Wynne Gray: Strange times in footy

Strange times in footy. Nehe Milner-Skudder is back after ages, the Wallabies have a hooker with only 28 minutes of Super rugby experience and North Harbour are unbeaten in the Mitre 10 Cup.

Then Steve Hansen got in on the act.

He dispensed with any standard talk about giving the young man time to learn and pinned a six star general's badge on Vaea Fifita's chest as he sent him into All Black battle tomorrow night.

Fifita was one of the best athletes he'd seen and someone ready to rattle some cages starting with the Pumas in New Plymouth. He had some strong targets and Hansen was sure the 25-year-old would reach those in his second test.

There's been plenty of discussion from the All Blacks and those on the edges about raising their levels of sustained excellence after a mixed offering in the Lions series then a wondrous start and rallying finish to twin Bledisloe tests.

Plenty of peaks but too many dips and everyone needed to lift their game.

Hansen was in full noise as he lauded Fifita and what he could do from the blindside flank for the All Blacks. It sounded like a new chapter of Shagology.

Was that praise intended to reach the ears of a certain Jerome Kaino who has returned to footy for Auckland, keep the heat on Liam Squire after two strong Bledisloe Cup tests or to tell the Hurricanes where they should play Fifita next season?

Fifita has put on weight and has all the physical gifts to cope with test rugby. He hits in the tackle, is effective at the breakdown and a strong lineout target with great speed.
Test rugby is very different especially at the start. Kaino, Victor Vito and many others discovered that.

The All Black trainers praise Fifita's statistics and Hansen added some trimmings. Sounds impressive but sightings of Fifita have been minimal for those living outside Wellington and he was not seen much in Super rugby.

For Hansen to suggest this guy is going to compare with the ilk of Kaino, Michael Jones orJerry Collins, is a staggering comment about a rookie. It's unlike Hansen to burden any player with that sort of comparison until they are seasons deep into their test career.
Perhaps Fifita reacts better or only reacts when he is put under pressure, either that or the messages were meant for other ears.

The last time an All Black coaching crew delivered that sort of endorsement for a new player was in 2005 when the rave notices went out about Isaia Toeava. He played 35 All Black games but injury and his versatility meant his impact never matched the early rhetoric.