New Zealand Rugby

Sonny Bill Williams has not even returned to New Zealand rugby yet, but the predictable controversy has begun earlier than expected. In a decision that seems to embody hypocrisy, the NZRU has granted him an exemption, as per the New Zealand Herald.

The exemption will allow Williams to go on the All Blacks' end of year tour without having first played in the ITM Cup at the conclusion of the NRL season, should his Roosters team advance to the Grand Final. It is a decision which contradicts the policy of only picking players who are playing within New Zealand, which the NZRU has adhered to so strictly in the past.

Yet for whatever reason, Williams seems to be above this.

There is probably no other player who could claim this sort of power over the NZRU. Indeed the policy and lure of the black jersey is the main incentive for New Zealand's top players to remain in the country and not chase the greater money on offer overseas.

Even Richie McCaw and Dan Carter have not been above the protocol. Both were granted sabbaticals in their latest contracts, and that was controversial as it was. Bending the rules to allow them to play overseas and still represent the All Blacks was nearly unthinkable.

The irony of it all is that granting Williams this exemption allows him to do exactly what the policy was supposed to stop. He is a renowned code-hopper and this exception will only encourage him to continue. Now it is clear that the NZRU does not object to allowing him to playing in the NRL as well as for the All Blacks.

Not only is he not currently playing in New Zealand, he is not even currently playing rugby union.

If you will allow Williams to play, then why not someone like Shaun Johnson? Like Williams, Johnson is one of the stars of the NRL, but at least he plies his trade in New Zealand.

Consider the position they took on the stance in 2011. With no obvious back-up to Carter for the World Cup in New Zealand, they did not allow the selectors to pick Nick Evans, who was playing in England. 

When Carter went down injured, no exception was made and the All Blacks soldiered on with the inexperienced Colin Slade, with the even less experienced Aaron Cruden behind him.

Slade subsequently went down and another replacement was needed. But still the NZRU did not budge. 

They were prepared to risk losing a World Cup at home rather than make an exemption to their policy of not picking foreign-based players.

The same could be said about Carl Hayman. While the NZRU made every effort to get him back to New Zealand to prop the All Black scrum for the World Cup, they would not grant the man an exemption to remain in Europe and don the black jersey at the same time.

There is no denying Williams' abilities and potential. But his importance to the All Blacks is not the same as that of what Hayman or Evans would have been to the 2011 edition.

Why then grant him the exemption? 

The man has not played rugby union for two years. There are no guarantees he will come back on top of his game. In fact, it is likely he will not. He will need a transition period to re-acquaint himself with the game. What better place to do this than the ITM Cup?

In his last stint in New Zealand rugby union, he was hardly a superstar on the field. He had a good final six months, but prior to that, was no more than a fringe player for the All Blacks.

With the Chiefs in 2012 he excelled and carried that form through to the first few All Blacks games, before departing. During this period he was running off Cruden well, taking the ball to the line and using his offload selectively.

Prior to this, though, he was inconsistent and tended to go into a shell in the big games. Nowhere was this seen more than in the Port Elizabeth encounter with the Springboks. Here, he rarely took the ball to the line. His entire game seemed to consist of shovelling the ball onto Richard Kahui and his inability to throw the long pass to the right was exposed.

At the World Cup he was used sparingly in the big games, with Ma'a Nonu being preferred.

When he comes back, who is to say that it will be the player of 2011 that emerges, rather than the player of 2012?

Of course 2012 showed what he is capable of. But he left too early to allow anyone to determine whether it was a true reflection of his ability, or simply a run of good form.

The other thing to consider is whose place he would be taking if the selectors take the NZRU up on the exception.

Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Malakai Fekitoa and Ryan Crotty have all proven themselves and are all playing good rugby. You could hardly justify dropping one of them to bring in someone who has not even been playing the sport for the past two years.

This is not to say that Williams does not have a place in the setup. He merely needs to prove that he is better than one of the incumbents before he is picked. This means playing in the ITM Cup and Super Rugby and earning his position, just like everyone else had to.

