New Zealand Rugby

Sonny Bill Williams should have to prove himself at a reasonable level before being reinstated into the All Blacks setup.

A recent report by Gregor Paul of the New Zealand Herald suggested that he is in consideration for selection for the end-of-year tour, as the midfield back is set to return to Rugby Union later in the year. This is clearly not a done deal though, as All Blacks coach Steve Hansen still appears unsure as to whether picking the superstar would be the right move.

Ultimately there should be no reservations regarding Williams’ selection as long as he has proven himself capable of playing the game once more.

Having signed with Counties Manukau for the ITM Cup, he will have a chance to make a case prior to the squad’s announcement. However, one must question whether this is adequate preparation for a man who has not played the game for two years.

It would certainly seem more prudent to let him find his feet once again in the ITM Cup without the added pressure. This would give him the summer to evaluate his game, then the chance to return to the All Blacks if his Super Rugby performances warrant it next year.

There is, after all, no guarantee he will be an instant superstar upon his return. Having played with National Rugby League’s Sydney Roosters for the past two seasons, he has shown that his skill and athletic levels remain high. His offload is as good as ever, as is his ability to hit gaps, and he remains a strong ball-carrier.

However, the two games are not directly transferable, and the tactics and decision-making processes are vastly different. He will need to readjust to the mentality required for Rugby Union, notably by being able to recognize when to offload and when not to, something it took him time to learn last time. He will also have to fit back into the defensive patterns of Rugby Union, which could take some time.

That is not to say this will take time; he may slot back in just fine. But given he has been playing a different game for two years, it is only natural to expect that he may need a transition period, although a shorter one than last time.

Even then, the All Blacks must ask if they really need him. In his last stint in the 15-man game, Williams only really began to find his feet in his final six months. During this time he was playing outside Aaron Cruden at the Chiefs and looked impressive for it. Cruden’s ability to put men into holes suited Williams well, while the dangerous Chiefs outside backs and strong-linking loose forwards ran off him well for the offload.

Up until this point though, he had really looked like a Rugby League player playing Rugby Union. He had a lot of potential, and while at times he could look a million dollars, against a stronger team he had a tendency to go into a shell.

The key to his game is to take the ball to the line. That is when he is so dangerous, as he not only attracts defenders but gives himself the chance to offload to someone hitting the line at pace. He had a tendency to not do this against top opposition, however, often looking to pass the ball on. While this is not always a bad thing, a player like Williams needs to be aggressive at times to get the best value out of his game.

His appearances with the All Blacks were not always those of a superstar. While he was indeed outstanding in his five appearances in 2012, up until that point he never really convinced against genuinely strong opposition. 

At the 2011 World Cup he was no more than a minor player who was lucky to win a spot on the bench. There were moments of brilliance, but when it came to the crunch matches he was hardly sighted, and it was Ma’a Nonu who was trusted.

These things should all be in the All Blacks selector’s minds. Perhaps the key question to ask is whether the 2012 Williams was a true reflection of the man or just someone on a run of good form. Unfortunately, he left the country before this question could truly be answered and thus needs to prove himself before walking straight back into the black jersey.

It is not as if there is a shortage of talent in the All Blacks midfield. Conrad Smith is clearly the best outside centre in the country, while Malakai Fekitoa has impressed enough to be the backup.

This means that Williams will not be seen as a serious option here and will go solely up against the inside centres for their positions.

Nonu has given some indifferent performances at Super Rugby level over the past four years but despite niggling injuries has still been solid enough for the All Blacks.

Defensively he is as good as any, and his experience in the position is something that cannot be taught, much like his longtime partnership with Conrad Smith. Assuming he can keep his body intact for another year, he will be one of the inside centres to go to next year’s World Cup.

The second selection is less clear, and it may yet be Williams who fills that position. However, Ryan Crotty has come on well over the past couple of years and has done his job in his appearances for the All Blacks. He is a strong ball-carrier who runs good angles to break the line while also being strong defensively with a fairly safe skill set.

