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Chiefs loose forward Luke Jacobson will be trying to pick up where he left off when the 2019 Super Rugby season gets underway.
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The 21-year-old is gearing up for his second Super Rugby season and is thankful to be involved after missing a large part of 2018 through concussion.
“It’s been going good,” Jacobson told RugbyPass when asked how the preseason is going.
“I’ve personally had a little bit of a different journey to everyone else coming back from injury but I’ve been able to get back into it over the last couple of weeks, it’s been good to throw the footy ball around and get amongst it with the boys.”
After a promising start to his professional career, the former New Zealand U20 captain took an elbow to the head during the final regular season fixture of the season and has spent the last six months recovering, missing the entire Mitre 10 Cup season for Waikato.
“She’s a pretty slow couple of months there for a while but things are looking pretty good now,” he said. “I just got cleared for contact yesterday so should be looking to get back in the thick of things within the next three weeks.”
“We’re probably looking at about three weeks from now to be able to start playing, I don’t know how that’ll look – me returning – I might be playing a little bit of club [rugby[ or whatever, just trying to get back into the swing of things.”
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As for personal aspirations in 2019, Jacobson has his eyes fixated on one goal in particular.
“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.”
Jacobson primarily operates at blindside and number eight, and has a good chance to get some more reps under his belt following the departure of longtime Chief Liam Messam, who largely occupied the No. 6 jersey during his 179-match tenure with the side.
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As for how the team is preparing as a whole for the new season, Jacobson is optimistic that the Chiefs can improve after making the quarterfinals last year in Colin Cooper’s first year in charge.
“There’s a few new faces, a couple of boys are first years and a couple of boys coming in from different places but I think everyone’s starting to gel together pretty well.
“Having the All Blacks back in definitely lifts up everything in regards to the level, also they bring good culture to the team as well.
“Everybody looks up to them, they come in and they’re the friendliest guys there. There’s no chip on anybody’s shoulder and everyone’s on the same playing field.”
2019 will also be star first five-eighth Damian McKenzie’s second full season in the No. 10 jersey, something Jacobson is excited for.
“He brings a pretty electric style to our game,” he said.
“A lot of our play comes off the back of him obviously being first five. I think he’ll be better for it this year, I mean he was pretty good last year but with another year in the saddle he’ll be much better for it.”
Jacobson also shed light on a potential future Chief, Waikato midfielder Quinn Tupaea.
The 19-year-old starred for Waikato in 2018 and was tipped by many to take a place on a Super Rugby squad. That hasn’t materialised yet but Tupaea has been with the Chiefs during the preseason on an Interim Training Contract, where he has impressed.
“He’s in there as an ITC at the moment but the numbers he pushes out in the gym, I think he’s on of the PBers for almost every lift at his position,” Jacobson said. “He’s a bit of a man child but he definitely fits right in out there, as do quite a lot of the ITC boys in there.
“I think he’s been hard done by a little bit not being amongst that sort of thing [Super Rugby] but he’ll do really well with the U20s.
“I’m unsure what his plans are after that but I’m sure he’ll be in and around.”
The Chiefs continue their preseason in Queensland on Friday with a match against the Reds, where Tupaea features among the reserves.
Should Jacobson hit his three-week target, he should be on track for a Super Rugby return for his side’s home hitout against the Sunwolves on March 2, dependent on whether he jumps straight back into Super Rugby action.
The regular season will kick off for the Chiefs next Friday when they host the Highlanders at FMG Stadium Waikato.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
7 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
7 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid 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?
5 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.
6 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.
22 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
22 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.
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