The selectors may go down this road. However, it seems strange that the NZRU would go out of their way to grant an exception if they were not intending to choose him. Indeed, it is more the fact that they granted the exemption in the first place that is the issue. 

No one player is bigger than the game or the All Black jersey. Think of all the legends who bled for it. All in the name of upholding its honour.

By allowing someone to walk straight into that same jersey just does not seem right. It cheapens it and is disrespectful to all who wore it before and all who have strived, but failed, to wear it. 

There is no doubt Williams is a talented individual who will work hard at his game. But he should have to prove himself once more before he reclaims his spot in the All Blacks lineup.

If he really is deserving, he will be back in black sooner rather than later. 

Australia were soundly beaten by New Zealand in Game 2 of the 2014 Bledisloe Cup. To be more accurate, the Qantas Wallabies received an almighty thumping from the fearsome All Blacks.

New Zealand stomped on the Australians by the mammoth score of 51-20, thanks to a breathtaking display of rugged, attacking rugby that produced six tries. The team's Twitter account rightly displayed the final score with some swagger:

The key to the rout was the tremendous pace of play set by the All Blacks. That pace was obvious from the start during a frenetic first half.

New Zealand already led 23-6  at the end of the first half, with Julian Savea scoring the first try of the match after 31 minutes. The Wallabies had taken the lead right from the kick-off through a Kurtley Beale penalty, but Aaron Cruden leveled things inside of six minutes.

Cruden kept converting his penalties and he was given a penalty try after Australia failed to deal with a New Zealand pushover after 28 minutes, and when Savea scored three minutes later, the match appeared to be over.

In fact, it was only just beginning. 10 crazy minutes gave the All Blacks three consecutive tries in quick succession, courtesy of Kieran Read and captain Richie McCaw, who redeemed himself after an early stint in the sin bin with two scores.

Israel Folau and Michael Hooper reduced the deficit with two Australian tries, and Steven Luatua put the final score on the board in the last minute.

Play was scrappy but open. The scrappy side was made clear when New Zealand skipper McCaw was sent to the sin bin for only the second time in his career, following a cynical challenge, per ESPN Scrum:

McCaw's infraction was symptomatic of some early ill-discipline from the All Blacks. However, much as in Game 1, the Wallabies couldn't take advantage of their 10 minutes against depleted numbers.

By contrast, the All Blacks were merciless once Australia's Ron Simmons was dispatched to the sin bin. As an indicator of how overtly physical the early stages were, eight penalties were awarded before a quarter of the half had been played.

The open nature of the half meant the first scrum didn't occur until just after the 25-minute mark.

An open game suited the pace the All Blacks unleashed on Australia. The foundation of their fast-break approach was dominance of the offloads.

New Zealand had completed 15 successful offloads by half-time, compared with Australia's meagre two, per Ruckin Good stats. While the Wallabies often buckled under initial contact, the All Blacks routinely found ways to free the ball:

A great example came early in the second half, following a line collapse by New Zealand. That allowed a clever Wallabies dropkick to pin the All Blacks deep.

However, it took just four passes and one offload for New Zealand to break across more half the length of the pitch. The speed of the All Blacks' transitions was just too much for Australia to cope with, something noted by Rugby World reporter Paul Williams:

There was still time for a brave and laudable, albeit brief rally from the Wallabies. A pair of scores in quick succession didn't exactly promote dreams of a miracle comeback, but did at least salvage a little pride.

The highlight of the mini rally was a dazzling solo effort from flanker Michael Hooper:

Ultimately, though, it wasn't enough to overturn the extent of the damage New Zealand had inflicted earlier. The All Blacks capped things late on after Steven Luatua scored his first Test try following a late scrum after a line-out.

