Jason Ryan labels contentious All Blacks selection call 'spicy' and 'tasty'

All Blacks selection beckons as Super Rugby Pacific exposes any ambition lacking substance with elimination. The final is just one week away and with that, the club season makes way for international fixtures.

The big stage of club rugby sees the lights get brighter, but is no comparison for the international arena, as Sam Whitelock was quick to correct now All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan while in the throws of their dynastic Crusaders run.

It’s a warning that has stayed with the forwards guru and is helping inform his selections in the first All Blacks squad of the year, set to be named on Monday the 24th.

Now in his third international season with New Zealand, Ryan is going through the selection process with more scrutiny and diversity of opinion from within the environment.

“It’s a bit of a change-up in the sense that all the coaches have a say,” Ryan told the All Blacks Podcast. “I’m taking care of the tight five and the loosies (loose forwards), while Razor’s (Scott Robertson) overseeing the loosies as well, but ultimately the forward pack is my responsibility.

“Scotty Hansen’s having a look at the nines and 10s, Jason Holland’s doing the midfield and Leon MacDonald’s doing the outsides and that fullback position.

“We had a crack at the team about a month ago for the first time in Christchurch; we said righto boys, grab the pen and chuck your names up and why and let’s have a debate.

“We had a really robust conversation and that was really good. It was good for me to not just think about your core roles of set piece in the All Black forwards, it’s good to hear conversations from Leon around what he’s seeing, this player’s carry and his footwork. Scotty says well I need you to have a bit more of a think about him defensively.

“It’s a real good, robust discussion and a good change-up. It’s a bit fresher in the sense that we all get a chance to have a say. At the end of the day, Razor’s the boss and he makes the final call.

“But, it’s good to have all those numbers in front from different areas so we’re all open to being challenged in picking the first All Blacks squad of the year, which is great.”

There’ll be two more squads named following the one selected for the England series and Fiji Test in San Diego.

For Ryan, selection is no easy task but is particularly challenging in the back row where names like Ardie Savea, Dalton Papali’i, Luke Jacobson and Sam Cane are joined by the resurgent form of Hoskins Sotutu, the development of Samipeni Finau, the health of Ethan Blackadder and the emergence of Peter Lakai among many, many more.

“There are genuinely some players who have been really consistent in Super and there are genuinely some guys who are putting their hand up in this final series as well, which I know they will.

“I think the loose forward selection is getting real tasty, a little bit spicy in some of those combos, which is brilliant. That’s a good one.

“The front row boys and the props, how we cover those boys and how we look at that. The reality is we pick three All Black teams this year; the England series, the Rugby Championship and the Northern Tour. So, we know we’re going to have a few more players than usual with the Test calendar we’ve got.

“But we need that too, I think it’s great coming out of a World Cup, heading into a good, strong calendar where we’ll have to use a few players.

“I think within our selections we’re being really challenged to go three or four deep in each position, so it’s good.”