It appears that the All Blacks have lost another key player - this time to French rugby. Hosea Gear will join Toulouse after the completion of the Super Rugby season in another big money move by the Frogs, meaning the All Blacks' outside backs stocks have taken another hit - consider that Cory Jane is already out for the season and Julian Savea still has an assault charge still to be decided at court, a worst-case scenario of at least two total newbies on the wings (Charles Piutau, Frank Halai, Alaptai Leiua) is quite possible even if it is potentially exciting.
Mind you, like Ali Williams, it is quite probable that Gear has been told that he has not quite made the All Blacks for the June internationals so has decided to call time on his career himself rather than be forced by the national selectors.
The younger of the Gear brothers, Hosea was once hailed as the best winger in New Zealand rugby by Graham Henry. However, in recent times, Hosea has been overshadowed by the rise of Julian Savea although he would have been useful on the other wing too. Hosea's form in Super Rugby also has been somewhat affected by the Highlanders' miserable form this season and with changes certain after the disaster that has been this season, Gear must have thought it best to make his third move in as many seasons (he moved from the Hurricanes to the Highlanders shortly after Mark Hammett's appointment in 2011).
Hosea Gear is no doubt a great player but one whose talents have been rarely on show even if they have somewhat fortuitously earned him accolades - he has a Rugby World Cup winners medal despite not playing a single game having come in as a last minute replacement for the injured Mils Mulai'ina.
Nevertheless, he will be definitely missed by New Zealand rugby although with the chance to play for a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics looming, I imagine Gear won't be away for too long.
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