That meant Australia left Eden Park on the back of another heavy defeat, while the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup. The result is a painful reminder to the Wallabies that the All Blacks are still the dominant force in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie may regret indulging in an open game and trying to match New Zealand's forward play. Australia now has to deal with the indignity of being outpaced and outfought by its fiercest rival.

Richie McCaw has been under more scrutiny this year than at any other time in his career. The All Black captain has been one of the most talked about players after the weekend's draw with Australia, with many pundits claiming that he was outplayed, once again, by his opposite, Michael Hooper.

People will see what they want to see, though. To suggest that McCaw's performance on Saturday was anything but sensational would be underselling his contribution. The three-time world player of the year is still the best openside flanker in the world, let alone his own country.

He may no longer be the player he was in the early years of his career. During the first half of his career he made a name for himself as a breakdown specialist, a good link-player and one who would get around the field quickly. He was very much a classical openside flanker.

As he has grown older and the game has developed, he has changed this approach. He is now a physical player in contact, one who still makes a ton of tackles but also doubles as a strong ball-carrier and is becoming a reasonable option in the middle of the line-out. While he can still pull off the occasional piece of mastery at the breakdown, he is more selective as to when he commits and this is no longer the only staple of his game.

His speed is not what it was, but his anticipatory ability makes up for that. He is a player that will see things before they happen and can cover for the mistakes of others. There are few more intelligent players in the game, both in the lines he runs and in his understanding of the rules, having an uncanny knack of knowing when a ruck has formed and when it has not.

You cannot underestimate his toughness, either. It is rare you will see him go down. When he does he will more often than not get straight back up and he will not let it deter him from going back for more.

Just because his game has changed, does not mean that he is any less effective. 

On Saturday night he was once again the busiest player on the park. His 20 tackles was the most of anyone in the game and shows just how involved he was on defence. In the first half he was particularly prominent, tackling like a demon, getting through twice as much work as anyone else.

Some will point to the penalties he conceded. There is no denying that this is a big black mark against his name. But he should not be written off based on this.

Inevitably there are times when players will make the wrong decision, especially when they have to be made in a split-second. McCaw is no exception. It is worth considering that the All Blacks found themselves on defence for large periods of the second half, too.

During these periods, sometimes you have to take a risk or two to get your team out of trouble. With McCaw being the best breakdown exponent on his team, it was natural that he was the one that would look to take the chance.

Does that mean that he should be blamed for giving away the penalty? If his team had not been on the back foot he most likely would not have found himself in the position where the risk was needed. Surely this needs to be considered as well.

No one got through more work and no one was more important in the All Blacks' brilliant defensive effort than McCaw. While Hooper was more prominent on attack, he was playing outside a pack who were more dominant in the second half and consequently had more ball to work with.

McCaw played a tighter game. The horrible conditions dictated this, as they made it tough for expansive rugby. Seeing as Kieran Read was standing wider, it was hardly prudent to have two loose forwards ranging in this way in these conditions. 

The physicality he brings to the game makes him just as effective playing this way as he is when playing a looser game. No other openside flanker in world rugby can claim to possess the ability to play both styles to the level of McCaw. He is more physical and more aggressive than the others.

This is not to say that others cannot do it well. Hooper no doubt has more than one string to his bow, with an adept running game, along with his strong defensive game and tireless work-rate. But he is largely a player who will flourish in the loose. 

Sam Warburton is a very good defensive player and breakdown specialist, but he is nowhere near McCaw's level in the tight and does not have the same running game. 

Sean O'Brien is perhaps the next best, an aggressive player, who is a strong ball-carrier and has a real in-your-face type approach. Thierry Dusautoir, is in a similar mould, although he has a higher defensive work rate.

There are undoubtedly some good openside flankers around at the moment. But McCaw's versatility makes him the most valuable.

Not only can he play to different game plans, it gives the selectors more flexibility in who to pick around him, knowing that McCaw can fill multiple roles.

The All Blacks are no longer at a stage where they are as reliant on McCaw as they were five years ago. Sam Cane has emerged as a genuinely good back-up, tackling, running and exploiting the breakdown like a young McCaw did. But he does not have the physical presence of McCaw.

