Breakout All Blacks star Josh Lord hitting new gear after relentless injury run

Is Josh Lord the Magic Johnson of New Zealand rugby?

The six-foot-eight, 112kg Chiefs and All Blacks lock dwarfs most opponents and is increasingly adept in aerial contests.

The faster he goes, the better his handling becomes. In the first three rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, he’s made galloping breaks that would intrigue David Attenborough and shown dexterity that might impress Magic.

In the Chiefs’ 26-23 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin on February 21, he made a 60-metre burst holding the ball in one hand, like grainy footage of Colin Meads. That run snuffed out a menacing Highlanders attack while the Chiefs led 14-13.

On Saturday against the Crusaders, Lord delivered the first and last pass in an exhilarating length-of-the-field try that underscored the Chiefs’ formidable potency. With a penalty advantage a metre out from their line, Lord fired an ambitious 20-meter pass that sailed by the goal posts and bounced to winger Leroy Carter in space. Nine passes and 60 meters later, Lord charges again and delivers a deft, single-handed chest pass to Etene Nanai-Seturo, who finishes.

“That was a little razzle dazzle,” Lord told RugbyPass.

“Have I done that in a game before? Not professionally, maybe at primary school. The first pass was a little dusty; the bounce was lucky. The boys’ lead-up work was awesome. Etene’s finish was outstanding. We all enjoy a free-flowing game in the sun.”

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Unfortunately, the Chiefs were unable to sustain momentum. The Crusaders then scored 43 of the next 50 points, eventually winning 43-33.

“We always felt like we were in the game. We lost some key moments and opportunities,” Lord reflected.

“The Crusaders are champions for a reason. We struggled to deal with their scrum. They got that try to Noah Hotham before halftime. We had a few lapses in discipline and defence, which are fixable.”

For a while, Lord’s body didn’t appear fixable. After making his debut for the All Blacks in a 104-14 crushing of the USA on October 23, 2021, he suffered a major ACL injury in 2022 and missed almost a year of play. Further knee, back, ankle and head injuries followed. Since his Chiefs debut on March 13, 2021, against the Crusaders, he has played only 34 out of a possible 84 games.

The melancholy of his struggle is well documented. How has Lord become better at self-preservation, besides surrounding himself with a robust support group that includes his parents, teammates, Chiefs staff, partner Hunter and golden retriever, Ruby?

“You’ve got to stay positive. You can’t dwell on it too long. Being injured a lot, you learn from experience; you can’t let it get you down and, obviously, there are always lights at the end of the tunnel, small goals you set for yourself,” Lord reflected.

“The way I warm up, eat, train, and recover is pretty different from five years ago.”

Lord has been earmarked for great things since he was selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools in 2017. He is a product of Hamilton Boys’ High School, which, under coaches Nigel Hotham and Greg Kirkham, won six national titles and 358 out of 420 games between 2003 and 2024. Lord was also Hamilton Boys’ senior 400 metres sprint champion.

He debuted for Taranaki in a 52-19 win against Northland in 2019. He has played 34 games in Amber and Black, including half of their 10 consecutive wins in 2021, the 2023 Premiership final win against Hawke’s Bay 22-19, and two successful Ranfurly Shield challenges against Canterbury 23-22 in 2020 and Tasman 42-29 in 2024.

Remarkably, he missed all four finals the Chiefs lost since 2021. In 2023 and 2024, he played only seven Chiefs games, yet the All Blacks selectors persevered, finding his height, skill, and potential too compelling to ignore.

Indeed, Lord produced his best rugby during the otherwise turbulent Northern Tour, which ultimately led to coach Scott Robertson losing his job.

Lord played 220 minutes across all four Tests, replacing injured captain Scott Barrett after two minutes of the opening Test against Ireland in Chicago. Despite trailing for 57 minutes, the All Blacks eventually won 26-13 with Lord contributing eight tackles, two lineout catches, and enough graft to foil the plucky Irish.

Scotland was stunned after just three minutes by Lord Magic. He picked up the ball in one hand on halfway, ploughed through the middle of a ruck, and dashed to the 22 before offloading to Cam Roigard, who scored a try. The All Blacks prevailed in a tight 25-17 tussle, with Lord making 18 tackles and contributing to a perfect lineout.

The lineout was not why the All Blacks lost to England. The All Blacks claimed 15 of 17 of their own throws, while England regained only 57 per cent. Lord also made 13 tackles in 66 minutes. The All Blacks’ 52-26 win over Wales in Cardiff featured a perfect 15 out of 15 lineouts.

“It was good to get more opportunities to prove my worth. I’ve got more confidence because of the good people around me,” Lord said.

Josh’s father, Matt Lord, played 10 games for Thames Valley, 34 for North Harbour and 154 for the Northampton Saints. His only Super Rugby appearance was for the Blues against the 13-0 Crusaders in 2002. Matt recalled with Ashley Porter in 2009.

“I got an interception, and I was going for the line, but I was stopped two or three meters short. Apparently, on TV, they were saying if it was Troy Flavell, he would have scored!”

Josh Lord comes from the small King Country township of Owhango, home to Roy Roper, the only All Black to live to 100. Roper played five Tests for the All Blacks in 1949 and 1950. The outside back scored 40 tries in 44 first-class games, retiring before he turned 30 because of knee injuries similar to those Lord has suffered. Roper was a career accountant and served as Taranaki Rugby Union treasurer from 1952 to 1971, overseeing the construction of two grandstands at Rugby Park.

“Unfortunately, I never met Roy, but I met some of his family and was aware of his reputation. It’s wicked that he lived such a full life. Roy is a reminder that as an All Black were a part of something bigger,” Lord said.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs will be heavily favoured to get their Super Rugby Pacific campaign back on track Friday night in Hamilton when they host Moana Pasifika, who have lost their last two matches. The Chiefs have won all seven encounters with Moana Pasifika, with a lowest score of 43 in May 2024.