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Justin Marshall: All Blacks ‘fluctuations’ not ‘rocket science’ as there’s a lack of ‘trust’ in one area Current centres Quinn Tupaea and Jordie Barrett in action for the All Blacks against Ireland, and former New Zealand star Justin Marshall. Justin Marshall is not surprised that the All Blacks have struggled for consistency since the international retirements of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, but fellow great Frank Bunce has more confidence in the new partnership. New Zealand won back-to-back World Cups in 2011 and 2015 with Nonu and Smith an ever-present in the midfield during that period. Since then they have still remained towards the top of the world rankings but have fallen behind the 2019 and 2023 champions the Springboks and are now among the chasing pack. While that 2015 side in particular was filled with some of the game’s greats, Marshall has pointed to centre where the All Blacks have struggled to find replacements. All Blacks’ struggles at centre “It’s not rocket science that a lot of the All Blacks fluctuations recently, since the success at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, is the fact we haven’t generated a regular centre combination since Ma’a and Conrad,” he said on the GBRANZ podcast. “That was so functional and then guys like Ben Smith, Cory Jane and Israel Dagg, all of those, they just revolved around that centre pairing and all had their time coming into the jersey. “There’s never been a regular centre combination has there? I couldn’t name two players that played 10 Test matches together on the bounce in the last five or six years.” Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane did form an effective combination ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and it was a factor in them reaching the final, but that went awry following Scott Robertson’s arrival. Midfield frustrations are not new for the All Blacks, however, who struggled to settle on a partnership after Bunce’s Test career ended in 1997. That centre conundrum would last over decade before Nonu and Smith first dovetailed in an international clash against Ireland in 2008. “I think you’re right in that. When me and Walter [Little] went, it took ages, there were heaps of different individuals; ‘let’s try and make up a pairing’,” Bunce said. “Mine and Walter’s time at Harbour and the Chiefs, that was the working that it did for the All Blacks. “After Ma’a and Conrad, it’s been individuals, they haven’t picked the combination and gone, ‘right, let’s try that, try that, try that’. “When you settle on something, let it see its time. I must admit, I’m liking Jordie and Quinn Tupaea at the moment, so we’ll just see where that goes.” Barrett-Tupaea combo ‘needs time’ Anton Lienert-Brown and Billy Proctor combined against the Stormers, but it appears as though new All Blacks boss Dave Rennie will go with Barrett and Tupaea for the first Springboks Test. “They just need time,” Marshall said. “It’s like any combo, some of the greatest centre combos in the world. You knew we were up against Tim Horan and Jason Little or Will Carling and Jeremy Guscott-type thing. “Nothing can emulate the type of pressure you get in a Test match for time. Time is taken away from you because the intensity and the skill set they have, it takes away your time more than any other game you will play. “Trust is massive. Trust in the guy on defence, trust in the guy making the right decisions with ball in hand and that just happens out of knowing each other. “There’s no thinking component is there? It just happens, and that’s irreplaceable when you get combinations like that. “They’re invaluable because that’s the conduit, particularly centre. If he’s working with his 12 well and the centre is functioning the defence with the outside backs and seeing the space when there’s space for the outsides, that’s when New Zealand rugby is at our best.” Bunce added: “I think that’s a role too for the outside centre, which is the organisation. You’re talking and communicating with your 12 and then you’re getting your outsides and your full-back, it’s like ‘move back, come up’. “I used to tell Goldie (Jeff Wilson) all the time, ‘make that guy cut in, I will get him. You then can stay back and help Cully (Christian Cullen)’. “You position people, so a lot of that is the role of an outside centre and I don’t know how much of that gets seen by people.”