Bringing him into the team would shift the balance of the loose forwards. They would become far looser and would not allow Kieran Read to range the way he does so effectively.

Aside from his versatility, McCaw brings experience and leadership capabilities that cannot be coached in the short-term. He has won everything there is to win in the game and knows how to deal with tough situations. These will be as important as anything going into next year's World Cup. 

The idea that he is over the hill has little substance. 

He has changed his game. There is still no openside flanker in world rugby who can match his versatility, intelligence, experience and leadership. He is still as good as any in the world and remains an important cog in the All Blacks machine going forward.

The All Blacks have named a strong and largely predictable team to take on the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship opener in Sydney this weekend.

It is a team that is close to full strength, with only Tony Woodcock and Dan Carter unavailable through injury.

The most notable omission is that of Israel Dagg. He sees his spot taken by the brilliant Ben Smith in what was an inevitable move. Smith has been the form fullback in New Zealand rugby for the past two seasons, while Dagg has been underwhelming and not captured the form he showed in 2010 and 2011. 

Dagg has no doubt been living on reputation over the past two years, but this can only last so long. Perhaps his time has come to prove that he is indeed still worthy of being an All Black.

Smith's form has been so good in recent years that he simply cannot be left out. Three years ago, Dagg was in a similar situation. To get back into the team, he will need to find form that makes him a must-have once again.

Picking Smith at fullback means Cory Jane fills the right-wing spot, while the damaging Julian Savea starts on the left wing. Together they make up the most dangerous back three in the world, one which has few flaws, being just as strong defensively as on attack.

The midfield has a familiar look to it, with Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith pairing once again. Inside them Aaron Smith and Aaron Cruden form the No. 9 and No. 10 jerseys.

Cruden fills the spot vacated by Carter, although this is far from the issue it was three years ago. Carter is not of absolute importance to the All Blacks any more and his injury vulnerability in recent years has meant Cruden has had plenty of experience playing test rugby. In this time Cruden has proven himself more than capable of performing at this level and will set the back line alight with his ability to put his outside men into gaps.

Up front they have named a tough, hard-working forward pack which will look to take the game to the Australians. It is nothing new to suggest that the way to beating Australian teams is to beat them in the physical contest. Yet it still rings true.

They have a dangerous back line that are tough to shut down should they be given space and quick ball. To counter this, you have to be aggressive at the breakdown and tackle areas. In doing this, you slow their ball and stop them getting it on the front foot.

The All Blacks have named a forward pack which is more than capable of doing this. Their loose-forward trio of Kieran Read, Richie McCaw and Jerome Kaino are all capable of playing a physical game in close, while also possessing the skills and running game to be a threat ranging out wider.

In Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick they have two hard-working locks who rarely stop and are arguably the best locking duo in the game right now.

The only question mark remains over Wyatt Crockett at loose-head prop. There is no doubt he is a mobile prop who is strong in contact, but he has struggled in the scrum at this level in the past. This is such a key area and cannot be overlooked. Conceding scrum penalties can lose games and failure to set a strong platform limits how effective the rest of the team can be.

With him in the front row is the hard-nosed Owen Franks and ever-improving Dane Coles. Coles in particular has come a long way and showed himself to be a top player during the June tests against England. He has developed from being a good ball runner who is good in the loose, to a player who is also highly involved defensively and makes his tackles.

The bench springs a few surprises. There was no room for Liam Messam, with Steven Luatua being preferred as he also offers cover at lock. This has freed up a spot for Sam Cane to fill.

Ben Franks makes a return after struggling to make the 23 in recent times and is joined by young Crusaders tight-head Joe Moody. Keven Mealamu adds experience and will undoubtedly be called upon at some stage in the second half.

