RBP’s Postion Battles: New Zealand’s Centre Pairing

Just two years after having the D’Arcy O’Driscoll pairing stolen away, we as rugby fans face a world without Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith in the All Blacks jersey. Hard though this may be for the general public, it’s a bit harder for Steve Hansen, who must now consider who will step in and replace the most capped centre pairing of all time. What has only made matters worse is that Sonny Bill Williams has elected to try his hand on the 7s circuit. Assuming he makes the All Blacks 7s side, New Zealand will have to look through their remaining options very carefully ahead of the Summer Tours and The Rugby Championship.

12. Charlie Ngatai 13. Malakai Fekitoa:

This seems to be the most likely pairing at the moment. Ngatai carries himself with an air of experience, something that belies his young age. At only 25, the Chiefs star Ngatai has all the potential in the world for Steve Hansen to make use of. Fekitoa simply seems more comfortable at 13 than at 12. With fewer distribution responsibilities, the 23 year old is able to run his lines with reckless abandon, often barging through defences before offloading to others. The Highlanders centre has been in great form this season, despite the revolving door of players inside him. This bodes extremely well for his selection, while having a consistent, smart, and fairly cerebral player at 12 will better allow Fekitoa to find space in attack. While this pairing may be totally untested, the All Blacks have never shown a fear of experimentation, and it certainly seems that these two will not be made an exception.

12. George Moala 13. Malakai Fekitoa

This pairing would be quite the intimidating duo indeed. Both of these players are freakishly large, and both provide plenty of mobility and agility, making them both rare athletic specimens. Moala is the real question mark here, as despite his size and undeniable athleticism and talent he has thus far failed to deliver on his potential. There is little more irritating to a coach than unfulfilled potential, and if Steve Hansen doesn’t begin to see improvement, Moala may soon become irrelevant. Still, he is an exciting option, and could certainly offer the All Blacks a great option on the gainline alongside Fekitoa. Moala may be hurt by his own versatility, which could see him played on the wing, but if not he is certainly worth a look.

12. Malakai Fekitoa 13. Rene Ranger

This is a real dark horse candidate but given the success of Donald Trump this year, we just thought what the h*ll. Now this, this is a terrifying prospect. If Steve Hansen stopped caring about the result, and simply sought to inflict maximum damage on the Welsh, this would definitely be the pairing to go with. While Ranger has not gotten back to his best since returning to the Blues, he has produced a few moments of brilliance, and we have no doubt that he will lift his game as the season continues. Fekitoa seems to be the only sure thing is this All Blacks centre pairing at the moment, and that is a testament to his outstanding form so far this season. Fekitoa offers outstanding defensive work on top of his physicality, and he has a knack for reading opposition plays. His ability to lock down the 10-12 channel would afford Ranger the freedom to come out of the line and make big hits. In attack, this pairing would give the All Blacks two dominant ball carriers, a unique threat that would force defenses into one on one tackles.