'He fits all those boxes': Former All Black's pick for Razor's openside

After just four weeks of the new Super Rugby Pacific competition for 2025, players are already putting up their hands for All Blacks selection through effort and form in the new campaign.

The Chiefs lead Super Rugby Pacific after four rounds, but the NSW Waratahs are the only side with a 100 per cent win rate, having won all three of their games. 

With former All Black captain Sam Cane retiring from international rugby at the end of last year’s Northern Tour, a place has opened up in the All Blacks starting side at openside flanker, a position of huge importance to Scott Robertson and his coaching staff, a decision that he won’t take lightly.

Former All Black Jeff Wilson has taken a stab at whom he would pick for the All Blacks at openside flanker, admitting that one of the Hurricanes’ four co-captains, Du’Plessis Kirifi, has impressed him in the last couple of years.

“Du’Plessis is relentless. If you watch him play, he’s a very good athlete,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.

“I think he’s got a massive engine, and on the other side of it, he doesn’t plod his way around the field. He continues to fight and scrap every opportunity he gets at a breakdown.

“So when I think of him, I see a guy who can carry, he can do that, he can carry the ball, he doesn’t slow down. The impact he had on Saturday night was huge in the last 20 minutes when he came on the pitch.

“For me, Kirifi has matured over the last four years.”

Wilson believes that the All Blacks need a stronger defensive trio in the loose forward positions to improve the team’s defensive rating, saying that Kirifi would improve Robertson’s team on the defensive side of the ball.

“All of a sudden, we’re now conceding one more try, 24 points, and we’re only scoring 22, the conceding points is the concern for me. We were the best defensive team and the best counter-attacking team for a long time.

“We put pressure on the opposition, now I think with our loose forwards, that’s where we need to get our competitive advantage together.

“They set the tone defensively because they have to defend in the most difficult channels, usually three or four out in a ruck or off a set piece, at the tail of a lineup or the edge of a scrum.”

For former All Blacks back Mils Muliaina, Kirifi at openside flanker with Ardie Savea at eight is the best combination going forward.

“If I was picking the All Blacks today, Kirifi would be in the seven today. If you’re going to pick Ardie at eight, I think you go with Kirifi,” Muliaina said on The Breakdown.

“If it was me picking your All Blacks, he’s in the squad.

When asked about Crusaders loose forward Ethan Blackadder’s impressive performance on the weekend against the Reds, Wilson says he still needs to see more from the 29-year-old to convince him to be in the frame to start for the All Blacks.

“There’s no doubt about it, Ethan’s one of those guys in the conversation, but don’t confuse activity for excellence.

“Don’t confuse the impact you have on the game, the ability to play at different speeds. At the moment, he’s just a little bit one-paced for me.

“He continues to battle, and battle, and battle, but is he strong enough? Is he quick enough across the ground? Can he stay in support?

“He’ll keep fighting and play hard, but he’s got to show more. Once again, though, is he a seven? There’s a lot of trying to win the race to the breakdown, win the race to the breakdown, read the game.