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Fabian Holland reveals work-ons from All Blacks coaches
By Ned Lester
Fabian Holland furthered his case for higher honours throughout the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, and was close to completing his ascension to a black jersey by the year’s end. The 22-year-old received plenty of learnings and advice throughout his respective campaigns.
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The Highlanders young gun experienced his first taste of international rugby on the recent Northern Tour, suiting up for the All Blacks XV before joining the All Blacks as injury cover.
Once in the All Blacks environment, the 204 cm lock was under the tutelage of captain Scott Barrett, veteran Patrick Tuipulotu, and forwards coach Jason Ryan. France-based All Blacks great Jerome Kaino was even in camp with the team as they prepared for their Test against Les Bleus.
Holland lifted the lid on what directives he’d been given to gow his game in 2025.
“It’s getting myself more involved in the game, on attack and defence. To back myself a bit more,” Holland told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“I’ll always think I’ll just keep going until the wheels fall off. That’s my mindset, so I’ll keep doing that.
“Clayton (McMillan), Whoppa (Jamie Mackintosh), Mutt (Jason Ryan) in the All Blacks environment, they’ve been awesome around organising lineouts, how to see different pictures, how to react. It’s the next level of how to manage a lineout, how to manage set-piece.
“When you come to high-pressure moments, to get a lineout clinically functioning well.”
Those high-pressure moments were plentiful during the All Blacks XV’s two-match Northern Tour, with games against Munser and Georgia resulting in wins.
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Holland was awarded Man of the Match in the first game of the tour, taking the additional pressure in his stride.
“I think international footy, or whenever you wear a black jersey, there’s a lot more pressure. So, how to handle that pressure, how to cope with it. It’s all the time. I think that comes from care, because everyone there wants to leave the jersey in a better place than where they first got it,” he said.
The experience of 2024 has elevated Holland among the youthful ranks of the Highlanders, and the Dutch-born prospect is ready to take on additional responsibilities in the lineout and beyond.
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“I’m just prepared to know what I’m doing, and I’ve already been through that situation in my head a thousand times, or at training a thousand times so that when that situation happens in a game, I can just execute it, no problems. We can just move on to the next situation.”
The games themselves were fierce, but so were the environments in which the All Blacks XV team played. A packed Thomond Park played host to the opening game. GGL Stadium in Montpellier, France, offered a neutral venue for the Georgia contest.
It was the Munster crowd that left Holland impressed.
“I’ve never seen an atmosphere like that, ever. And ‘ve seen a lot of games. It was quite the occasion; the Munster supporters, the people living in Limerick are incredible supporters.
“All the fireworks, the fire that came out, when Munster ran out to ‘Zombie’, and then us doing the haka. It was an incredible experience the boys will never forget.”
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Lots of stuff to work on for the young fullah. Exciting.
Who calls these ‘work on’s’, theres are just focus areas, areas of improvement, a direction.
A work on is when you’re correcting something, say you push the wrong way when the scrum does x, leave the maul at the wrong time, or simple things like strength and fitness, pass accuracy, handling etc.
If they don’t promote Holland to the matchday 23 sooner rather than later, then the AB current selectors have zero vision.
But given how conservative they were last year, if he makes the squad, he’ll hardly rack up any game time and be stuck behind ‘experience’ because they have it, and he doesn’t. Which is really hard to get sitting in the stands.
He can always play for Holland. They’re still in the hunt for the 24th WC spot.
He will doubtless get his chance but in order to do so needs to be better than some other gnarly players who will not willingly surrender their laurels to a novice.