New Zealand Super Rugby franchises name final squads for 2015 season

ALL BLACKS flanker Jerome Kaino will be the Blues’ third captain in three years, as the five Kiwi outfits named their Super Rugby squads for 2015.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 11: Jerome Kaino of the Blues walks off after losing the round 19 Super Rugby match between the Blues and the Chiefs at Eden Park on July 11, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

ALL BLACKS flanker Jerome Kaino has been named the Auckland Blues’ third captain in three years as coach John Kirwan searches for ways to improve one of New Zealand’s worst-performing Super Rugby franchises.

The Blues won the Super Rugby title in each of its first two years — 1996 and 1997 — and again in 2003 but reached the semi-finals in only two of the following 11 years. They have finished 12th, 11th and 10th in the 15-team competition since Kirwan took charge.

Kaino’s promotion to the Blues’ captaincy was one of the features of the announcement Wednesday of New Zealand’s five squads for the 2015 season.

Kirwan said Kaino “brings everything you want in a captain, leadership on the field, leadership off the field. He is an X-factor player.”

Jerome Kaino will captain the Auckland Blues in 2015.

“As a team we want to be resilient and relentless and Jerome is that sort of player,” he said.

Kaino takes over the captaincy from flanker Luke Braid, who will make a managed return to the Blues squad next season after shoulder surgery. He forms part of the core of a highly-experienced Blues forward contingent.

With hooker Keven Mealamu, props Tony Woodcock and Charlie Faumuina, lock Patrick Tuipulotu and backrower Steven Luatua, he gives the team the benefit of 325 test caps.

“I’m happy with the balance of the squads between the All Blacks, a group of players who now have experience to understand what Super rugby demands and some young players that we need to nurture for the future of the team,” Kirwan said.

Journeyman Jimmy Cowan playing for Gloucester. He will line up for the Auckland Blues this year.

But the Blues once again display a notable, and possibly crucial weakness in the inside backs. History shows that to win the Super Rugby title teams need a world-class flyhalf — and the Blues haven’t had one since Carlos Spencer.

Kirwan has again opted for journeymen in the No.10 jersey and veteran former All Blacks scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan as the replacement for more-recent All Black Piri Weepu, who is now playing in England.

The Crusaders, who were beaten in this season’s final by the New South Wales Waratahs, have made four changes to their squad for 2015.

The most notable is the return of centre Robbie Fruean who was a regular with the seven-time champions until 2013 but spent 2014 with the Hamilton-based Chiefs.

Sonny Bill Williams at All Blacks training in the USA.

Fruean recently underwent heart surgery for the second time to correct damage caused by rheumatic fever.

Code-hopping star Sonny Bill Williams returns to the Chiefs with whom he won the Super Rugby title in 2012. Williams, who has already been recalled to the All Blacks, has spent the last two years in Australia’s National Rugby League.

The Highlanders, who achieved a top-six finish this season for the first time in more than a decade, have pulled together a squad featuring players from 13 different New Zealand provinces and including 10 newcomers.

The Wellington-based Hurricanes have a powerful backline with All Blacks T.J. Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Julian Savea and Corey Jane.

Originally published as New Zealand Super Rugby franchises name final squads for 2015 season