The three backs are all players who can come on and make an impact. TJ Perenara is a strong running scrum-half, while Beauden Barrett is fast and has a great eye for a gap. Malakai Fekitoa looks set to cover both the midfield and the wing, a hard-running player who was a revelation in this year's Super Rugby competition and impressed in his outings against England.

It will take a top effort from the Wallabies to beat this team. They are capable of doing it though and they have come a long way since this time last year. Despite this, you can be sure the All Blacks will enter as firm favourites.

There is currently a logjam in the All Blacks back three. They boast five quality options in Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Charles Piutau and Julian Savea. All would walk into any other international team. But the All Blacks cannot play them all. It is a good problem to have, but no one seems to be able to agree just what the best combination is. 

Savea has to be the first player to fill one of the spots. It is not that he is any better than the others, but he brings different things. While the others will beat you with speed, skill and vision, Savea can also beat you with strength and power. He is an option to come into the line to crash the ball and attract defenders. On the outside, he can finish with little room and knows how to find his way to the try line.

He will fill the left wing spot. Not only is this obviously his preferred wing, it also requires him to field less high kicks. Kicking down the left wingers side provides a more awkward angle for right-footed kickers, meaning they will tend to place their kicks down the other wing more accurately and will look to kick up this line more often.

Undoubtedly he has improved under the high ball. He is no longer a liability in this area and you can remain reasonably confident he will take whatever is sent in his direction. But the other options are just better in this department. Naturally they should be positioned where their skill sets will be employed better.

The second player that must be picked is Ben Smith. He has been the form outside back of Super Rugby over the past two years and deserves a place. The only question is: Where should he play?

Some will claim that Smith is a better fullback than wing. Others may point to his versatility and play him wherever he fits, depending on whether they would rather have Jane or Dagg alongside him.

The best approach should be to not look at one or the other, but to look at which is the best overall option, even if it means playing an individual in a position where he may be slightly less effective.

There are merits in both combinations. Dagg undoubtedly has the best boot of the three. He posses a long punt and is capable of executing it under immense pressure on his own goal line. The All Blacks have used this many a time in recent years to get themselves out of trouble, often opting for the boot of Dagg over Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden or Beauden Barrett.

His attacking abilities are well-known, although he has struggled in this department over the past two years. While he will still show glimpses of his ability to break the line and create chances, he does not do so with the same consistency of 2010 or 2011.

Defensively, he is the weakest of the group too. When covering, he does not have as good positional play as Smith, while also falling off too many tackles too easily.

Despite his drawbacks, he is still a quality option. He will take the bombs sent his way, he attracts the attention of the defence and is capable of putting on a kicking masterclass.

Smith's strengths come in his ability with ball in hand. He has an adequate boot, but for the most part, he is a player you want to see running the ball. His eye for a gap, speed off the mark and ability to step out of tackles make him the most dangerous counter-attacking player in the world.

From fullback he is able to constantly threaten, coming in to the line off set-play and having more room on the counter. On the wing, he is undoubtedly a good finisher, but he does not have the same room to work with, and his abilities are largely wasted.

As a defensive player, he works hard and is the best tackler of the group, both in the line and when covering. Under the high ball, he is much improved as well. While he used to attack the ball aggressively, he had poor technique and rarely looked like actually catching it. Now, his eyes remain on the ball, his hands stay high and he uses his body and legs as a shield to create distance between himself and his opponent. 

It is a technique that has been a hallmark of Cory Jane's game over the past five years. No one is better than Jane under the high ball, and having him on your right wing is a great way negate an opposition who is going to try to apply pressure through a kicking game.

He is well and truly a right winger now, as opposed to a fullback. His best attribute is his left-hand fend, which is deadly when he gets on the outside. Along with this, he possesses a high skill level and still has the speed to both finish and set up tries.

The other option, of course, is Charles Piutau. Piutau is undoubtedly a class player. He's lethal when attacking from fullback and is a hard worker who will chase everything on the wing. But he is just not yet quite as good as the others, although he is not far away, and his time will come sooner rather than later.

So who should they choose?

