Stat Attack: Frizell and Jacobson make their cases for World Cup selection
ANALYSIS: There are just four more rounds left in the regular season of Super Rugby. For some players, that means only four more rounds to stake their claim for a spot in the All Blacks.
The selectors will now have a reasonable idea as to their loose forward composition for the upcoming year. Kieran Read, Ardie Savea and Sam Cane will all be in the squad. All three players can cover at least two different positions in the loose forwards. That leaves room for maybe two more bona fide loosies – probably in the form of two blindside flankers.
Liam Squire is yet to make an appearance in 2019. He will likely be favoured for the squad as the incumbent no. 6 but will be in desperate need of game time before the All Blacks’ big matches. In all likelihood, he will be left out of the squad that travels to Argentina and may instead be tested in the Maori All Blacks’ two matches against Fiji. A call up to the main All Blacks squad for their remaining Rugby Championship tests against South Africa and Australia would cap off his return to top level rugby.
Vaea Fifita and Shannon Frizell, with nine and four caps respectively, are the senior All Blacks blindside options operating in Super Rugby this year. Fifita made his debut for New Zealand in 2017 – one year before Frizell – but lost ground to the Highlanders loosie in 2018.
Luke Jacobson and Tom Robinson have been touted as players for the future but have been turning enough heads in Super Rugby to suggest that they could be close to a call up too. Jacobson has certainly made a big difference for the Chiefs since his return from injury and it’s simply a case of when not if for the big Waikato flanker.
Statistically speaking, Frizell and Jacobson have stood out above their competition.
On attack, Frizell has been the most industrious in the tournament to date. With 59 metres gained for every full match played, Frizell is chewing through more ground than any of the other options. That’s courtesy of making more runs and linebreaks per game.
Frizell is also well ahead of the chasing pack in tackle busts, averaging almost four every game. Jacobson, who’s next closest, is breaking half as many tackles.
In recent years the All Blacks selectors have preferred players who aren’t afraid to do some of the less glorious work on attack. Jerome Kaino was a good link-man when necessary, but with a number 8 like Read on the field, it was more important for Kaino to hit the ball up in close contact to make space for his teammates.
Perhaps where Frizell stands out the most on attack, then, is in the grunt work. With over three pick and drives to his name per game, Frizell is again ahead of the other three contenders. None of the other options are even averaging one per match.
Jacobson is the other player to put his hand up for creating havoc for opposition teams – best seen in his superlative performance against the Highlanders. Jacobson is making more offloads and creating more linebreaks per game than the other blindside flankers. Jacobson’s ambitious offence, however, has led to him conceding the most turnovers and making the most handling errors per game.
The All Blacks have never been afraid to select players who are willing to chance their arm – there’s such a thing as a positive mistake. They’ll certainly have high hopes for how a player like Jacobson could potentially add to their attack, but maybe as a backup to Read who has a greater license to roam than the blindside flanker of the day.
Defensively, Jacobson is also performing to a high standard. Robinson has made the most tackles (111) of the contenders, but he’s also played 200 minutes more than Jacobson, who’s made only 9 fewer tackles. At over 14 tackles a game, Jacobson is comfortably the busiest on defence. Jacobson’s tackles are also more dominant than the other players’ and he’s been very successful at cutting down opposing runners’ momentum.
The biggest downside to selecting a player like Jacobson is his size. Jacobson is both shorter and lighter than all three other options, with Robinson at 110kg and 198cm and Fifita at 111kg and 196cm topping the log. This is no better illustrated than in the setpiece, where Fifita, Frizell and Robinson have all been used as genuine lineout options for their Super teams.
Having a blindside flanker on the field who can also be used in the lineouts is a huge boon for any international team and something the All Blacks selectors have always strived for. This factor certainly pushes Jacobson down the queue – the other players can, to some extent, up-skill in the areas that Jacobson excels, but Jacobson will never be the best physical fit for a world class blindsider.
There is one other area, however, where Jacobson has shown himself to be handier than the other candidates, and that’s in winning possession for his team during general play. Jacobson is forcing more penalties than the other three players combined – courtesy of his dominant tackles. Perhaps Jacobson’s size and prowess means openside is his more natural position.
There’s still time for players to make a statement in Super Rugby – especially with the finals series only a month away. Steve Hansen and his fellow All Blacks selectors will be particularly interested in how the possible blindside options perform in knockout matches, which will be more similar environments to test matches. At present, you’d have to expect to see Frizell and Squire selected in the All Blacks squad – but perhaps there’s still some wiggle room that the other candidates will be hoping to exploit.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper 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?
10 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.
10 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 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 comments