Is Grahame Henry making a mistake by not considering younger players?

Question

Grahame Henry is reportedly not considering some of the younger players for the AB's. I would have thought that having some of them at least on the bench would have been a good way of blooding them. Benson Stanley comes to mind. He seems to be made of the right stuff (good breeding, probably).

This to my mind is a mistake. Thoughts?

Answer 1

Considering all black experience consists now of losing world cups during the quarters, it speaks for itself. What happened to the days of selecting players young or old for excellent performance? Experience is only something useful if it involves winning.

Answer 2

mate ,where the heck did you get your info from?.Henry will pick alot of younger players this year.The players that are going overseas are elligable to play but they wnt be picked i steak my life on it.

We have a talent of wealth in rugby players here in NZ especially with the up and coming young players..Stanley,Kahui,Messam,Brett,Ross... list goes on and on.

Henry is a master at spotting talent and he will develope it 100%

Answer 3

I don't think he's said he won't consider them; the selectors naturally have to consider everyone who is playing Super 14. He said don't necessarily expect a lot of youthful selections for the domestic test series. Ireland and England are sending strong squads and it is important that these tests are not seen as opportunities to blood future prospects just on the strength of one good Super 14.

Better to let them continue developing at their own pace and learning their sport and when there is a chance to take them into the AB environment later on ie the end-of-season tour, all the better for everyone.

However if there is a young player who is markedly better than any of his rivals I'm sure he will be selected.

Stanley has had a good season but a jump up to test match intensity against two teams (and then Australia and South Africa also) who are sure to try to shut down the AB time and space in the backline, may not be the best thing for his development. Rugby is littered with examples of players who weren't managed properly and thrust into international rugby too early. Unfortunately we now lack the longer tours which saw the ABs playing midweek and Saturday games against provincial and regional sides, allowing more blooding of younger players both on and off the field.

Answer 4

With the abundance of talent at his disposal, making the selection is definitely a tough one, so let him get on with it in peace.

Answer 5

Maybe finding out in the past that some players aren't mentally ready for big games.