Coach Dave Rennie, in explaining his squad selection, stressed that Savea had been involved non-stop in rugby since January 2025, transitioning directly from the 2025 Super Rugby season to Japan's Rugby League One, and then back to the international arena. "Ardie has been playing and training almost continuously," Rennie noted.
In his column, Paul criticizes the decision, suggesting it reflects a significant error in handling New Zealand's key rugby figure. He argues that the absence of the captain for crucial tour matches due to required rest for mental and physical recovery indicates a misjudgment in athlete management.
"For the captain to not be with the team in South Africa until August 12 because it has been deemed imperative for him to take a break from playing to mentally and physically reset feels like there has been a monumental failure in athlete management."
Rennie, however, believes this rest is critical for Savea to be at his best against the Springboks. He highlighted discussions with former coach John Hart on the importance of unity, which contrasts with the decision to have Savea train alone.
"John talked a lot about being one team and that was a strong thought of ours too," Rennie said.
Paul points out that not having Savea with the squad from the start undermines the sense of team cohesion emphasized by past leaders and diminishes the tour's significance to fans and stakeholders. The optics of the captain training separately in Wellington, instead of being with his teammates, strikes a discordant note against the team's philosophy of solidarity.
Indeed, while Rennie underlines the necessity of this rest period, Paul holds New Zealand Rugby accountable, suggesting a lack of foresight has led to this predicament. "There is no escaping that this is remiss, bordering on reckless for NZ Rugby to have let their best player play so much rugby in the last three years that Rennie was left with no choice but to find a window somewhere in this year's bulging All Blacks calendar in which Savea could recuperate and recondition," Paul wrote.
As the debate continues, the effectiveness of this management strategy will likely be reflected in the performance outcomes of both Savea and the team in the highly anticipated matches against the Springboks.
