Ruben Love on 10 switch: 'I don't need to reinvent the wheel'

Ruben Love is gearing up for his first season back at 10 since becoming a Test fullback, but the 24-year-old isn’t overcomplicating things as he enters the new chapter in his career.

Love began his Super Rugby career as a first five-eighth, but shifted to the backfield with the arrival of Brett Cameron in Wellington in 2023.

In the time between drinks, Love has established himself as one of the All Blacks‘ most promising young prospects and has split his few minutes on the Test stage between fullback and wing.

While Hurricanes assistant coach Cory Jane has previously revealed that Love’s long-term ambition has always been the black No.10 jersey, the Palmerston North product knows he must take things one step at a time.

“I’ve just got to get my flow back, get my rhythm,” he told the media in Wellington this week. “It’s been a long time since I’ve played a game; Wales, I only played 50 minutes because of my ankle.

“I’m just excited to get out there with my mates again, to be honest. It’s pre-season, I want to play the best I can, but just to get my feel, my flow, going into camp next week and then going into Moana.

“I just want to do the best I can and make sure all the work this summer is paying off, and see what I need to work on for the Moana game.”

The move to 10 comes in a season with plenty of expectations on the Hurricanes, who are now a full season removed from a top-seed finish in 2024 and are finally looking largely healthy coming into the new campaign. That makes Love’s role all the more simple, he says.

“I just need to be purposeful and direct the team well. I feel like we’ve got a stacked team, and what the boys need from me is just control and riding the momentum of the game.

“If I can put us in the right areas of the field and just make sure the forwards are getting the communication that they need, I feel like that has us covered.

“I don’t need to reinvent the wheel, or try to be an individual player, I’ve just got to play for the team and play for the players around me, because I feel like we definitely have the squad for me to do that.”

Love is part of a supremely talented new generation of All Blacks plying their trade with the Hurricanes, playing alongside Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard in the Kiwi capital.

In an age bracket one tick higher, the Canes boast names like Asafo Aumua, Tyrel Lomax, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Billy Proctor and Jordie Barrett. The latter has returned from a one-year stint with Leinster in the URC, and is set to play a big role outside Love in the backline.

“I was at 10, and he (Barrett) was at 15 when I started; my first year in 2021, he was at fullback, and he was doing the majority of the kicking and all of that stuff,” Love reflected.

“It’s special, especially watching him in the All Blacks the last two years, how he works at 12. I feel like I have a gauge of what he needs from a 10.

“Like I said, I’ve just got to make sure I put him in the right spots, give him what he needs to be able to do what he does best, and just make sure that he’s got a calm head, there’s no clutter in his mind.”