Blues flyhalf Otere Black
Renee McKay / Getty Images
- The competition is fierce, but the Blues’ Otere Black is inching toward pivot consideration for NZ at Test level.
- Lanky Pari Pari Parkinson of the Highlanders was integral to a sterling Highlanders tight-five effort against the Chiefs.
- All Black wing Rieko Ioane looks more and more comfortable in the No 13 channel; he had a “Super Sunday”.
New Zealand have an enviably strong flyhalf cupboard already … but the time shouldn’t be too far away when the rising figure of Otere Black joins that mix.
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The 25-year-old’s polish and purpose in the channel played a major role in the Blues’ stirring 30-20 disposal of the Hurricanes in a cracking Super Rugby Aotearoa match at near-full Eden Park on Sunday.
Amidst several high-calibre candidates from a decent opening weekend to the all-New Zealand version of the competition, Black earns my premier rating from the two matches witnessed.
Here are the recipients of “gold, silver and bronze medals” I eventually opted for:
GOLD: OTERE BLACK (Blues)
Yes, leapfrogging the likes of Beauden Barrett – now a versatile team-mate in Auckland – and Richie Mo’unga of the Crusaders is a tall order.
That said, Black is the youngest of the three, so increasingly a “future factor” for the All Blacks; he demonstrated that on Sunday.
There would have been appreciable pre-match pressure on the lean pivot to produce the goods, with star signing (from the beaten Hurricanes foes, of course) and established flyhalf genius Barrett installed at No 15 instead for his Blues debut.
Yet Black, himself once based at the Cake Tin, gave a nerveless and authoritative display, hailed in TV commentary by 100-cap All Black great Mils Muliaina for his “excellent game management and control”.
How the Blues handle the dilemma over Barrett v Black for the No 10 chore remains to be seen, although it is a pleasant, constructive enough one … remember that electric runner Barrett saw abundant service in the last line of defence for NZ on major dates at the 2019 World Cup.
The other significant development on Sunday was Black’s deadeye-accurate contribution off the tee – not always an area where NZ-based place-kickers consistently thrive.
He boasted a 100 record with six out of six at the posts, including an important trio of penalties between the 55th and 65th minutes that, perhaps more than anything, really took the game away from the ‘Canes.
SILVER: PARI PARI PARKINSON (Highlanders)
I felt Aaron Smith was masterful at scrumhalf, too … but you kind of expect that from the seasoned All Black incumbent, don’t you?
Much of what was good about the Dunedin-based side in their mild upsetting of the Chiefs on Saturday, though, came from the very heart of their engine room.
In that respect, Parkinson caught my eye often with his Eben Etzebeth-like physical commitment and no-frills work-rate for the home side.
Another No 4 lock, the Blues’ captain Patrick Tuipulotu had a forceful game a day later, but Parkinson sneaks ahead of him for this exercise: he aided a solid Highlanders lineout effort, and was at the fulcrum of the fierce mauls from that department that led to two tries.
Only 23, so with huge potential for further development, the 2.03m second-rower also won a second-half turnover during his 73-minute shift and reminded of his sharp offloading skills once or twice, into the bargain.
Is this “baby giraffe” (so branded by captain Ash Dixon recently) another Retallick in the making for All Black rugby?
BRONZE: RIEKO IOANE (Blues)
The near perfect-physique, 1.90m and 100kg-plus, Ioane has earned almost all of his 29 All Blacks on the wing … but his emergence as an outside centre this season only gathers pace.
There was much trumpeting after the Blues’ eye-catching win on Sunday about what a prospect young powerhouse Caleb Clarke – son of Auckland icon Eroni – looked on the left wing.
He scored a well rounded-off try, too: but primarily because of some sublime lead-up work by Ioane, wearing the No 13 jersey.
Ioane’s clean break and awesome, bamboozling shift of weight in his legs teed up the Clarke dot-down and there were other instances where he was the key last passer in thrilling backline raids toward the chalk by the Blues.
While not the finished article yet in midfield defence, he presents a naturally stout obstacle in that department, and has presumably been at very least “interested” by Ryan Crotty’s international retirement (he played at outside centre in the bronze playoff victory over Wales) after RWC 2019.
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