His game does not possess quite the same flair as Williams’ but is not necessarily any worse. Again, this is not to say that Williams should not be picked, only that there is no need to rush him back. If he is good enough, he will get a chance to prove it next year.

It would seem unlikely that he will be used as an option in the outside backs as he was in 2011. With Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Cory Jane, Charles Piutau and Julian Savea, there simply is not room for him there. Even so, he has yet to prove he has the fundamentals to play there and has not yet played on the wing against an opposition that will constantly bomb him and test him that way.

There is still a long time to go and plenty of rugby to be played before next year’s World Cup. The man they call SBW will have ample time to prove himself up to the standard of All Blacks rugby before then. He is not a player who needs to be rushed back, nor one who should be.

If he is good enough he will be an All Black again soon enough. You really can't put it more simply than that.

When news broke that Dan Carter would miss the remainder of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, it was something of a national tragedy in New Zealand. The All Blacks were amidst a home World Cup campaign with the need to win greater than ever, having not hoisted the trophy since 1987.

Carter was seen as integral to that campaign, and to lose him with no obvious back-up left many pundits thinking the worst. 

It is hard to believe how far New Zealand's next tier of fly-halves have come since then. But come that far they have, and now with arguably the greatest depth in the position of any country in the world, there is a legitimate question of whether Carter remains the first choice.

The two obvious back-ups, who have performed impressively over the past two seasons, are Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett. Both have been forced to fill in for the No. 10 jersey and have shown themselves to be the equal of any other fly-half in the world. 

Along with these two, Colin Slade is playing the best rugby of his career, Lima Sopoaga is maturing into a reliable kicker and playmaker, while Tom Taylor showed his worth in his one test outing last season.

But with this increase in depth, one must ask where this leaves Carter as the sun sets on what has been a fantastic career.

Certainly when he is on the field and at his best, none of these men come close to Carter. His all-round game is still a couple of notches above his competition, and it is this that has made him such a valuable asset over the years.

He is the only fly-half in New Zealand who can confidently steer a team around the park at international level. His in-field kicking is superb, capable both of kicking short for his chasers to compete for when it is on, but also kicking long and getting the ball to roll and turn around the defenders to allow his chasers to apply pressure when the opposition back three is standing too shallow.

Not only this, he has the ability to recognize when to do each, realizing that a successful kicking game is one that utilises the space available to manipulate the opposition defenders to create space elsewhere. This then allows an attack to be built.

His ability to sum a situation up quickly remains the best in the world too, recognizing when and where to kick, pass and run. He does a good job of recognizing holes and defensive mismatches, knowing when to take the line on, and his strength makes him so hard to bring down when he does decide to go.

Defensively he has the best technique of them all and goes looking for tackles to make, meaning the defensive line can be more flexible in how it organizes itself. This allows the forwards to spread out across the field more and can save an extra man having to get into position, thus meaning they stay fresher for longer.

The problem is, the frequency of when we see this Carter is becoming less and less. At the end of last year's Super Rugby competition, we saw just how good a player he still is, playing arguably as well as he has ever done.

But since then, he has been hampered by injury, making just six performances for the All Blacks, where he never really got his best game going. Having been sidelined for most of the latter part of 2013 and having taken a sabbatical for the first six months of this year, he will return having seen little rugby in the past year. Just how consistently he will be able to play at his best remains the integral question.

In the meantime, Cruden and Barrett have both taken giant steps in becoming what many would consider world class. Initially both raw prospects who could ignite a backline, both men have become more assured in their kicking games and are getting a better feel for directing the game.

One need only look at the way the Chiefs' Super Rugby season has imploded since losing Cruden to injury to see his value to a team. When it comes to putting men into space, there is none better. He will take the ball to the defence and run lines to ensure his outsides are receiving the pass so they are hitting a gap.

Defensively, he is much improved from two years ago, while his kicking game has come a long way too, as was seen in his masterclass against France in the second Test last June.

