A roll of the dice for the All Blacks' most hotly contested World Cup-position
Since 2015 there has been one position where the All Blacks have failed to replace the talent they lost in the post World Cup exodus.
Many players have been tried at blindside flanker over the last three years but a number of factors have made it difficult for any individual to rise above their fellow competitors and cement the spot for their own.
Liam Squire, the man many thought was the natural successor to Jerome Kaino, has notched up 23 caps since his debut in 2016 – hardly a huge return for three years of test football. Injuries have plagued Squire’s career to the point where his availability come test season has rarely been guaranteed. He has yet to feature for the Highlanders in 2019 and time may be running out for a player who at one point would have been considered the incumbent.
Closely trailing Squire is the trio of Vaea Fifita (9 caps), Shannon Frizzell (4) and Jackson Hemopo (3) – three players who have all shone for the All Blacks against minnows but have yet to really assert themselves against top tier opposition, partially because Squire has somewhat limited their opportunities. Scott Barrett has also done enough in his cameos on the flank to be considered a genuine option to start, but a specialist will almost certainly be preferred.
The All Blacks coaches essentially have two options for the 2019 test season: make the safe selection and continue to persist with one of the above players, accepting that they’re probably not going to have a world-class blindside flanker for the World Cup, or make the riskier selection and try bring a new prospect up to speed with the All Blacks game plan.
Hail Mary plays have never been the current selectors’ modus operandi – but they also haven’t been afraid to make big calls when necessary. New Zealand, in particular, seems to have a history of selecting a new player in a World Cup year whose form has demanded inclusion in the squad, even if they’re fairly new to the scene.
In 2011, Israel Dagg was fast-tracked from being a bit-part backup to Mils Muliaina to being the starting fullback in the World Cup final and 2015 saw the fast-stepping Nehe Milner-Skudder rise from relative obscurity to start on the right wing.
If Steven Hansen and co are looking to head in a different direction from the already tried blindside flankers for the upcoming international season, then one player who could make a huge difference in the All Blacks loose forwards is young Chiefs flanker Luke Jacobson.
Jacobson, an ex-U20 captain for New Zealand, played ten matches for Waikato in 2017’s Mitre 10 Cup. His performances at blindside flanker and number 8 earned him a contract with the Chiefs and a breakout season in 2018 saw him notch up 13 matches.
The then-20 year old’s stature was growing with every match played. His carries were damaging and his tackles left many an opposition player rattled. The signs were all positive that Jacobson was in for a bumper year with Waikato – until concussion struck.
Jacobson’s head was struck by an elbow in the Chiefs’ final regular season match of 2018 against the Hurricanes and left him feeling the side effects of concussion and out of the game for six months – curtailing his first full season as a professional.
When RugbyPass spoke to Jacobson earlier in the year, his goals remained humble: “I’d like to get back into footy for starters,” he said.
“I’d be really keen to try and push for a starting spot. There’s definitely some good competition. If I was able to do that, I’d be pretty happy with that.”
Half a year on the sidelines due to an injury as debilitating and insidious as concussion is enough to bring any player crashing down to earth – the nature of professional sport is fickle, something as innocuous as a rogue elbow to the head could potentially end a career – so it’s no wonder that Jacobson has set very pragmatic goals.
And whilst there’s a certain appeal to Jacobson’s unassuming aspirations for 2019, there will be many who think that Jacobson could go on to achieve so much more this year.
Since returning to the fold for the Chiefs in round five of the competition – against the Hurricanes in Hamilton – Jacobson has seamlessly picked up where he left off last year, putting in some absolutely monstrous hits on defence. It also helps that he’s tackling at over 90%, ensuring that his defence is both reliable and impactful.
Jacobson’s attack has proved equally impressive in his few showings so far this year. His open field running and offloading has helped split holes in opposition defences but it’s his close quarter pick and drives that have really caught the eye and will leave the All Blacks selectors’ mouths watering. Too often in the past World Cup cycle have the All Blacks been found wanting in forward battles with the Northern Hemisphere nations – something exploited by the Lions, England and Ireland.
It’s no coincidence that Jacobson’s return to the Chiefs has aligned with their best form of the season (admittedly not a hard ask given how the first few weeks of the competition went for the men from Hamilton). Four losses to start the season have now been followed by a draw with the Hurricanes and away wins in Pretoria and Buenos Aires – the match with the Hurricanes saw Jacobson return off the bench after his lengthy absence and he has started both subsequent matches.
In 2018, the Chiefs top loose forward trio was comprised of Liam Messam, Sam Cane and Jacobson – all three players were absent this year until Jacobson returned in week 5. Messam now plays for Toulon in France whilst Cane has been absent due to the neck fracture he sustained in last year’s Rugby Championship. With Messam overseas and Cane’s chances of appearing in Super Rugby for 2019 still unknown, Chiefs coach Colin Cooper will just be happy that he can now field one of his favoured trio.
It is, of course, still very early days in this year’s Super Rugby competition. There’s plenty of time for the many candidates vying for the All Blacks number 6 jersey to stake their claim and the players who have already spent time in the national fold will naturally have an advantage over relative newbies like Jacobson.
Although the All Blacks have been the most consistent test rugby team over the last few years, England and Ireland will know that they can best New Zealand if they dominate them in the collision zone. Steve Hansen and his fellow selectors may be comfortable that they have the men and the tactics to overcome the northern union’s more aggressive forward play, but perhaps something new is exactly what the All Blacks need.
Fortune favours the bold, so don’t be surprised if Luke Jacobson is the new name on the squad sheet when the All Blacks team is announced in July.
Aaron Mauger full press conference ahead of the Hurricanes:
Comments on RugbyPass
Did the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to comments