2021 SKIPPER SAM and AWESOME ARDIE
By most other country’s standards the All Blacks have had a good year
They played 15 tests and won 12 of those. That’s an 86% win rate for the year. During it they smashed Six Nations champions Wales 54-16, beat Australia in three consecutive tests to retain the Bledisloe Cup, and won the Rugby Championship beating Argentina twice and sharing the spoils with World Champions South Africa.
They did most of that on the road with the All Blacks playing 10 tests outside New Zealand from September 12 through to November 21.
Along the way we witnessed the rise of Dalton Papali’i and Ethan Blackadder as test-standard loose forwards, the return from injury of Sam Cane and Dane Coles, and the emergence of the attacking class of Will Jordan and the highly impressive hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho.
Jordie Barrett also established himself as the All Blacks’ best fullback but there is little clarity around whether his brother Beauden or Richie Mo’unga is the better first five, though Barrett finished with his nose in front as the preferred pivot.
Rieko Ioane wants to be a centre, but is a better wing, and what’s not up for debate is that he has to