Barrett, on the other hand, has the best running game of the lot. He picks his moment well and is tough to haul in when he decides to go, as he has tremendous speed and a keen eye for a gap. Kicking-wise he is improving too and looks to be controlling the Hurricanes play far better than he did in 2013. Defensively he still has questions to answer, but he is increasingly looking better in this area, and as has been shown over the past few years, there are ways to hide weak defenders in this position.

While it will provide the selectors with comfort to see Slade, Sopoaga and Taylor in such good form too, the reality is they tend to pick by what they have done before, so it will likely be one of the first three who gets the nod.

It really comes down to how much of an impact you see Carter's injuries as having. Whether he can hold himself together for another year and a half remains a huge question and will influence how the situation pans out. If he can slot back into the No. 10 jersey and play the rugby we all know he can, then he no doubt is the best option. But it is not as easy as that, as it often takes a number of good performances to play yourself into form and get up to the speed and physicality that test rugby demands.

Cruden, although currently injured, is younger and consequently far less injury-plagued, meaning he can hold the position down with more consistency. This will allow combinations to develop and form to develop. Likewise with Barrett, who is pushing ever closer to the jersey and may well be the first-choice fly-half for the June Test series against England.

It is a good problem for the All Black selectors to have, after such a lean period between 2008 and 2011. Four years on from that fateful day of Carter's injury in 2011, it could be any of the three who leave New Zealand as the team's No. 1 fly-half for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Barrett's running game may not flourish so much on the softer European grounds. However, his defensive game will also be less exposed. Cruden's ability to ignite his back line may be of less significance too but will still be vital in the All Blacks campaign.

A fit Carter would fit the bill perfectly. He has a year and a half to get himself back up to speed and to remain injury-free. Can he do it? That is the million dollar question and could be the most important one in determining the All Blacks' chances of a successful World Cup defence.

Sonny Bill Williams is set to return to New Zealand rugby in 2015, as was reported by the Otago Daily Times. The former All Black second five-eighth has signed a two-year deal with the Chiefs, which will see him once again compete for the No. 12 black jersey with incumbent Ma'a Nonu.

The move will be greeted with mixed feelings from many in New Zealand. While Williams is no doubt an outstanding athlete, who has great potential, his lack of long-term commitment to either rugby league or union means that neither can bargain on having him around in their systems for an extended period of time.

In this case, we see Williams' return coincide with the Rugby World Cup year, staying for another year to compete for a spot in the New Zealand Sevens side for the Olympics. It is nothing new for the superstar, who has a tendency to make sure he is around for the biggest events in either code.

That said, Williams is coming, so there is no use worrying about any of that any more.  How he will go is another question.

In his previous stint in rugby union, it took Williams the best part of two years to fully adjust to the game. It was not until his 2012 move to the Chiefs in Super Rugby that he began to really show what he was capable of. 

Playing outside Aaron Cruden, Williams was getting the ball at the line and looked threatening in both running and distributing.

Williams' offloading game has always been amongst the best in the business, but he now knows when to use it, making it harder to defend as the defence cannot just rush up to close down the outside channel. Defensively, Williams looked far more assured too and formed a reliable midfield partnership with Richard Kahui.

His form with the All Blacks that year was sublime prior to his departure and, had he not left, he surely would have remained the first-choice No. 12 ahead of Nonu.

But by 2015, Williams will have been away from the game for two seasons, having been playing rugby league in the NRL with the Sydney Roosters. His form there has been good, but the two games are very different and require different skill sets, with league definitely suiting Williams more than union.

You would expect his transition to be far smoother than his first one, which is a good sign. Although with it being World Cup year, Williams is leaving himself little time to play into form if he shows a bit of rust at first. 

At the very least though, he offers a second quality choice at second five-eighth, which is something the All Blacks lacked this year. Ryan Crotty and Francis Saili were both used at times, but neither really convinced, not in the short-term at least. Perhaps things will have changed by 2015, but it is certainly a position where more depth is needed now.

