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'The best No 7 in New Zealand': Exceptional Ranfurly Shield performance reignites calls for a change to the All Blacks squad
The Ranfurly Shield, one of the most revered sporting trophies across the globe, is once again heading north from Canterbury to Taranaki.
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Saturday’s challengers, boosted by All Blacks Tupou Vaa’i and Beauden and Jordie Barrett, built a 20-3 lead at halftime and despite a spirited comeback from Canterbury, Taranaki held strong to claim a 23-22 win.
The holders weren’t exactly light on firepower either, with Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock, Richie Mo’unga and George Bridge all on deck for the game.
It wasn’t any of the All Blacks that captured fan’s attention, however. Instead, it was a man that was overlooked for Ian Foster’s first national selection who would have received his fair share of pats on the back after the game.
Chiefs and Taranaki loose forward Lachlan Boshier, who was such an exemplary performer throughout Super Rugby this season, re-announced himself to Foster and his co-selectors with one of the finest openside flanker performances of the modern era.
Nine turnovers in two games makes for pleasing reading, but Lachlan Boshier has been one of the Chiefs' top performers since he was first called up in 2016. @TomVinicombe spoke to the in-form flanker. #SuperRugby #ChiefsMana #AllBlackshttps://t.co/j4JHTFLQ4Y
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 26, 2020
Boshier has always been a reliable pilferer but the 25-year-old has impressed in 2020 with the timing of his steals – often, when his opposition are hot on attack and threatening the line.
In Saturday’s Ranfurly Shield clash, Boshier earned no fewer than five breakdown turnovers. The last – and possibly most important – came in the final minute of the match with Canterbury into their 16th phase of play and just eight metres out from the Taranaki tryline.
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It was a match-winning play and just one more indication of how imperative it can be to have an out-and-out fetcher playing in the loose forwards. While Boshier has played his fair share of Super Rugby matches, a Ranfurly Shield match with All Blacks available is perhaps the highest pressure environment in which the openside flanker has flourished.
Boshier also produced 18 tackles in the game, just two short of his younger brother Kaylum and Taranaki hooker Ricky Riccitelli.
Punters throughout New Zealand were gobsmacked when Boshier was omitted from the North Island matchday squad for their clash with the South Island earlier this month and although his absence from the All Blacks was telegraphed, many were still disappointed when Boshier wasn’t announced as one of the nation’s potential new caps.
Following Saturday’s match, Twitter was alight with fans calling for Boshier to be brought into the All Blacks.
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Lachlan Boshier confirms he is the best No 7 in New Zealand. #CANvTAR Surely ABs will right a wrong and pick him for TRC.
— Paul Cully (@paulcullystuff) September 19, 2020
How Boshier isn’t an @AllBlacks Unbelievable #CANvTAR
— Paul Brown (@pebrown7) September 19, 2020
How on earth is Lachlan Boshier not in the All Blacks squad? No need to have Cullen Grace, Akira Ioane and Sotuto in the same squad. Boshier is a turnover monster #CANvTAR
— Ben (@BencerasaIe) September 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/StevePhillipsXV/status/1307203947309010945
https://twitter.com/GregAFC/status/1307203620748685313
Lachlan Boshier is ridiculously good at rugby #CANvTAR
— Joel Turner (@jtindahouse) September 19, 2020
How good. Congrats Naki ?????? Boshier will be an All Black very soon ??#RanfurlyShield #CANvTAR
— Tino Jnr Poluleuligaga (@JIP2EZY) September 19, 2020
With Foster likely to take a 46-man squad to Australia in November for the Rugby Championship, there’s still an opportunity for Boshier to get the national call-up.
The All Blacks will gather in Whakatane following the current round of the Mitre 10 Cup in preparation for October’s Bledisloe Cup matches.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments