The injured Roigard had already presented impressive credentials. Ratima and Hotham have followed suit against England and Fiji.
It’s early days of course. But there appears to be a touch of the explosive, innovative French superstar Antoine Dupont in all of them – and that is a wonderful thing.
Now and then, two players have battled for the top halfback spot. Justin Marshall v Byron Kelleher springs to mind. Sid Going v Chris Laidlaw – that was a very distinctive battle of styles, with Going the great runner, and Laidlaw the famed passer. Mark Donaldson v Dave Loveridge was a similar battle.
Not all of these contests eventuate of course. Aaron Smith v TJ Perenara turned into a fizzer.
What we have now is beyond intriguing – how will coach Scott Robertson deal with a ding-dong battle involving form rather than vastly different styles?
Most encouragingly, something similar is probably developing among the All Blacks props.
It’s a good trend for the All Blacks, who have been too rigid in relying on legends in the professional era.
Noah Hotham made his debut off the bench against Fiji. Photo / Photosport
Yes, the likes of Brodie Retallick should dominate the core of a team.
But at the same time, a lack of flexibility and relying on a veneer of top quality, a fear of upsetting the hierarchy, has cost the All Blacks at times, particularly with key injuries at World Cups.
Other leading countries have been more flexible, most notably world champions South Africa.
The Springboks were the first major test team to use the bench in a strategic manner (a la the way hooker Malcolm Marx is used as a second-half super sub) a long time ago.
Irish coach Andy Farrell recently dropped his captain Peter O’Mahony to the bench, as his side went on to win the second test in South Africa.
Robertson’s use of Beauden Barrett as a substitute to blow games open might be a sign of new times.
However, the selection of four wings and only three locks in his initial squad was a head-scratcher.
New Zealand MUST build a batch of powerful test second rowers. Omitting Sam Darry from the 32 didn’t make much sense in terms of developing locks. And for my money, Darry is a better prospect than Tupou Vaa’i anyway.
WINNER: Which leads to these oddities... or is there more to it?
The Waikato region is producing an amazing number of test halfbacks.
Roigard, Ratima, and Hotham all hail from there, and the Super Rugby region was already the dominant production line as the All Blacks hunted for Aaron Smith’s deputies.
Something similar has happened at lock, where Canterbury is the force in the professional era. From the current squad, Scott Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu and Sam Darry all have Canterbury/Crusaders links. Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Chris Jack, Norm Maxwell... it’s a strong trend.
LOSER: Chanel Harris-Tavita and the Warriors’ goalkicking
For those who missed it, Harris-Tavita missed like no other NRL kicker has ever missed before.
Thrust into the goalkicking role against the Raiders, after Adam Pompey was injured midway through the game, Harris-Tavita hoofed the ball like a kid at the beach.
Harris-Tavita even looked unsure, inducing the sort of feeling you get when observing Joe Biden taking on a staircase.
Chanel Harris-Tavita missed three kicks against the Canberra Raiders. Photo / Getty Images
The first two were wobbly wide efforts. The third conversion miss, a sitter, would have levelled the scores late in the match.
A distraught Harris-Tavita made for a lonely figure, heading to the Canberra stadium dressing room.
We all understand that coaches must back players, but under these circumstances Andrew Webster’s claim that goalkicking was not to blame was ludicrous.
Here’s the question, for Webster and everyone else involved.
How hard does Harris-Tavita practice goalkicking? Not very, by the looks. Either that, or he needs a new coach.
The bottom line: the bye-affected NRL table is a mess so the Warriors’ lowly position might not be quite as bad as it seems. But their playoff hopes are on the skids.
WINNER: Erin Routliffe – tennis number one
Incredible. Yes, a Kiwi sits atop the world tennis rankings. Auckland-born, Canadian convert Routliffe goes into the Olympics rated as the best women’s doubles player on the planet. Fantastic.
WINNER: Ardie Savea joining Moana Pasifika
Nothing will truly save Super Rugby, a hopeless professional sports competition. But as Titanic-deckchair-rearranging operations go, Savea’s move from the Hurricanes is a decent effort.
Anything that might help the development of under-resourced Pasifika rugby will be applauded.
WINNER: Norm Hewitt
Former All Blacks hooker Hewitt, who passed away last week, did all he could to deal with his significant demons.
Norm Hewitt was as fierce a competitor on the field, as kind as he was off it. Photo / Getty Images
WINNER (nearly): South Sudan... the NBL’s reputation
This would have been the weirdest result in the history of international sport.
South Sudan came oh so close to beating the United States Olympic basketball team, coach Steve Kerr, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis et al.
After the one-point win in London, Kerr said it was a lesson that basketball has “gotten better across the globe”.
True, but it hasn’t got THAT much better.
South Sudan is in America’s Olympic group, with Serbia and Puerto Rico. The squad includes Majok Deng, Sunday Dech, Deng Acuoth and Junior Madut from Australia’s NBL. There were five further NBL players in the initial wider Olympic squad.
The rise of Olympic newcomers South Sudan is being touted as basketball’s feel-good story in Paris.
LOSER: This sports trick
There’s an easy way for any much-loved sports star to tempt unpopularity.
Become a politician.
Olympic rowing legend Mahé Drysdale, just voted in as Tauranga’s mayor, is treading that path.
He’s got a low bar to jump over, with the history of rancour that led to a commission running the city.
Good luck Mahé Drysdale.
WINNER/LOSER: Sport’s strange values
Are we this intolerant of human foibles?
Japan’s gymnastics captain Shoko Miyata has been sent home from the Olympic Games for smoking and drinking, thus violating team rules.
Shoko Miyata has been sent home from Paris. Photo / Getty Images
This despite a concession that the pressure was getting to her.
How about actually trying to help someone who is feeling the strain?
Sport is full of corporate-style image-making BS. A lot of the role model, caring and sharing stuff is simply PR.
Meanwhile, at golf’s British Open, surprise contender Daniel Brown was spotted having a fag during the tournament.
He only smokes while playing, to ease the pressure.
WINNER: Golf’s tongue twister
Xander Schauffele’s British Open triumph, his second major title this year, has further fuelled a great rivalry with fellow American and world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Their similar surnames have led to regular confusion although fame should sort that out.
“People have been calling me Scottie all year,” Schauffele said not long ago.
“The number one player in the world – I’ll take that. It’s funny – I’m a foot shorter than him.”
LOSER: Sport’s blind eye and twisted standards
On one hand, a gymnast gets sent home from the Olympic Games for smoking. On the other, a Dutch rapist gets to stay.
Volleyballer Steven van de Velde, convicted of raping a minor 10 years ago, won’t stay in the village however for the sake of “calmness”. It was also revealed he can’t talk to the media. The Olympics is sick.
LOSERS: These football winners
Spanish football stars Rodri and Morata are under investigation, for their insulting chant that “Gibraltar is Spanish”, made during their Euro 2024 victory celebrations.
They won’t care of course, because football stars are untouchable and any punishment will be a token gesture. I have loved watching Rodri play, but no more.
WINNER: An Aussie baseballer
Travis Bazzana became the first Australian taken as the number one pick in the Major League Baseball draft, selected by the Cleveland Guardians. It is also the first time that a second baseman has been the top pick.
The draft included another oddity – a switch pitcher. The Seattle Mariners’ new thrower Jurrangelo Cijntje can use either arm. This is virtually unheard of in the MLB, with a couple of brief exceptions.
