Who? You may well ask. Haig is 22, 1.96m and a rangy 115kg and he is the only specialist blindside flanker in the 29-man squad (though Crusaders loosie Christian Lio-Willie may play there if Hoskins Sotutu takes the No 8 spot).
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ll know the All Blacks have never quite solved their blindside flanker problem since the exits of Jerome Kaino and Liam Squire.
Haig is an interesting selection, albeit an experimental one – he has played only 12 games each for the Highlanders and Otago and was born in the UK, so his selection closes that eligibility door.
The depth of the No 6 issue can also be seen with previous selections for the largely future-focused All Blacks XV, which began life back in 2022. That year, the blindside flankers were Dominic Gardiner (Crusaders) and, at a pinch, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u (formerly of the Highlanders, now in Japan).
They are both nowhere to be seen now, even though Gardiner had a reasonable tour. Gone also are the loose forwards from the All Blacks XV in 2023 – Lio-Willie and DuPlessis Kirifi are the only survivors from six loosies, with Akira Ioane and Cameron Suafoa both not selected for this one along with Billy Harmon (Highlanders) and Pita Gus Sowakula (now in France).
Ioane and Harmon are heading for Japan at the end of this season but, hang on just a contradictory moment, where is Sam Cane going again? And TJ Perenara?
It’s a funny old world, though at least Haig has been chosen with the future in mind – unlike Scott Robertson’s present All Blacks squad. The only way young blokes have made the top team is through injury as the coach keeps opting for experience over blooding new players; a first year which seems all about survival; who cares about the 2027 World Cup?
It’s a shame because it is blunting Robertson’s razor – which was supposed to take a cutting edge to the status quo, carving out a new team and a new era. That’s what New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and we in the media expected – and so did hundreds of thousands of fans.
It’s becoming a PR problem now. Should there be two defeats in the three tests against England, Ireland and France (a perfectly possible scenario), Robertson’s record in his first year will look a bit, well, sad. At present many rugby fans are viewing him as more conservative than Ian Foster.
All that was required was a statement of intent at the beginning of his tenure, something going a bit like this:
“What will happen in 2024 is that we will begin the rebuilding process, aiming, of course, to peak at the 2027 World Cup. But I want all fans and stakeholders to know that rebuilding is never a perfect paradise. There will be losses as we build, but everyone should know that, at all times, we will be striving to keep the All Blacks’ aura and record intact as we move forward.”
That’s all that was needed. It would have given him licence; a reference point. Instead of which, we have a shaky top team taking on the top three nations in the world, minus South Africa (who’ve already beaten Robertson’s All Blacks, Cane, Perenara and all).
France have also upset NZR by resting all their top players, sending a B team for their tour here next year. Whatever you think of that, there is a rugby nation – one which also suffered World Cup disappointment last time – taking the longer view.
However, at least the All Blacks XV opens the window slightly on the future. Chiefs youngster Josh Jacomb could be a good investment along with Harry Plummer; big lock Fabian Holland is clearly destined for an All Blacks jersey.
The other intriguing selection is that of Blues wing A.J. Lam in the midfield. He shifted there through injury problems in Super Rugby Pacific and made such a good fist of it he became an automatic selection – and brings a different attacking vibe.
Midfield has also been something of a graveyard for All Blacks XV selections thus far – with the one exception being Billy Proctor, promoted to the All Blacks (though who knows when we’ll see him play again?)
From 2022 and 2023, midfielders no longer required include Levi Aumua, Bryce Heem, Alex Nankivell and Jack Goodhue (both playing overseas) and Bailyn Sullivan.
Lam and the Hurricanes’ highly promising Riley Higgins could change that but, if not, that is the nature of selections made with the future in mind; sometimes it becomes obvious to the coaching staff that some players need more time, others may not make it at all. Harsh, but that’s the big time.
At least they will have had a decent crack at it. Would that we could say the same about the All Blacks. Robertson could yet spring selection surprises and promote players like Tamaiti Williams, Cortez Ratima and Cam Roigard, Proctor and maybe even trial Rieko Ioane on the wing.
Don’t bet the mortgage on it…
