Razor Watch: Crusaders ‘silver lining’, veteran delight and back-row depth

Dylan Coetzee
Split with Codie Taylor, Scott Roberston and Du'Plessis Kirifi.

Split with Codie Taylor, Scott Roberston and Du'Plessis Kirifi. (Right hand Photo by James Foy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire)

With the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season in the books, we take our weekly look at the All Blacks selection prospects that head coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson may consider.

Too little too late Crusaders

The horror season finally draws to a close and did so with a nice win to finish. With that came a few silver linings most obviously in the form of Codie Taylor who was brilliant yet again. The hooker looks primed and ready to slot straight back into the All Blacks jersey as he did last time out in the Rugby World Cup final.

Another positive was the performance of Ethan Blackadder whose ability or influence has never been in question but rather whether he can remain fit or not. As long as he can play we do not see him being overlooked by his former coach.

Finally from the Crusaders camp is the impressive rise of scrum-half Noah Hotham, wh0 has been a shining light for some weeks now. The starlet may still be a bit green for the Test arena but is rapidly progressing and Robertson will know all about him having coached Hotham at the Crusaders. A star for the future.

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Hoards of Hurricanes

The top side in the regular season has several stars pushing for a spot and none more so than veteran TJ Perenara, who looks revitalised after that long-term injury, with his eyes clearly set on that starting role. It would be hard to bet against an experienced try-scoring superstar starting for the All Blacks as it may not only be the safest bet for Robertson but the best option.

Winger Salesi Rayasi has been known to be an elusive runner for a couple of seasons now but absolutely ripped it up last time out, bagging a hat-trick and beating defenders for free. He is fighting against impressive depth on the wings but outings like that certainly aid his cause.

In the pack, the back-row duo of Brayden Iose and Du’Plessis Kirifi typically emptied their tanks in a massive shift. However, like Rayasi’s situation, the pair are fighting against the depth of the loose forwards in New Zealand. In the front-row, powerhouse Asafo Aumua was back with a bang and gives Robertson plenty to pick from at hooker.

Brilliant Blues

All the notable performers from the Auckland side are in the pack with Ricky Riccitelli leading the way with another good shift against the Chiefs. It is wild to think he is still uncapped and underlines the depth the All Blacks have had at hooker for quite some time.

In the back-row Hoskins Sotutu scored two tries again and continued his weekly barging down of the door for an All Blacks starting role. If he keeps this trend through the play-offs it will be extremely difficult for Robertson to ignore.

Alongside Sotutu was the brutally physical Akira Ioane who was outstanding. Blindside flank is not a set position in the All Blacks and could be grabbed by someone playing well enough. However, he would need to play well through the play-offs to earn a spot.

Couple of Chiefs

It was not the best outing for the Chiefs but Damian McKenzie still managed to grab a try assist before being put in cotton wool. He has already earned a spot in the squad and big performances in the play-offs could guarantee a starting role.

Elsewhere, number eight Wallace Sititi’s power game was on show again but like all the other loose forwards on the list this week it is a fight against depth.

READ MORE: Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Week: ‘Inevitable’ veteran lights a fire as Wallaby makes statement

Blues Scott Robertson

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