Aidan Ross is one big game away from All Blacks selection
Having strung two seasons of uninterrupted rugby together, Aidan Ross looks destined to be rewarded with an All Blacks call-up next week.
Ross, the formidable loosehead prop, has been knocking on the national selectors’ door for some time now and was a called into camp last season when injuries struck the squad during the July test series. While Ross never managed to find his way onto the park – and didn’t travel with the squad once they set off on their off-shore odyssey in August – his selection emphasised how high up the 26-year-old was in the national pecking order.
Time and time again over the better part of the last four years, the All Blacks selectors have spoken of the need for their front-rowers to be dynamic with the ball in hand, as well as strong at the set-piece. While Ian Foster and co obviously had one eye on the Chiefs loosehead last season, they will have been lasering in on how Ross fits the mould of a test rugby prop throughout the 2022 – starting with his indominable performances at scrum time.
Ross has been part of an impressive Chiefs tight-five that has rarely taken a step backwards throughout their campaign to date. In fact, it’s been a key weapon for the team this year, one the Chiefs have regularly relied upon to earn them penalties or free players during the season.
“Some of our work in training is harder than what we’re getting at times in games,” Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan said earlier in the season regarding his side’s formidable set-piece. “And that’s not to say there aren’t some bloody good scrums out there, but we just don’t feel like we have to play silly buggers to get rewarded at scrum time.
“We’re happy to go there and challenge teams … The other thing we’re probably the best at is we’re the most disciplined team in the competition. There’s no need to wheel when you’ve got a lot of confidence in your scrum, you just scrum square over the ball, you just be prepared to scrum for as long as a referee allows you to scrum.
“It’s always a ding-dong battle but our scrum has continued to be a real strength of ours,” he added this week ahead of the semi-final clash between the Chiefs and Crusaders.
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“But we’ve had the odd slip up, we’ve lost a bit of concentration and opposition teams have exploited that so it’s just another lesson for us that one good scrum doesn’t guarantee a scrum the next time, you’ve just got to keep in the grind and go through the process.”
Of the myriad players in contention for spots in the All Blacks front row, Ross, Joe Moody, Nepo Laulala and Karl Tu’inukuafe are the only players to have not copped any penalties at scrum time this season. With 14 appearances and 12 starts under his belt this year, Ross concedes the fewest scrum penalties per minute played.
In terms of his play around the park, Ross hits an above average number of rucks for a prop and is also regularly one of the first players to the breakdown in order to maintain possession.
It’s his link play that has probably impressed the most in recent times, however. He and fellow Chiefs front-rower Angus Ta’avao have regularly been involved in sweeping back line plays and, although they’re unsurprisingly not the men making the runs, they’ve thrown inch-perfect passes when called upon and not stymied attacking opportunities through a lack of sleight of hand.
The All Blacks called upon the services of eight props last season: Joe Moody, George Bower, Ethan de Groot, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Nepo Laulala, Ofa Tuungafasi, Angus Ta’avao and Tyrel Lomax. In all likelihood, six or seven will be named next Monday for the All Blacks’ first squad of the season.
Of the above group, Moody is injured and Tu’inukuafe is heading overseas, which rules them out of contention. Add the likes of Alex Hodgman, Ollie Norris, Tamaiti Williams, Oli Jager and Fletcher Newell into the mix, and there’s ample competition for propping spots.
While Tuungafasi has been one of the best performers across the park this year, he was under the pump against youngster De Groot in last weekend’s quarter-final fixture between the Blues and Highlanders. With senior prop Moody out of the equation, the selectors will likely retain the experienced Laulala. Bower, meanwhile, was effectively the All Blacks’ second-choice loosehead behind Moody last season, starting six matches in the No 1 jersey, but could still find his position under pressure due to the performances of Hodgman and Ross throughout 2022.
It’s likely that Ross has his nose ahead of Hodgman at present but performances in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals could sway the selectors one way or another. De Groot is the only prop in contention for a spot that won’t feature this weekend but it’s likely his impressive work against the Blues last week will have him penned in to feature in July.
Normally at this time of year Ross has found himself sidelined due to injury and hasn’t had the opportunity to press his claims for selection. Last year, after 11 appearances for the Chiefs, he fought his way into the All Blacks squad – albeit temporarily. In 2022, with 14 appearances to his name, it’s likely that the 26-year-old will go one better.
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments