New Zealand's new-look midfield

The next 12 months are going to be a period of transition for reigning Rugby World Cup champions New Zealand.

Their iconic midfield of Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, who have accrued 309 caps between them, have all departed for France and therefore brought an end to their time with the All Blacks.

As is always the case in New Zealand rugby, there are a plethora of talented players ready to fill the void left by these three legends of the game. Furthermore, the succession planning of current New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has been excellent and we have witnessed the grooming of potential successors to all three players over the last cycle.

At fly-half, Beauden Barrett currently sits in the driving seat. He has been the form fly-half in New Zealand for the last two years and brings an extensive attacking skill set to the position, one which may even eventually surpass that of Carter’s at his pomp. Whether he’ll ever develop the same defensive awareness and tactical nous of Carter remains open for debate, but he is more than able to drive the high-performance machine that is the All Blacks.

Barrett’s biggest competition comes from Aaron Cruden and Lima Sopoaga. Cruden is currently rehabbing an ACL injury he suffered earlier this year and looks set to be fit for the beginning of the 2016 Super Rugby season. Meanwhile, Sopoaga has had mixed offseason, celebrating a maiden Super Rugby title for the Highlanders, but also smarting from his snub from the All Blacks’ RWC squad.

The truth is any one of the three is capable of doing a fine job as New Zealand’s out-half and it’s one of those rare times in professional sport when it may be harder to get the decision wrong, than it is to get it right. With emerging talent like Otere Black, Richie Mo’unga and even TJ Va’a also likely to taste Super Rugby action this season, the pool of talent available to the New Zealand coach continues to overflow, even with an exodus of veteran and fringe players to Europe.

Moving along the line to the centres and there is a similar exciting potential to the options on offer to the All Blacks. The duo of Sonny Bill Williams and Malakai Fekitoa have been preparing to take over New Zealand’s midfield for some time and now they have their opportunity.

It remains to be seen whether Williams’ desire to feature for the New Zealand 7s side will impact on his availability in the 15-a-side format in 2016, but it’s a short-term consideration and Williams is more than likely, barring a return to rugby league or a move to Europe, going to be a centerpiece of the All Blacks heading towards the 2019 RWC.

Should Williams be unavailable this season and/or opt for a return to the NRL, Sopoaga has been mooted as a player who could do very well in the 12 jersey for New Zealand. As a fly-half, he obviously has the distribution skills required to be a successful and creative force at inside centre, but he also has a physical edge and defensive nous to his game that shouldn’t see him exposed by the more powerful carriers he will typically face further along the back line.

Barring injury, Fekitoa seems a lock for the 13 jersey and 2016 could well be the beginning of his transition from Super Rugby standout to global superstar. Comparisons to Manu Tuilagi are understandable and though he may not be quite as physically dominant as Tuilagi, he brings more subtlety to the pitch with a more polished ability as a distributor.

There is not quite the proven depth in the centres that there is at fly-half, but the potential is there for a number of younger players to step up and into the spotlight this coming season. The Hurricanes’ duo of Pita Ahki and Vince Aso, Chiefs’ Charlie Ngatai, experienced Crusader Ryan Crotty and Blues’ budding star Rieko Ioane are all in the mix. Wingers George Moala and Waisake Naholo also offer intriguing options at 13 should Nehe Milner-Skudder, Julian Savea and Ben Smith continue to prosper in the back three, while Fijian-born Seta Tamanivalu showed all the hallmarks of a potential All Black at ITM Cup level.

It’s not just the midfield where Kiwis will be jostling for position on the All Blacks’ pecking order during the 2016 Super Rugby season, but it should certainly be the most compelling area to watch given that all three positions are currently up for grabs.

With Williams’ first priority the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, we could well see a midfield of Barrett, Sopoaga and Fekitoa when New Zealand host Wales in June, but watching the players battle for position over the next five months should be extremely fun.