Plummer ignoring the noise as he targets another shot with the All Blacks

Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie seem to have been swapping the All Blacks No. 10 shirt over and back for ages now with neither of them ever fully claiming ownership. Plummer is definitely in the conversation in terms of a possible third way.

ALL BLACK DUTY: Will Jordan of the New Zealand All Blacks embraces Harry Plummer after winning The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup against Australia Pic: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Soccer has made serious inroads in New Zealand in recent decades, the Springboks have usurped their age-old rivals at the top of rugby’s tree, and nothing speaks louder for the All Blacks’ slippage more than the fact that Ireland have won five of the nine last meetings.

Don’t let any of that fool you, the ABs remain big business and bigger news.