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Ex-All Blacks midfielder rues Proctor's omission for opening Bledisloe Cup Test
SENZ • September 19th, 2024 10:31 am
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has made four changes to his side to face Australia in the opening Test of the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney on Saturday.
Up front, Ethan de Groot returns from injury to reclaim his starting position at prop at Tamaiti Williams' expense, while Pasilio Tosi comes on to the bench to play his second Test match.
The backline has been reshuffled, with Caleb Clarke - recovered from his back injury - and Will Jordan moving on to the wings to allow Beauden Barret to start at fullback.
But it's the midfield that's a point of contention for former All Blacks centre Pita Alatini.
Robertson has reverted to a combination of Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane, bumping Anton Lienert-Brown back to the bench, the latest in what's been a revolving-door selection in the centres.
Alataini says he would've liked to have seen Billy Proctor get a chance to back up his stand-out performance in his debut against Fiji in San Diego, at least off the pine, as a potential long-term answer in the No. 13 jersey.
"I would've loved to have seen Proctor have a crack in the midfield," Alatini told SENZ Mornings.
"I'm so impressed with his Super Rugby form and I'm keen to see him have more opportunities in these bigger Tests.
"He's just got a nice overall, well skilled game for a centre. His work rate is high, he tackles, he delivers, his defence is great. He's as potent an attacker as he is a ball distributor.
"He's the one guy I would've loved to have seen off the bench."
The 17-test All Black believes the midfield offence this year has been slightly one-dimensional and predictable, and there hasn't been enough focus on taking advantage of the strike weapon on the outside, who have too often been cramped for space.
"They've been having their moments but just have not been consistent," he noted.
"My biggest issue is we haven't got moves at the moment that are exploiting our dangermen out wide, just playing those core roles.
"I understand that we need to go forward at times, but when we've got both midfielders doing the same kind of role, at times it becomes easy picking for the better nations, and South Africa exploited that a few times."
Barrett was one of the All Blacks strongest performers during their gruelling two-Test tour to South Africa, where his strength through the middle was an ever reliable offensive option.
But according to Alatini, Robertson and his staff should be doing more to capitalise on Barrett's well-rounded attacking arsenal, which he believes boasts much more than hard-running.
"We know he's big and strong but he's got a vast skillset, and I just think we need to bring that out more," he said.
"We know he's big and strong but he's got a vast skillset, and I just think we need to bring that out more," he said.
"With Rieko, we understand he has that gas, but it's also about being able to put guys away on the outside as a key role as well."
The No. 10 position has also been under the microscope. With the Rugby Championship out of reach, there were calls for Robertson to take the chance to experiment with his selections, one of which may have been giving Blues star Harry Plummer an opportunity to stake his claim, with veteran Beauden Barrett another contender.
Alatini is adamant McKenzie remains the All Blacks' best option at first-five, believing Plummer isn't quite up to making the leap to the Test stage.
"We know No.10 is such a key role but besides (Barrett), I honestly don't think anyone else can step into the jersey. I don't think Plummer is ready for that yet.
"At the end of the day, I think McKenzie is still our best at finding the right rhythm across the group, especially in that nine-10 combo, and being able to exploit his running game on the outside."
Listen to the full interview below:
