The new requirement for an All Blacks loose forward
When New Zealand travelled to the World Cup in Japan last year, the make-up of their first-choice loose forward trio was still not quite clear.
Their three best players – Kieran Read, Ardie Savea and Sam Cane – had been crammed into one trio to take on the Wallabies in Perth earlier in the year, but questions remained over the viability of that option.
Savea and Cane had traditionally been viewed as out and out openside flankers, but that thinking changed (or was forced to change) in 2019 when it became apparent that there was no one else ready to step up to the plate as an international blindside flanker.
Liam Squire, Jerome Kaino’s heir-apparent, had withdrawn himself from national selection for personal reasons while Luke Jacobson showed plenty of promise but eventually was pulled from the tournament due to lingering concussion issues.
The experimental trio in Perth were outplayed by their Australian opposition but the fact that the All Blacks were reduced to a seven-man pack for half the game due to a red card incurred by lock Scott Barrett made it difficult to assess the performance.
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The same trio again started against Australia three weeks later in the Bledisloe Cup decider and all three players stood up to help crush the Wallabies 36-nil.
Still, there were reservations about the combination.
Cane and Read had it all right, starting in their usual positions, but Savea was the one who was forced into a slightly different role on the blindside flank.
Questions were asked concerning whether Savea had the bulk or height to shift into the 6 jersey, or if his influence would be stifled by the more conservative nature of the role.
Still, coach Steve Hansen persisted and it wasn’t until New Zealand’s ill-fated semi-final against England that a new option was trialled, with Barrett shifted from the second row onto the blindside.
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It wasn’t quite the inspired selection that Hansen would have hoped for, with the English forwards comfortably playing their New Zealand opponents out of the game.
Hansen himself probably still wonder what his best option would have been going into that game. Jacobson and Squire were both back home in New Zealand, alongside the likes of Vaea Fifita and Luke Whitelock, while Shannon Frizell and Matt Todd were saved for the bronze playoff a week later.
Whatever the right answer is, it’s becoming clear that the role of each loose forward is no longer as simple as it was in the past.
Alongside the usual jobs of a forward, tackling, fetching and ball carrying were the traditional jobs of the blindside flanker, the openside flanker and the number 8, respectively.
Loose forwards are now expected to do all of the above, as well as running in open play, passing and sometimes even kicking.
There are simply no players on the field that are expected to have as diverse a pallet of skills as a loosie – and coaches and fans alike are expecting more and more from New Zealand’s players.
Jacobson, who has played almost zero rugby on the openside has been touted as Test-level 7 – simply because he can do all the jobs required of a modern-day loosie.
“I feel a lot more comfortable at 6 and 8,” said Jacobson at the Super Rugby launch. “I’ve had a little bit of time in the saddle at 7 to build a little confidence there.
“I’m not too phased where I am, as long as I’m out on the pitch. If that’s where the team wants me then sweet as, no dramas.”
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— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 26, 2020
Savea has also covered all three loose forward roles between the Hurricanes and the All Blacks while Cane has been used at the back of the scrum for the Chiefs.
In the Chiefs’ game against the Reds, late in the 2019 season, Cane was originally named on the blindside with Lachlan Boshier at 7 but when the pair ran out of the tunnel for the match, it was Boshier who’d been handed the 6 jersey.
“To be honest, it wouldn’t worry me which number they have on their back,” said Chiefs forwards coach Neil Barnes ahead of the game. “We talk about what roles they’re going to do from set-piece and, from there, it’s just rugby and they play, so it’s not a big deal.”
Cane also shed some light on the situation.
“As soon as [the team] got announced, me and Lachie talked and Neil came over and said ‘I don’t care which jersey you guys wear, you guys sort it out’.
“We were like ‘well I’m doing seven at lineout, Lachie’s doing six at lineout’. I said [to Boshier] ‘do you want to do seven at scrum time?’, he goes ‘I don’t really mind’. I said ‘sweet, I don’t mind either.’”
Because there’s so much more to the roles than simply tackling or causing a ruckus at the breakdown, the similarities between the two positions have grown so much compared to the aspects that make them unique that distinguishing between the two is almost pointless.
The current crop of New Zealand loose forwards that will contest for spots in the first All Blacks squad for the year are all more than capable of playing in at least two positions.
Incumbents Cane and Savea can effectively operate across the whole backrow. Jacobson and Blues flanker Dalton Papalii are in a similar boat – though their comparative lack of experience means they haven’t had the chance to show off their abilities in all three positions at Super Rugby level yet.
Then there are the hybrid lock/flankers like Barrett, Fifita, Frizell and Tom Robinson.
It’s fast becoming apparent that to progress to the next level, you’re going to need at least a few strings to your both – especially with compacted squads, such as at the World Cup.
With just 31 men allowed, the ability to cover more than one position is imperative and, thankfully, most of New Zealand’s loose forwards are capable of doing so.
The role of a loose forward has grown considerably since the early years of professionalism where specialisation was key. Now, strength lies in breadth of skills and selection at the highest levels is becoming more and more dependent on it.
WATCH: England coach Eddie Jones says he wants the team to be “the greatest team the rugby world has ever seen” following his announcement of the team’s Six Nations squad.
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?
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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
24 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
24 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.
10 Go to comments