEMENT
Argentina, possessing a pack hardened by the rigours of Northern Hemisphere rugby, shocked the British and Irish Lions with a 28-24 victory in Dublin before the Lions travelled Downunder and they squared a two-Test home series against (a weakened) France last year.
The All Blacks play the Wallabies at Eden Park on September 27 and in Perth on October 4.
The challenge faced by Robertson's men during the South Africa's two-Test tour of New Zealand (Eden Park on September 6 and Wellington a week later), speaks for itself.
After the disappointment of the recent news about halfbacks Cam Roigard and Noah Hotham, the All Blacks will need to many things to go right to see off the world champions and their 'Bomb Squad', and having their biggest men fit and in form will be just one of them.
The All Blacks' 36-player Rugby Championship squad will be announced in Wellington tomorrow at midday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
13 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Ranfurly Shield: The magic of The Old Log and its legendary moments
Accolades and honours have rightly poured down on Sir Wayne Smith, the coach. But as a player for Canterbury, he was special, too. Smith scored the try that sealed victory for Canterbury against Wellington in 1982 and brought the Shield to Christchurch for a 25-defence run until 1985. It hadn't looked that promising in ′82. With eight minutes to go in the Canterbury challenge, Wellington were ahead 12-10 and Smith was feeling terrible. 'I'd just lost a try for Craig Green. I passed too late and the chance was gone. I kept thinking to myself that my mistake had cost us the Shield. You don't always get a second chance in a game, but that afternoon, I did.' Minutes from fulltime, Canterbury won a ruck 10m inside the Wellington half. Canterbury halfback Bruce Deans passed to Smith. 'I get it and I run,' Smith recalled when we were working on his 2023 autobiography. 'Like Forrest Gump, I just kept running, and scored out wide.' Robbie Deans kicked a difficult conversion, Canterbury were leading 16-12 and the Shield was heading to Christchurch. In 1985, with a crowd of 52,000 jammed up against the touchlines at Lancaster Park, came an epic Auckland challenge. Amazingly, as he had when the Shield was captured in Wellington three years before, Smith almost won another late victory for Canterbury. Down 24-0 shortly after halftime, Canterbury fought back so well that with three minutes to go, the score was 28-23 to Auckland. A converted try would save the Shield. Smith hoisted a high, hanging punt that descended on the Auckland tryline. 'I can remember wishing it was going to hit the post. That would have been interesting,' Smith said. But Auckland wing Sir John Kirwan got his fingertips to the ball and slapped it out of play. The game and the Canterbury Shield reign was over. The memories have a life of their own. David Kirk passes under the pressure of Robbie Deans during the 1985 Ranfurly Shield match between Auckland and Canterbury. Photo / Photosport Stirring the fire Loved as a player from Paris (the French called him Le Panther Noir) to Papatoetoe, Waka Nathan, an All Blacks flanker from Ōtāhuhu, was as likeable and easy-going off the field as he was dynamic on it. To get the best from Nathan's magnificent physique, honed working on the chain at the Westfield freezing works, Fred Allen, who coached Auckland to 25 Shield defences from 1960 to 1963, always made sure Nathan was angry when he ran on to Eden Park. In 2006, Nathan told me how Allen did it. 'I always sat in the changing shed with my best mate from school days in Ōtāhuhu, [first five-eighths] Mackie Herewini. Fred would come to me and say, 'I see you got a good write-up in the Herald, last week but you missed two tackles and were late to three rucks. You're just hanging on to your place in this team'. 'Then he'd pat Mackie on the shoulder and say, 'You're a genius, Mackie, just go out and play your game'. I'd run on to the field with steam coming out of my ears.' A year or two after Nathan told me the story, I ran it past Allen, who went on to become an unbeaten All Blacks coach. He chuckled and said: 'I'd had a bit of experience about how to manage men. The experience I had as a soldier [he was a major in World War II] certainly helped me.' All Blacks coaching great Sir Fred Allen (with ball) giving advice to Sir Brian Lochore (from left), Kel Tremain and Sir Colin Meads. Running the cutter Controversy was always close at hand with All Blacks lock and lineout wizard Andy Haden, to the point it's easy to forget what a superb rugby player he was. In 1972, when Auckland took the Shield from Northland in Whangārei, Haden was the key to victory, despite being a fresh-faced kid from Whanganui still adjusting to life in the big city. Northland coach Ted Griffin begged his forwards at halftime to push, obstruct or elbow Haden to put him off his stride. Nothing worked. By the time Haden captained the side that won the Shield for Auckland in 1985, he was as sophisticated, after playing club rugby in France, as he was shrewd. It was, an Auckland teammate would say, 'like having an expert coach on the field with you'. Andy Haden breaks clear for Auckland against Wellington in 1972. Photo / NZME My local hero Like many rugby fans, I'll always have a soft spot for the team I followed as a child – Thames Valley. So my special Ranfurly Shield memory came in 1989 at Paeroa Domain when Auckland brought the Shield to town. Auckland had 10 All Blacks, so the final score of 58-7 was no surprise. But late in the game came a magic moment from Valley winger Kevin Handley, known to everyone but his parents as Jack. The Paeroa truck driver streaked 30m past startled Auckland defenders to score. As he neared the line, he fired a two-fingered Winston Churchill salute to the visitors. Add the cheeky gesture to what was already a terrific try and Handley became a Valley legend for the ages. Several years after the Shield game, I was at his Paeroa West club. An old VHS player was connected to a television on a wall. Press play and you could watch the try, the grin on Handley's face, the startled looks of the Aucklanders and hear the delighted yells of 7000 local fans. 'I don't think,' one of his teammates said to me later that night, 'that Jack's had to buy himself a beer for years.'