While perhaps not quite as tidy as Nonu, Williams will bring flair that Nonu does not show as often nowadays. His offload is one of the most dangerous attacking weapons in rugby and, with the likes of Julian Savea running off him, the back line will become much more dangerous for having him there. 

The biggest question mark remains over how Williams will transfer back into rugby union. But if he can find the form he was showing in 2012, he will be hard to leave out of the starting line-up, even at the expense of a player of the calibre of Nonu.

The All Blacks are undoubtedly the greatest team in the world at the moment. With their last-gasp win over Ireland last weekend, they became the first team of the professional era to win every Test in a year. 

In doing this, they carried on from their exploits of 2012 where they won all but one game. Over these two years, they have beaten all of the major Test-playing nations, including four wins over South Africa, four over France and six over Australia.

It begs the question as to whether this is the greatest All Blacks team ever. While they certainly have an impressive record, there have been many strong teams come out of New Zealand over the years and there are many factors to consider.

In reality, it is almost impossible to compare between eras. New laws, different game-styles and professionalism have all contributed to making the game different to the one played 20, 30 or 40 years ago.

The best way to do it is to look at how dominant a team was in their era and how well they adapted to different circumstances.

With that, let us think of those who spring to mind as the great All Blacks teams.

Buck Shelford's team of the late 1980s was unstoppable and has to rate right up there, as does the team of 1966-1969, both of whom went unbeaten during these periods.

The "Invincibles" of 1924 completed an unbeaten tour of Europe, while Graham Henry's teams of 2005-2006 and 2010-2011 were both clearly the best in the world, too.

Lastly, the team from 1996-1997 achieved things that no other All Blacks team has achieved and were clearly the best team in the world during those years.

But which of these was the very best?

The Invincibles won all 32 games of their tour of Europe and Canada of 1924 and 1925, including Test wins over England, Wales, Ireland and France. This is impressive to say the least, as this team was forced on multiple occasions to play two games in three days, playing two games a week for the best part of six months.

They boasted a strong forward pack which included the physical Brownlie brothers, a mastermind first five-eighth in Mark Nicholls, arguably their greatest-ever midfielder in Bert Cooke and the incomparable George Nepia at full-back.

It was a side filled with great names that still stack up against the very best of them almost 90 years later.

It may be suggested that this side did not have to play more Test matches, which is true. But to go through a 32-match tour unbeaten, in those days, was extremely impressive.

The team of the late 1960s was similar in that while they won every Test they played, the run was ended when it came to playing South Africa and they subsequently lost the 1970 series. This in a sense diminishes their standing somewhat, but to go four years unbeaten is definitely impressive no matter who your opponents are.

With the advent of professionalism, rugby entered new ground in 1996, but for the All Blacks, it marked the year they would do something they had never done: win a series in South Africa.

For that and that alone, they deserve to be mentioned amongst the greats, although the fact that they lost just one game and drew one over these two years is impressive, too. This is made even more impressive when it is considered they played the Springboks in South Africa four times.

This was a team that boasted talent all over the park. A loose forward trio consisting of Zinzan Brooke, Michael Jones and Josh Kronfeld. A locking duo of Robin Brooke and Ian Jones, along with a front row of Craig Dowd, Olo Brown and Sean Fitzpatrick.

The back line boasted a reliable kicker in Andrew Mehrtens, a live-wire half-back in Justin Marshall, arguably their greatest-ever midfield pairing of Walter Little and Frank Bunce, with Jeff Wilson, Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen wrecking havoc out wide.

On paper they look pretty good, but they were pretty good on the field, too. 

The two Graham Henry-coached teams mentioned deserve mentions, as they both played some scintillating rugby and, depending on the value you place on World Cups, could potentially go down as the best.

That said, the 2010-2011 team lost three games, despite winning a World Cup and looking somewhat unbeatable for a large part of 2010. His other great team, that of 2005-2006, was strong, too, comprehensively beating the Lions but lost two of their three games in South Africa.

This leaves us with the team of the late 1980s which, after capturing the World Cup in 1987, continued unbeaten under Buck Shelford until 1990.

