All Blacks legend makes big statement about ‘world-class’ scrum-halves as TJ Perenara pick questioned
All Blacks scrum-half TJ Perenara and former wing Sir John Kirwan.
All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan believes that Scott Robertson’s decision to select TJ Perenara could prove to be a mistake.
New Zealand’s head coach named his 36-man squad to go on their northern hemisphere tour on Monday and it included both players who will retire from Test rugby at the end of the year.
Perenara and former captain Sam Cane have signed long-term deals to play in Japan from 2025, thus ruling them out of All Blacks selection looking towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
As a result, a debate has raged about whether they should go on their trip to Japan and Europe having enjoyed touching farewells at the end of the Rugby Championship.
Final game in New Zealand
The Wallabies encounter in Round Six marked their final matches on New Zealand soil, where the openside flanker earned his 100th cap for the national team.
Kirwan agrees that they still offer plenty to the black jersey and is not completely against Cane’s selection, stating that Robertson could “possibly play him against Ireland”, but believes that picking Perenara will harm the development of their up and coming scrum-halves.
“Would they make my squad from an ability point of view? Every day of the week. Do they make my squad thinking about the next World Cup? No,” he said on The Breakdown.
“We’ve got three world-class half-backs, possibly four.
“Do Sam Cane and TJ Perenara deserve to go? Of course they do, they’re leaders. Is it the best thing for our game in the future? No.”
Youngsters Cortez Ratima and injury-returnee Cam Roigard have been picked in the 36 but Perenara’s inclusion means that Noah Hotham will be in the second-string All Blacks XV.
Hotham will be joined in that group by Blues star Finlay Christie, who has dropped significantly down the pecking order since starting the second Test against England in July.
Kirwan was joined on the panel by Michaela Blyde and the New Zealand Sevens star agreed with the 59-year-old’s view on the half-back situation.
“He’s (Perenara) definitely a quality player, we all know that, but we’ve got some quality half-backs; Noah Hotham is another one,” she said.
“He got his one cap against Fiji, did the basics really well, but he’s another developing half-back that we need in the environment.”
A scrum-half’s take
One of the All Blacks’ scrum-half options, Roigard, made his return from a six-month absence in the NPC at the weekend, scoring two tries for Counties Manukau in their victory over Manawatu.
Despite his lack of game time, the 23-year-old has been immediately included in the squad for their end-of-year tour and former Ireland half-back Isaac Boss felt that he looked in good shape.
“He’s looking a bit more physical, he’s been able to come back a little bit bigger but I just think he needs that game time,” New Zealand-born Boss said.
“He’s the great hope isn’t he? The next best thing, but he’s only played three Tests.”
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