'If you want a punch up, let's have one': Sir Steve Hansen excited by NZ forward pack

Having named their 33-man squad for the Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks are entering their final phase under Ian Foster and the coach’s predecessor is enjoying how the side is shaping up ahead of the tournament.

Earlier in the week, Sir Steve Hansen was complimentary of the belief shown by the All Blacks in their comeback win over the Wallabies in Dunedin, saying it was “outstanding” to have won every Test in The Rugby Championship and put themselves in a position to experiment in Bledisloe 2.

While the team’s success has impressed the 2015 World Champion, Hansen says the nature of the Rugby World Cup makes it more difficult for some players to perform and that the challenge in naming the right squad would be in finding players who suit a seven-week tournament.

Now that the squad has been named, Hansen is able to deliver his verdict on the selections.

“I think it’s stronger than 2019,” Hansen told SENZ The Run Home. “Particularly up front, the tight five. We’ve got really good props who can not only do their core role but they’re good ball carriers, they’re good defenders and agile and move really well, and can play the game with the ball in hand.

“And of course Scott Barrett’s on fire, Sammy Whitelock and (Brodie) Retallick just keep going and going and they’ve got a good backup in (Tupou) Vaa’i so I think the tight five are looking pretty sharp and that’s where we’re going to have to win it.”

Hansen spoke to the skillset and physicality the forwards bring but also their attitude. Now the New Zealand pack have established themselves as a hard set of shoulders, they back themselves around the collision area.

“I’m excited a little bit about our forward pack,” he continued. “The tight five are really stamping their mark on the game and that allows us to say ‘righto, if you want a punch up, let’s have one. If you want to play footy let’s have one.’

“It gives us a bit more versatility than we’ve had probably in the last three or four years.”

The benefit of a strong forward pack resonates with the backs, where the All Blacks’ identity is most tangible. The tradition of running rugby had been under threat in New Zealand due to the evolution of defence and Ian Foster’s forwards struggling to lay the required platform.

Since new forwards coach Jason Ryan’s injection into the team though the dark arts have been purring for the Kiwis and that in itself has opened the game up for Foster and his game drivers.

“They can play in multiple ways, that’s what excites me. Our DNA is to play running rugby but right now I think we can take a punch in the nose and give one up front and that’s something that’s probably been missing for a wee bit.”