While some of the other teams went through without losing, this team hardly even looked like losing. Like the team of the mid-1990s, they were laden with talent, capable of scoring tries in an expansive style, while also capable of playing a tight game and defending brutally.

Admittedly they never had to play South Africa, although this was not their fault and does not make them any less of a team.

And the current team, which, of course, has lost just one game over the past two seasons and has been so tough to crack on defence.

The 2013 edition was certainly far more polished than the 2012 one, making fewer mistakes and playing a more complete game. They were capable of getting the job done even when faced with adversity but perhaps were not quite as dominant as Shelford's team. 

So which was the best then? That really comes down to your own opinion and what you value as being a higher achievement. Some will say World Cups count for more than other Tests, while others will look at the way a team played on a week-in, week-out basis.

The late 1980s team did both, so they have to rate right up there and would arguably the best of the bunch. It is hard to begrudge the Invincibles their share of praise, too, as what they achieved was outstanding and surely the equal of a World Cup win if that is of so much relevance. 

Those teams, along with this current one, were the only lot to go unbeaten, although the mid 1990s team would surely rate as highly as any.

If the current team can keep improving, then maybe they will rate alongside those great teams. But not quite yet—they have not captured that aura of invincibility just yet and at times have looked vulnerable.

They still have a couple of years to work on this and if what we have seen so far is anything to go by, they are more than capable. As was mentioned earlier, if one thing characterises this team, it is getting the job done and you cannot ask for any more than that.

New Zealand maintained their perfect record in 2013 with a hugely dramatic 24-22 win over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The All Blacks scored a try deep into added time to tie the game at 22-22 before Aaron Cruden scored a twice-taken conversion to win it. Heartbreak for the Irish, but they can take plenty of positives from a sterling performance.

The first half was a pulsating affair that saw the Irish right at New Zealand from the kick-off. They stopped the All Blacks from establishing any kind of rhythm and cut through the world champions with some brutal and incisive play.

The visitors looked shell-shocked, and Ireland capitalized immediately as Conor Murray went over after a dynamic passing move. The Aviva Stadium went ballistic, and Jonny Sexton slotted the conversion with the "Fields of Athenry" ringing out.

Ireland were off to a flyer and New Zealand were totally rattled. Joe Schmidt’s side continued to push and were rewarded for their positivity further as they took a 14-0 lead inside ten minutes. Rory Best went over following superb work from Cian Healy, Sean O’Brien and Murray.

The Irish, roared on by a raucous crowd, were dominating in the tackle and winning everything in the breakdown. They kept their foot on New Zealand's and were winning the battle for what seemed like every single ball. The All Blacks were making uncharacteristic mistakes, and the Irish were punishing them. So, when Israel Dagg knocked the ball on on his own 22-yard line, you kind of knew what was coming.

Rob Kearney picked it up and burst forward with New Zealand hopelessly out of position. No All Black player got near him as he went over for a try after an 80-metre run. Sexton’s conversion hit the post, but the Irish were totally rampant and 19-0 up. 

New Zealand are a fantastic team, though, and they soon got a foothold in the game. They began to put the Irish defence under some real pressure mid-way through the first half, and it told as Julian Savea picked up on Aaron Cruden’s precise kick in behind. Cruden converted and Steve Hansen’s side were right back in it.

Sexton added another three points before halftime, and despite the concession of that try, Ireland were in dreamland. 22-7 up against the All Blacks at halftime. The Aviva Stadium, awash with green and white, was bouncing.

The second period saw New Zealand put the Irish under more, expected pressure. Dagg thought he’d scored, but the TMO correctly ruled that the ball had been held up. Then, Cruden had two penalty opportunities in quick succession, but he only scored one. 

Whilst Ireland continued to battle, they started to panic and looked to play territory, inviting the All Blacks back into the game and giving the likes of Cruden time to dictate proceeding. The men in green look sapped of energy, and the dangerous Savea started to become much more prominent.

