Mark Watson

So we are still going to develop them.

It might only be one or two players, but those one or two players, we are talking of the smallest of percentages at times.

And if those one or two players make up that extra 0.01%, let's pick them.

You cannot put all your money in the all-black basket, tell you that this is the cash cow, and then compromise it.

Yeah, look, I think often it's what you do off the ball as much as what you do on the ball.

and yeah and look and i think this is what social media has done though i mean and this is where i sort of sort of laugh a little bit again where i go back to new zealand rugby talking about how their social media numbers up in the game somehow healthy even though it's clearly not it's like well you're the ones that continue to put out the flash you're the ones that continue on your own rugby you know show the little moves or show the little sort of uh 360 pirouettes and the long cutout pass and the brilliant dive in the corner that i guess create the perception

that you know a certain player might be better than they actually are and that perhaps they're a little bit one-dimensional you look it's an interesting one i do like stuff where you can back it up with stats you know i look at a guy like sean stevenson who only played one test and there's always an argument that he couldn't tackle yet they never seem to quite apply that principle across a number of other players in regards to deficiencies in other areas

And I think it is easy sometimes to shut down an argument.

You go, actually, if you have a look at his numbers, you have a look at many times he gets to a ruck, how many tackles that he does make.

Then I think it's a lot more quantifiable and justifiable with your selections.

But, you know, I think you still always want to have the New Zealand public talking about it, debating it.

You know, that's always a big part of it.

And we should never be told we shouldn't.

We should never be said, oh, you've never played the game.

Therefore, you're not entitled to an opinion.

That is part of it.

The moment we start to lose that, we lose an edge with it.

But look, what I do like with Graeme Henry as well is we want to see how players handle under pressure, the decision-making under pressure, which is a key thing.

You know, I remember talking to Justin Marshall.

He said, you know, you're measured in an all-black test by not what you do, but by the least number of mistakes you make or how many mistakes you make in key times.