NZ Herald
15 hours ago
- NZ Herald
All Blacks rookie Kyle Preston earns Rugby Championship call-up after career year
'It's a funny one. Obviously, when the news came out about Cam [Roigard], I had about 20 or so messages like 'have you heard anything?' Preston told Newstalk ZB. 'You kind of start thinking a little bit, 'it could be me, who knows?' But I try to not build myself up too much around that sort of stuff, because you can get hyped up around it and, if you don't hear anything, it's a bit of a letdown.' Preston said he got the call from All Blacks coach Scott Robertson about an hour before the Rugby Championship squad was announced on Monday. At the surface, it's been a rapid rise for the 25-year-old who, a year or so ago, was playing club rugby and working as a roofer. He completed his roofing apprenticeship just prior to the 2024 NPC season; the timing working out nicely as he played his way into a Crusaders contract and fulltime work as a rugby player. But, for Preston, it's the culmination of a decade of dedication. 'It's funny because, like, only really over the last couple of years, you get the recognition for what I've done, but it's been built over 10 or so years of putting in a bit of hard work and dedication. It's awesome to finally get a bit of props for what I've been doing,' he said. 'It's been a long journey. The last 12 months has been pretty full on. I'm super lucky and grateful to get the opportunity that I've gotten and making the most of it while I'm here. I just want to continue to do that and hopefully I can do that in the black jersey.' He was one of four uncapped players called in, alongside Chiefs duo Simon Parker and Leroy Carter, and Hurricanes prop Tevita Mafileo. Parker was called into the main 36-man squad, with Carter and Mafileo joining Preston among the six players named as injury cover. Injured quintet Hotham, Roigard, Tyrel Lomax, Luke Jacobson and Caleb Clarke will all remain in New Zealand when the side travels to Argentina ahead of next week's Championship opener. 'He said congrats and, pretty much, see you Friday,' Preston said of his conversation with Robertson. 'He just said, 'we've seen what you've been doing with the Crusaders this year, we're excited to have you in' and he knows I'll make the most of this opportunity. That's all I can really do; be myself and hopefully add to the environment with what I've got.' All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Brodie McAlister. Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi. Locks: Scott Barrett (captain), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa'i, Fabian Holland. Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Simon Parker, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai, Luke Jacobson. Halfbacks: Cortez Ratima, Cameron Roigard, Noah Hotham. First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie. Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai. Outside backs: Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Emoni Narawa, Will Jordan, Ruben Love. Injury cover: George Bower (for Tamaiti Williams), Tevita Mafileo (for Tyrel Lomax), Josh Lord (for Luke Jacobson), Finlay Christie (for Cameron Roigard/Noah Hotham), Kyle Preston (for Cameron Roigard/Noah Hotham), Leroy Carter (for Caleb Clarke). Unavailable for selection: Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Asafo Aumua, Stephen Perofeta. Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
NZ Herald
16 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Former All Blacks winger George Bridge signs two-year deal with Western Force
Former All Blacks and Crusaders winger George Bridge has penned a two-year deal with Australian Super Rugby Pacific team the Western Force. Bridge, a veteran of the 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign, signed a three-year deal with French club Montpellier in 2022 after a successful six-season stint with the Crusaders.