On 65 minutes, he surged forward to get New Zealand within inches of scoring. The forwards came in and looked to batter the ball over the line. After a succession of phases, Ben Franks bulldozed through the green and white lines and over for the try. Cruden added the two, and New Zealand were within five points.

Sexton had the chance to finish New Zealand off with eight minutes to go, but his penalty kick just faded right of the post. It meant that a frantic finish ensued, with the All Blacks pushing unbelievably hard to preserve their 100 percent record in the calendar year. Ma’a Nonu could have gone through, but he knocked on an easy ball. That looked to be their last chance. Perhaps it just wasn't their day?

But there is a reason this team have a perfect record this year, and they showed exactly why in the dying embers of the game. They won the ball back and put the Irish under pressure, which continued deep, deep into added time. They passed incisively and probed at a ragged Irish defence before Ryan Crotty went over in the corner to tie the game up. 

The Aviva Stadium fell silent, and New Zealand knew they had a kick to win it. Cruden stepped up from a tight angle, but his kick drifted wide. At least Ireland avoided defeat.

But, the drama didn’t end there. Ireland charged the kicker too early, and Cruden had another chance. This time, he pinged it right through the middle, and Irish hearts were broken.

It concluded what was quite frankly an astonishing game of rugby. Both teams deserve enormous amounts of credit for their efforts, and a draw in the end probably would have been a fair result.

But the All Blacks are winners, ruthless in their play and such a difficult side to beat. 

For Ireland, the wait for their first win over New Zealand goes on. They’ll never come closer than they did today.

The USA will play host to the All Blacks next year in their first game in North America in many years. Their opponent, though, has not yet been determined. The Springboks have been mentioned, as has a Barbarians team or a North American XV.

But the most logical option would surely be to play the USA Eagles. Not to do so would somewhat defeat the purpose of the initial venture and would be an insult to USA rugby.

While the USA can hardly claim to be amongst the game’s traditional powers, they are undoubtedly improving and showed how far they have come when they came within ten points of a handy New Zealand Maori team two weeks ago.

The All Blacks, of course, will offer far tougher competition, but there was enough in that performance to suggest that they deserve a shot at playing the world’s best team.

In the forwards, they were competitive for the majority of the game, retaining possession well and even gaining dominance at various stages over what was a reasonably physical opposition.

Their backs lacked some spark but, for the most part, held up on defence, holding a dangerous NZ Maori back line to four tries. On attack, they could do with some work, but this will come as they continue to play the game and their instincts and skill levels improve.

If they were to play the All Blacks, they would, undoubtedly, find the speed and physicality of the game a step up from anything they have come up against before. The only way for them to adjust to this, though, is for them to play against top-level opposition. If the All Blacks are going to go to the USA, why not give them the chance to do this?

It is things such as this that have potential to help grow the game in the long term. Given that this is one of the reasons for going there in the first place, it would be somewhat contradictory to then proceed to play another team and not give USA rugby the full benefit of having the world’s best team in their nation.

And, of course, there is the fact that USA citizens are far more likely to want to see their own team play, rather than a team from another nation or an invitational team of random superstars. The crowd at the USA’s game against the NZ Maori was fantastic when one considers this is a country where rugby is far from a major sport.

With the added attraction of getting to see their team take on the world’s best, you would have to think that this would only increase the appeal to the locals.

It seems to be the obvious option. Of course, a clash between the All Blacks and Springboks is always epic, but this seems a far riskier line to take, as there is no longer nationalism involved for the local crowd, meaning there is one less attraction for potential spectators.

A Barbarians-style team would no doubt put on a good show, but again, there is no nationalistic pride to use as a draw card, and for all intents and purposes, the game holds little to no meaning.

So, why not play the USA? They are a growing rugby nation and would benefit extraordinarily from the chance to play the All Blacks. This season saw the All Blacks play a test Japan in Tokyo for the first time in their history; this could be a similar venture. After what we saw from them against the NZ Maori, you would have to think they would be at least at a similar level to Japan.

