All Blacks coach gives fascinating insight into Test selection and admits to ‘needing players we can really trust’

All Blacks coach Jason Ryan admits that it’s all systems go for the brains trust as they look ahead to their first Tests of the campaign against France.

New Zealand take on Les Bleus in a three-match series in July, with the first clash in Dunedin just under under two months away.

They are already pencilling names into their squad, taking into account previous performances for the All Blacks and current Super Rugby Pacific form.

‘The reality’ for the All Blacks coaches

“We do a lot of our work off the grass at this time of year, we’ve obviously got to do our homework. I pride myself on working with the forwards coaches from all the franchises. The reality is that they get the boys longer than we do, they’ve had them for the whole season,” Ryan told Sport Nation’s Beaver and Guy show.

“We name an All Black team, we have a couple of days and then we play our first Test seven days after that, so it’s important we do our homework on character and how boys are training, and any feedback that we can help with.”

Although it will be a while before the official squad is named and players get into camp, Scott Robertson’s backroom team are already thinking about the individuals that could be involved.

“We had our first crack at the All Black team, we met as a coaching group. There are always convos and you chuck the whiteboard up and go through the names in your own areas, and have a good robust discussion about it,” Ryan said.

“It’s a chance for people to discuss that. Obviously, Razor makes the final call, but there’s a good percentage of players that we feel are still playing well from last year and then you’ve got a few that are on the fringe where it’s like, ‘righto, we’ve got to have a decent look at these guys’.

“We’ve got to make sure we get that done as deeply as we can because we’ve got to get it right.

“We talk a lot around character and I know that when the contest is at its fiercest, I need forwards that we really trust that are going to walk forward when it’s on a knife-edge.

“It’s more than just a rugby team that we’re picking obviously, it’s the country’s team and we’ve got to do it with a lot of diligence and a lot of confidence, and then get on with it.”

Watching France

It is not just Super Rugby and the All Blacks players that Ryan has taken interest in, with the coaches also scouting the opposition.

The European season is getting towards its conclusion and the forwards guru took a keen interest in the all-French Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse.

“It was a totally different intensity, I think the speed as well. It was one of the better competition forward packs in the world with Toulouse and then one of the razzliest French backlines in the Bordeaux side,” he added.

“You look at that and you have a good look at the game. You might see a couple of things, it might give you confirmation or you might have to look again, but it was a hell of a contest and I have no doubt the European final will be a cracker to watch as well.”

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