Well that's a pretty stupid reason to pick an inferior player. Is it such a huge risk that despite Hanson performing better at Super Rugby level, he will suddenly performer worse than Fainga'a at the next level despite outplaying him all year?
This old test experience chestnut is such a crock of shit. Deans has spent the past 6 years discarding experiences players because they don't toe the line, bringing in young inexperienced and often Ill-prepared and unready players who follow his lead, yet now he is all about test experience? How does a player being foolishly picked over a better option previously and not performing make him a better option this time around due to said anonymous performances (Dennis v Mowen perfect example)?
I can understand if you had a couple of closely equal players who are in similar form, if one has 20 caps you'd take the experience. Where does this translate to, "you've been stinking the place up all season and you had 5 dud tests and 1 good one last year so I'll take you for your experience of losing to the All Blacks and France"?
I think incumbency should be highly respected: the 2 teams in the rugby codes who respect it most are the maroons and all blacks, and their records speak for themselves.
However, there is a definite issue with the Deans version of respecting incumbency and its the same issue with nearly everything he does: it's inconsistent.
I think for Deans incumbency is one of his grab bag of justifications for decisions he makes which are based on who he likes - and who he likes may be based on their playing ability or the cut of their jib.
So to use a (now) neutral example: Gitts. Incumbent but not liked so incumbency is not worth a pinch of shit. Oconnor, not really incumbent, doesn't turn up for photo opp, but well loved so kept in squad. Test the last example by imagining if QC (Quade Cooper) had missed a happy snap over the last 6 months.
The earlier examples in this thread from his tenure at the ABs confirm the haphazard implications of Dingo's brand of loyalty.
One thing that emerges is that, though we disagree between ourselves in specific selections, we all struggle to understand what deans is thinking: I guess that could be a strength if Gatland has the same issue!
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