So, give them a shot; they might just surprise a few people.

There has been plenty of discussion lately as to whether Daniel Carter is still the best option to wear the All Blacks' No. 10 jersey. Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett have certainly put compelling cases forward to claim the role over the past two years, but ultimately Carter is still the man, for now at least.

Carter, who will play his 100th test match this weekend if selected, has had an injury-plagued season which has seen him sidelined for much of 2013. This is a concern, especially when looking at his long-term prospects. But for the here and now he is still the best and has proven to be so when he has taken the field this season.

His form toward the end of the Super 15 was sublime and he has made a considerable difference on the occasions he has worn the black jersey this year. He still has a strong running game, taking the ball to the line and putting his midfielders into holes. Defensively he remains safe, a player capable of both making tackles and going looking for tackles to make.

What really sets him apart from the others, though, is his kicking game and his ability to make decisions and steer his team around the park. While Cruden and Barrett are both dangerous runners and playmakers, neither provides the direction Carter does, and you cannot underestimate the importance of this.

It is a far cry from two years ago, when Carter going down injured in the middle of the World Cup was something of a national crisis. Over the past two years New Zealand has developed a handful of good young fly-halfs, to the point where Carter's place in the All Blacks is no longer a guarantee. Certainly the thought of playing without him is nowhere near as scary as it was two years ago.

But that said, he is still the best and therefore deserves to still wear the No. 10 jersey.

While Cruden has come on well in the last couple of years, he still lacks the direction Carter brings, does not have quite the same kicking game and is not as solid on defence. Of course, few players can claim to have these things, and that Cruden doesn't should be no slight on him as he is arguably the second-best fly-half in the world.

He will grow into becoming the No. 1 fly-half over the next couple of years as he gains more experience.

Barrett, on the other hand, still has some defensive frailties that he needs to sort out if he is to really make it at the test match level.

The argument for developing young players for the future may stand up, but you still have to win tests in the meantime, and the best way to do that is to pick the best team available. For now that means picking Carter, as when he is fit, he is still playing rugby superior to that of any other fly-half in the world. 

New Zealand's Maori All Blacks begin their North American tour this afternoon against Canada at Toronto's BMO Field.  It has been almost a year since these two teams faced each other at Oxford University; the Maori won that contest 32-19.

Over the summer, Canada was moments away from sweeping the 2013 Pacific Nations Cup. Yet, they are a team that has improved mightily under their head coach and former All Black selector Kieran Crowley. Today, Canada will be missing many of their top players, but will seek to use the sell-out crowd in Toronto to their advantage.

We'll have all the scoring updates and analysis for you, live from the press box, here on Bleacher Report.

Scroll down to find our latest updates from the game.

Match Kickoff Time: 1pm EST

Match Location: BMO Field - Toronto, Canada

Canada Roster vs Maori All Blacks (via Rugby Canada)

H. Buydens, R. Barkwill, D. Wooldridge, J. Phelan, T. Ardron, N. Dala, J. Moonlight, Aaron Carpenter (C), P. Mack, L. Underwood, C. Trainor, H. Jones, C. Hearn, J. Hassler, M. Evans, 

Canada Reserves

J. Ilnicki, R. March, A. Flagg, K. Gilmour, A. Kleeberger, J. Mackenzie, P. Parfrey C. Braid

New Zealand Maori Roster vs. Canada (via AllBlacks.com)

Kane Hames, Hikawera Elliot, Ben Afeaki, Jarrad Hoeata, Joe Wheeler, Liam Squire, Luke Braid, Elliot Dixon, Piri Weepu, Tim Batman (c), Zac Guildford, Jackson Willison, Charlie Ngatai, Andre Taylor, Robbie Robinson

Maori Reserves

Chris Eves, Nick Barrett, Ash Dixon, Blade Thomson, Shane Christie, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ihaia West, Matt Proctor

Jeff Hull is a contributor to Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @HullatHome

Unless otherwise stated, all quoted material was obtained first hand.