Former international halfback Steve Devine has named his three New Zealand halfbacks to head to France with the All Blacks in September.
Six capable scrum-halves are in the mix with Aaron Smith, Brad Weber, Finlay Christie, Cam Roigard, Folau Fakatava and TJ Perenara all vying for a spot in Ian Foster’s World Cup squad.
Injuries to Fakatava (knee) and Perenara (Achilles) late in 2022 will have both players racing against time to be fit for selection, but even in their absence, four genuine contenders remain.
Smith (114 caps) and Weber (18 caps and 9 Māori All Blacks caps) are the most experienced of the four while Christie impressed on tour last season and 22-year-old Roigard has been one of the Hurricanes’ best performers early in the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season.
But with just three spaces available, Devine has named the three players he believes will head to Paris to contest the Webb Ellis trophy.
“I think right now as it stands, Aaron Smith’s going, he’ll go to the World Cup,” Devine told SENZ’s The Rugby Run.
“Tick that, so you’ve got two left. I think the best two halfbacks in the country right now are probably him and Christie and Weber’s there or thereabouts.”
Veteran halfback Smith, who is the most-capped All Blacks back in history, is a shoo-in for the starting scrum-half position.
With Smith locked in, Devine believes it will come down to Super Rugby and Rugby Championship form as to who the two remaining spots will be handed to.
“You’ve definitely got three that are vying for those two spots (so) unless there’s an injury it’s going to be tight,” he added.
“For me, I still … I like Finlay and then the third spot at this stage, I’d probably take Weber. Not because of anything other (than that) he’s a little bit more experienced and sometimes that’s what you need in those World Cup finals.
“If you get an injury up there then you’re going to need some experience, especially with the quarter-final, semi-final run that the All Blacks may have or may not have.
“They’re basically going to have to do three finals in a row to make the final.”
New Zealand will face tournament hosts France in the pool stage alongside Italy, Uruguay and Namibia, with a high likelihood of finishing first or second before finals begin.
Should they progress, they will likely face top Pool B contenders Ireland (world No.1) or South Africa (current World Cup champions) in the quarter-finals, meaning they will have a tough road ahead if they wish to lift the trophy for the fourth time.