'The body was pretty beaten up': Lachlan Boshier lifts the lid on physical beating in 'brutal' Super Rugby Aotearoa
Relaxed though he may be, Lachlan Boshier knows the beating that his body will have to take in order to get the job done for the Chiefs in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Cutting a basketball singlet and shorts, the off-season is now over, and ahead, a big season for the man aptly referred to as the competition’s ‘turnover specialist’.
The expectation is last year’s form will carry over, that alongside the likes of Sam Cane and Luke Jacobson, Boshier will do his part to ensure the Chiefs head into each and every breakdown with the aim of being dominant and winning possession.
Instructed by interim coach Clayton McMillan to persevere with being comfortable without possession, perhaps a signal of a smarter territorial game to come this season, the Chiefs’ exploits against the tide at the breakdown could prove critical as they look to create opportunities for tries by being menacing in the trenches when opposition teams are setting up to clear for territory of their own.
Boshier will be a core cog in these efforts, but it will take a physical toll on what is still a very young body, one that perhaps has already had its shelf life shortened thanks to its weekly thrashings last season.
“The body was pretty beaten up,” Boshier tells RugbyPass. “First and foremost this recent break was about resting up and getting it right again because there is still plenty for me to improve on.”
Rugby pundits would agree that the 26-year-old was unlucky to miss out on the black jersey in 2020, seemingly overlooked for loose forwards who package a more versatile game.
Hurricanes loosie Du’Plessis Kirifi got the nod to come into the All Blacks as an injury replacement after Boshier had been left out of the main squad following the North v South match.
Boshier is still to have heard from All Black selectors, but heading into a campaign where the Chiefs are hellbent on turning their fortunes around, the Taranaki-native has self-identified the areas where he needs to improve.
“Maybe a little bit of the ball carry in the tight stuff. I don’t feel I’m doing too bad out in the wide channels but I need to lift the physicality in all areas. I’m not the most explosive player but the tank just keeps going and it’s about having that mindset to just carry on and put your head in the dark places”.
Looking at his game, the assessment Boshier makes is correct. It’s one thing to be a mammoth force at the breakdown and throw his 104kg frame into the wood chipper each week, it’s another to be a genuine offensive threat around the edges.
The body was sore following last season. Boshier had racked up a lot of 80-minute performances for both the Chiefs and Taranaki.
Super Rugby Aotearoa is back up and running, with the Crusaders and Blues both picking up wins in the first round of the competition. But, which five players from the opening weekend stood out the most? #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/qWBoIsyuMz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 1, 2021
Feeling physically drained, Boshier talks of the mental impact towards the latter end of the piece as he tried to command his body to get back up, quite literally, off the turf in several instances.
“I don’t really think about it when I’m going in [to the breakdown] so I think it’s probably just natural instinct,” Boshier says. “I did get a lot of talk from some of the boys who said I might need to go off the field but I just carried on and ignored it.
“Sometimes that’s not a good thing because your body is getting banged up and you don’t recover well.”
Despite the physical toll, Boshier relished his opportunities to play the full 80 minutes each week, but considerable attention and effort had to be placed on recovery, a core part of the modern game that the best players manage to execute well for those critical few days after each match.
“You’ll always be sore but if you just sit on the couch you’ll only feel worse so I try to get out there and do something on the recovery front in the days after each game to limber the body up because it’s a tough old slog that doesn’t get any easier.”
New Zealand Rugby has announced a Super Rugby Aotearoa round two match will be delayed in a bid to allow fans to attend the fixture. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/GnvycUBb3s
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2021
It’s easy to forget that the road travelled for Boshier has been long. Chiefs debut? Look all the way back to 2016, coming in as an injury replacement with nothing else other than a semi-good resume.
Five years on, Boshier is now a critical part of the Chiefs forward pack and will have to be something near what he was last season if the franchise is to match the power of opposition jacklers.
Quietly spoken, laid back, but a real grafter where it counts, the message Boshier has given to his teammates during the preseason has been to forget about the frustrations of the 0-8 run a year ago.
Focus, according to Boshier, should sit on the individual efforts toward the collective goal of being far better opportunity takers, nailing the little moments, and doing the core roles well.
“There is no point in this group dwelling on all the losses we had last year. It’s about focusing on doing what you can control and playing as well as we can collectively to get the team across the line.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Not so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
2 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
2 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
18 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
18 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
2 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
18 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
18 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
18 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
18 Go to commentsI hadn’t watched much Canes this season but sat through a replay of that Chiefs game with no distractions. That pack is beastly. I really like the look of Iose. He loves the tough stuff. The first Quins clip may be the best I have even seen for a TH driving his opposite into oblivion. i need to take your word for the contribution of Walker, but Collier there with a straight back pushing up from under was a lovely thing to see. Have you fallen in love with Baxter also, Nick? I think Stuart Barnes may have written his column about him recently, naked. He positively frothed.
14 Go to commentsSmart guy. I wish he was running the RFU or something!
2 Go to commentsWhy Barrett, when Leinster already have at least 4 top centres.?
15 Go to commentsGood write up, Brett. Rebels are an interesting one for sure. 88 points scored in the last two games, but against two teams that are unlikely to be in the top 4 at seasons end. However the other side of the coin, against the Hurricanes, the team to beat atm, they conceded 54 points, and add in another 53 points to the then high flying Reds, and things don’t look so good. The acid tests will be against the Blues and the Chiefs. I do hope they do contest the finals this year, if only to confound those working on their demise. Les Kiss has made a big difference to the Qld. Reds, and they could so easily have now been sitting unbeaten at the top of the table. But they have now lost some games in a most disappointing fashion, and now step up against the Highlanders this weekend seriously depleted, four absolute key players down, two to suspension, two injured. Of the other Australian sides, the Brumbies look unlikely to fold to anyone any time soon, while the Waratahs and Force both disappoint. But still and all, winning games against the NZ sides is very welcome, and one would hope for more to come. Who will come out on top ? A North Island side for sure should contest the final, but I would hope an Australian side might just get there this year. Brumbies most likely, Qld. Reds could be formidable with a full team back on the field.
12 Go to commentsThe stat that illustrates some progress compared to recent years is that Aussie sides have won 5 of 12 games against Kiwi sides. The Tahs have lost 2 tight games against Kiwi sides, while the Reds and Tahs have contrasting experiences in games against Kiwi sides decided by that farcical thing called golden point.
12 Go to comments