Savea is the clear option on the left wing. Smith, meanwhile, is undoubtedly a better fullback than winger.

At fullback, he provides more spark than Dagg, and his class showed when he stepped into fullback for the second and third Tests against England in June. He may not have the same kicking game and perhaps not quite as good a skill set, but he remains better than most in both of these areas.

In contrast, Jane can do most of what Smith does on the wing. Smith is faster and more threatening, but Jane is better fielding bombs and has more experience playing the position, while still remaining a quality attacking player.

It depends on what type of game you want to play. The All Blacks should play to their strengths and look to set themselves apart from their opponents. To do this, they should make use of their attacking flair, quick ball and high skill level to constantly threaten.

Using this logic, the back three of Smith, Jane and Savea should be used first. This offers a good balance and allows them to get the most out of Smith.

Dagg can still be brought off the bench to add spark or to steady the ship in a tight game. 

The worst that is going to happen is they just revert back to using Dagg, Smith and Savea. 

It is worth a go. But in all honesty, they could choose any combination of their group of five, and they will have a back three to be feared by any opponent.

Legendary All Blacks prop Kevin Skinner passed away aged 86, as was reported by the Otago Daily Times on Monday. Throughout his career, Skinner forged a reputation as one of the hardest men to ever wear the black jersey and should be remembered as one of New Zealand's finest ever.

In Paul Verdon's 2001 book Tribute, a panel judged Skinner to be the 12th-greatest All Black of all time. Of the props, only Ken Gray rated higher than him. His ranking placed him ahead of other legends such as Sean Fitzpatrick, Jonah Lomu, Mark Nicholls and Kel Tremain.

Thirteen years on, that list would undoubtedly be somewhat different. A handful of the most recent generation of All Blacks are certainly worthy of inclusion. But Skinner remains one of the best and should be remembered as such.

He is one of the earliest in a long line of great New Zealand props. Johnny Simpson, Gray, Sir Wilson Whineray and Gary Knight all spring readily to mind, while more recently Olo Brown, Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock have staked their claims to join that pantheon of legends. 

While Gray is widely acclaimed to be the greatest prop New Zealand has ever produced, Skinner would certainly have to be at least the equal of any other man on that list. 

He is best remembered for his exploits in the 1956 series against the Springboks, where he was called out of retirement for the final two Tests to help deal with a physical South African front row. In these games, Skinner showed his versatility by playing on both sides of the scrum and gave the All Blacks a physical edge up front.

They would go on to win what is still remembered as one of the most significant series in New Zealand rugby history.

But Skinner was much more than this. That he was brought out of retirement mid-tour to toughen up the All Blacks front row shows the esteem he was held in. 

He was known as a strong man who was fearless going into contact. Scrum-wise he was able to pack down on both sides, while at kick-off time he was rock solid. In Skinner's time as a prop, he also had to act as a line-out jumper, as lifting was not permitted. Often they were used as an option at the front, and Skinner was one who excelled in this role.

When he retired he had played more games for the All Blacks than anyone else, with 63, including 20 Tests, surpassing Maurice Brownlie's record of 61.

After the 1949 tour to South Africa, Springbok No. 8 Hennie Muller called the front row of Skinner, Simpson and Has Catley the best he had ever played against.

Not only does he compare with the great props of New Zealand rugby, but also with the greatest hard men to wear the black jersey.

In an era where the strong, tough, enforcer was considered key, Skinner was one of the best and is remembered as such. He performed a similar role to that of Ken Gray a decade later, while Brownlie, Buck Shelford, Mark Shaw and Colin Meads could also be used as comparisons. His performances in 1956 confirmed his standing alongside these great hard men, and perhaps he even surpasses them in some people's eyes.

When making a mythical All Blacks team drawing on any player from any era, Skinner would certainly go close to filling one of the propping roles.

Gray is commonly seen among these teams, and rightly so. He possessed many of the same qualities as Skinner and is endorsed as one of the strongest men to ever pull on the black jersey. Like Skinner, he could also play both sides of the scrum, was a great No. 2 line-out jumper and was the perennial hard man on his teams.

For the other position it would perhaps depend on what type of player you wanted. If looking for a powerful scrummager, one might perhaps look at an Olo Brown or Carl Hayman. Someone looking for a more skilful, open-field player might be more inclined to go for Whineray.

But if simply looking for someone to work hard and gain a physical edge, it would be hard to go past Skinner. Imagine him and Gray in a front row on either side of Fitzpatrick. You would be hard-pressed to come up with a tougher, more intimidating front row than that anywhere.

With time, many have surpassed his records. Sixty-three games is no longer close to the most appearances for the All Blacks, while 20 Tests can be reached in less than two years. The likes of Meads and Shelford have come and gone, filling the same role of enforcer he once filled.

But time cannot change what he did on the field. A true hard man of the black jersey who deserves to be remembered along with the very best to have ever pulled it on. 

New Zealand have agreed to play a pre-World Cup 2015 Test match in Apia, Samoa. It will be the first time that the All Blacks have played a Test in the Pacific Islands in the professional era. But does New Zealand rugby, which has profited from Samoan-born players, owe Samoa this match?

The answer is that New Zealand should play the Pacific Island nations away anyway. If New Zealand are playing a Test against the USA in Chicago prior to their European tour this autumn, they can certainly play Samoa. But this is about respecting Samoa as a rugby nation, not the fulfilling of a charitable act.

New Zealand have benefitted from numerous high-quality players from the Pacific Islands. From Samoa in particular, they have valued the services of the likes of flanker Michael Jones, fellow back-rowers Pat Lam and Jerry Collins, and winger ‘Inga’ Tuigamala.

Less known, however, are the Kiwis who have represented Samoa. Stade Francais full-back Paul Williams, son of 38-cap All Black Bryan Williams is one, and Northampton’s scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i is another.

But whilst it is important to note that New Zealand-born players have represented Pacific Islands, these are not players the All Blacks miss, whereas they have gained world-class talent from Samoa.

New Zealand have a duty to play in Samoa. In the disparate world of rugby-playing nations, they are geographically proximate and efforts should be made to develop rugby around the globe.

But this duty is not as a result of Samoan-born players representing New Zealand. Whilst protection from poaching players once they have developed into stars should be provided, the International Rugby Board (IRB) and the rugby community cannot reverse trends in global migration.

A more worrying case is that of 5-cap Steffon Armitage, who, after an England exile because of his move to Toulon, may play for France in the 2015 World Cup in England. In this case, Armitage has already played for England and learnt his trade at London Irish. That would be poaching a player, and the IRB ought to step in.

Other top-tier nations should help grow the sport. For example, in 2013, England played against a CONSUR “South America XV” featuring players from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil prior to their two-match series in Argentina. Similarly, it is good for the sport that New Zealand are preparing for their 2014 European tour with an admittedly lucrative match against the USA.

Adding to the debate of integrating the Pacific Islands more into world rugby, today British and Irish Lions legend Brian O’Driscoll called on the iconic touring team to play a warm-up match there before the 2017 New Zealand series. The idea was well-received by the IRB’s Oceania General Manager William Glenwright, as per MSN Sports:

Rugby is so important to the fabric of the three Pacific Island nations and the strength of the brands of teams like the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Lions is so strong that to have those countries touring the Pacific Islands sends a message that they matter, that they are an important part of world rugby - and they are.

But, as Matt Butler of The Independent writes: “The decision to play in the Samoan capital Apia has not been taken purely out of altruism. It will form a crucial part of New Zealand’s preparations for their World Cup defence”. In many respects, that is exactly how it should be.

It is astonishing to think that this will be the first time New Zealand will play a Test Match in Fiji, Samoa or Tonga in the professional era. It is long overdue, but it is a good step for the development of our great sport. This is important, but New Zealand do not owe Samoa a Test match out of charity: Samoa deserve it.

