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Ian Foster's verdict on Shaun Stevenson missing selection

Shaun Stevenson scored twice in the Chiefs' win over the Highlanders. (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

One of the standouts of the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season, Shaun Stevenson has been knocking on the door for higher honours and faced his greatest opportunity yet in the All Blacks‘ Rugby Championship opener against Los Pumas, but ultimately missed out on the 23.

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Beauden Barrett has been selected at fullback with Caleb Clarke and Emoni Narawa on the wings while Richie Mo’unga and Braydon Ennor make up the bench in the match, leaving Stevenson on the outside looking in.

Barrett has struggled to find his world-class form in 2023 and some pundits began pondering whether the door was open for an in-form Stevenson to get a shot at the next level.

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While Foster denied Stevenson that opportunity this week, the coach made it clear that his selection policy accommodates further opportunities throughout The Rugby Championship.

“He featured in discussion and we decided to go somewhere else,” Foster told reporters in Mendoza.

“I’ve been impressed with Shaun since he’s come in. Sometimes it’s good for people to come in and get a feel for the space and to learn.

“I think he’s doing everything we’re asking from him and that’s all we can really ask of all our squad members; to really enjoy being here and train hard and he’s done that and he’s done everything we’ve asked of him so did he feature in the conversation? Yes, he did.”

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Foster went on to clarify his priorities during the campaign, emphasising the importance of building combinations but also finding time for debutants to make their mark as potential World Cup bolters.

“That’s the balance, isn’t it? I’ve been saying this a lot, we need to build our combinations, that’s our primary focus going through this campaign but you ask how hard it’s going to be (for the rookies to get minutes). Well, it wasn’t that hard for Emoni (Narawa), he’s come in pretty early, in the first Test. We’ve got Josh Lord coming back, Damian McKenzie who hasn’t played for us in over a year.

“I think we’ve shown that if we feel people are ready then we’re going to give them the opportunity but we’re not going to do it in a way that chucks them all in one Test together and perhaps exposes them too much. So, we’re pretty happy with the strategy but it’s a tough balance.”

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Comments

12 Comments
R
Ray 734 days ago

Absolutely disastrous decision. Fozzie the clown has just crushed Shooter... Unfair as BB is not in better form.

Fozzie has had 4 years ...Talking about he was in the discussion...


Discussion and conversations do not play for the AB's....

p
peter_qld 739 days ago

Expect to see Sean in team against Australia. There have been plenty of players who were very good at Super Rugby level but couldn't hack the next step up. We know BB's experience will count big time. Sean will get his chance.

G
George 739 days ago

Foster rationale on not picking a player on form in Stevenson and picking a player who hadn't even featured in the Chiefs games this season in Josh Lord.

P
PT 739 days ago

Fozzie said at the start of super rugby he would choose in form players. B. Barrett must be doing alot of ass licking

D
Don 740 days ago

As much as I'm a BB fan he hasn't performed at a level this season that would even warrant him being in the squad, let alone starting.. How he makes me eat my words but I'm not hopeful..

R
Roger 740 days ago

To pick apart Foster’s explanation; what about the established combination that are SS and EN? Surely it would have made way more sense to have played a Specialist Full Back SS and Specialist Right Wing EN together who have played together the entire SR season?

Way too logical for Foster apparently!

L
LW 739 days ago

Plus DM is at 10 giving the spine connection. Foster would seem less of a muppet if he wasnt a hypocrite, supposedly selecting on form then going with BB. Joke

a
allan 740 days ago

He featured in discussion ,but we went somewhere else ?


I'd say they went to cuckoo land then..

C
CG 740 days ago

Fuzzy Fozzie is good at losing. Not being in his team is probably a Godsend for Stevenson

A
Andrew 740 days ago

You've just spat in Shooters face. Picking a guy at FB whos done everything he could to get dropped this season ahead of a guy whos played the house down.

T
Tony 740 days ago

The muppet show has had 4 years to build for this World Cup, he is no closer now than he was then

K
Kevin 740 days ago

Foster is determined to continue the demise of the black jersey.

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