In 2012 when Andy Ellis' name was missing from the All Blacks squad to play Ireland in the June tests, there were many pundits shaking their heads. Having been the form scrum-half in New Zealand for the season up until that point, it was hard to see what else he could have done to have his name read out.

Two years later, not much has changed. He is still one of the top scrum-halves in the country, and yet he is still unable to win back that elusive black jersey.

After being part of the 2011 World Cup winning All Black team, Ellis was tipped by many to become the first-choice No. 9 for the 2012 season. Jimmy Cowan was looking past his best while Piri Weepu had returned unfit and failed to recapture the form that made him one of the World Cup's best players.

Yet it was suggested that the All Blacks wanted to look to the future, meaning Ellis was surplus to requirements.

Certainly Aaron Smith had emerged as a fine player, and he fully deserved his selection, but to select Weepu ahead of Ellis made little sense. At the same age as Ellis, Weepu could hardly be seen as a more youthful prospect, while his form and fitness simply had not been good enough. Weepu never really made an impact for the All Blacks that year and has not been sighted for them since.

Yet despite Ellis' continuing good form, it was Tawera Kerr-Barlow and later TJ Perenara who were preferred to play the role of back-up to Aaron Smith in 2013.

One really has to question why this is. Of course Kerr-Barlow and Perenara have both been solid in their appearances for the All Blacks, but neither has the experience and the all-round game of Ellis.

Even Aaron Smith had his short-comings in last year's Super Rugby competition, and it has only been in the past six months he has emerged as the clear No. 1. His selection was, of course, understandable, as his fast-pass sniping ability and support play fit well into the up-tempo All Black game plan.

Kerr-Barlow and Perenara, though, do not have this going for them any more than Ellis does. Kerr-Barlow has the best running game of the contenders, while Perenara is a mature player for his age with strength and a cool head.

Ellis, though, remains the best all-round player of the lot. He is tidy, rarely makes mistakes and takes good options. His pass is second to only Aaron Smith's. While his kicking game is strong, his intelligence is high and his running game good enough.

With only one year to go until the World Cup, he is still playing good rugby. The fear that he was perhaps too old after the last one has not yet been realised, and it would have seemed prudent to give him a chance after a string of good performances.

This has not happened, as the selectors persist with the inexperienced Perenara and the inconsistent Kerr-Barlow. 

Last week it was reported by Richard Knowler of Stuff.co.nz that Ellis has taken up a contract to play in Japan later this year, meaning he will miss Canterbury's ITM Cup campaign. 

Yet the man indicated that he would return to New Zealand to play Super Rugby in 2015 and make one last bid to get to the World Cup. It is hard to see his form deteriorating too much in the space of 12 months, given his consistency over his career. Surely the selectors must at least be looking at him as an option. It shows that he at least still has the desire to represent his country.

Despite this, it will not be a surprise if he is not included in the team. It is beginning to become more common for players to get pigeon-holed like this. Ellis was thought of as too old in 2012, when the reality is he is still amongst the best in the country in 2014.

We see it time and again: Some players seem to be given multiple chances, while others do not. Victor Vito springs readily to mind as one who was dropped after doing little wrong, as does Ben Franks who has been arguably the best of the New Zealand loosehead props in Super Rugby.

Compare these to the likes of Israel Dagg, Ma'a Nonu and Tony Woodcock, who have been persisted with despite some indifferent form over the past three years.

Perhaps you could argue that experience counts, as the All Black selectors have made it well-known that they are loyal to their players. Yet Ellis boasts the experience of 26 Tests and two World Cups, which would be invaluable to this All Black side, who are yet to find a definite No. 2 scrum-half.

You could call him the forgotten man, the unlucky man or perhaps the overlooked man of New Zealand rugby. With a year to go, though, there is still time to get him in the mix for the World Cup, but you have to ask: What else must the man do to convince those who count that he is good enough?