Why Shannon Frizell is in pole position to reclaim the All Blacks' No 6 jersey this year
If you’ve watched the Highlanders this season, you’ll have been subjected to arguably the most inconsistent team in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021.
For every stupendous win against title frontrunners such as the Crusaders, Chiefs and Blues, there have also been deflating defeats, as was seen against the Hurricanes last month and at Eden Park a fortnight beforehand.
Still, the Dunedin-based franchise remain an outside chance at making the competition’s grand final on May 8, provided they can pick up a revenge victory over the Hurricanes next Friday and that a slew of other results fall in their favour.
If the Highlanders are to gather some kind of consistency and defy their high-paying odds to reach the all-Kiwi finale, the influence of star loose forward Shannon Frizell will be crucial to their fortunes.
In a campaign that has seen the stuttering southerners often take one step forward and then two steps backwards, Frizell has been a fine example in constantly churning out excellent performance after excellent performance.
The blockbusting nature of the Tongan-born flanker’s talents has been well-known ever since he first burst onto the Super Rugby scene with an epic hat-trick of tries against the Blues in his debut season three years ago.
That sole outing ultimately led to a shock All Blacks call-up that same year, but his place in the national camp has never really been fully solidified amid a highly-competitive pool of loose forwards across New Zealand.
In his first year with the All Blacks, former coach Steve Hansen handed Frizell just four caps before he featured off the bench against the Springboks in the following year’s Rugby Championship.
That wasn’t enough to convince Hansen and his assistants to include the 27-year-old in the 2019 World Cup squad in what was an indicator of where he laid in the national pecking order.
Handed a reprieve via Luke Jacobson’s tournament-ending injury before the competition had even kicked-off, Frizell was called upon to feature against South Africa, Canada, Namibia and Wales, but his inclusion as injury cover showed he wasn’t considered a first-choice selection by the All Blacks.
That changed last year when he started in four of New Zealand’s six tests in a shortened test calendar on the back of some impressive displays in the newly-formed Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Some mixed performances in the first three Bledisloe Cup tests against the Wallabies ensued, but Frizell was then culled from the match day side in the wake of Argentina’s first-ever victory over the All Blacks in Parramatta last November.
"If you want to select a player capable of beating the best opposition in the world, chances are you wouldn’t look in Japan for him."
– Hamish Bidwell on why the All Black selection policies should change. https://t.co/XIxbk1Iw0p— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 19, 2021
Criticised by many for his lack of discipline and ineffectiveness against a powerhouse Los Pumas forward pack, Frizell’s performance in that fixture undid much of his good work to establish himself as New Zealand’s top pick at blindside flanker in the wake of the World Cup.
In his side’s next and final match of the Tri Nations, Frizell was replaced by Akira Ioane, the man long-heralded as a future test star who was finally beginning to reach his highly-touted potential with a string of compelling displays for the Blues and All Blacks.
Ioane continued that rich vein of form with a man-of-the-match display in Frizell’s absence to establish himself, in many people’s eyes, as the new first-choice No 6 heading into the 2021 season.
That mindset among the masses surely has to have changed at this point of Super Rugby Aotearoa, though, considering Frizell’s immense output and Ioane’s comparative downfall.
An explosive operator with ball in hand and a hard grafter without it, Frizell has set the tone for those looking to cement themselves as Jerome Kaino’s bona fide successor as New Zealand’s premier blindside flanker.
The 13-test back rower has shown many times over the years how much damage he can inflict on opposition players by charging his 1.95m, 108kg frame at the defensive line with little regard for his own well-being.
It’s almost surprising that he isn’t one of the numerous high-profile players dropping like flies due to injuries across New Zealand as a result of his confrontational style of play.
What’s more impressive, though, is his superb work rate, defensive efficiency and ability at the set piece – all of which were prominent aspects of Ioane’s game that thrust him to the All Blacks’ No 6 jersey by the end of 2020.
Not only has he lasted for the full 80 minutes of the Highlanders’ last five matches, the numbers Frizell has produced in those outings have been top notch.
As it stands with two rounds to play in the regular season of Super Rugby Aotearoa, no player in the competition has carried the ball as many times (78) as Frizell, nor has any other forward beaten as many defenders (20) as the ex-Tonga U20 representative.
Furthermore, his versatility as a genuine lineout option is reflected in the fact that he ranks fourth for lineout wins in Super Rugby Aotearoa (18), while he sits in the league’s top 10 tacklers with 59 to his name.
In Friday’s 35-29 win over the Blues alone, Frizell didn’t miss a beat as he completed all 11 of his tackle attempts, carried the ball 12 times and secured nearly half of his side’s 10 lineout throws.
Blues prop Alex Hodgman will play no further part in Super Rugby Aotearoa this season after copping a ban for his red card against the Highlanders on Friday. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/drUW9xg5Aa
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 19, 2021
What can’t be relayed in statistics, though, is the vigour and commitment he put into that performance, two aspects of his game that have been ever-present all season.
That led Highlanders co-captain Ash Dixon to lather Frizell in praise for answering the franchise’s call to step up in place of the injured Liam Squire in the face of an all-star Blues loose forward trio.
“He’s taken it to a new level,” Dixon said of Frizell’s efforts in the post-match press conference.”I thought, tonight, he was immense. He was defensively sound, he carries the ball hard, and his work rate is pretty phenomenal.
“Like I said before, he was playing three All Blacks loosies [Ioane, Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu] and he stood up really well. For us, he’s been massive with Liam sidelined for the season.
“Someone needed to step up and play some minutes, and he’s been our go-to, so I hope he continues and keeps going as well as he does and it’ll be great for us. He’s been awesome.”
His sterling display against the Blues wasn’t just crucial in helping the Highlanders surge to victory, but it was also instrumental in elevating himself back into pole position in the race against Ioane for a place in the All Blacks’ No 6 jersey.
While Ioane hasn’t been bad by any means, he certainly hasn’t returned to his scintillating self of 2020 where he turned his long-standing deficiencies – work rate, defence and set piece ability – into strengths and highly-valued assets for whichever team he played for.
Instead, Frizell has been the shining light in all those respects, and, with the All Blacks set to face off teams with juggernaut forward packs such as the Springboks and France later this year, those qualities will be akin to gold for Ian Foster’s side.
That isn’t to say Ioane doesn’t remain one of New Zealand’s two best blindside flankers, even if head coach Leon MacDonald has opted for new skipper Tom Robinson in his starting lineups in recent weeks.
If last year is anything to go by, the 25-year-old clearly has the capability to foot it with Frizell and challenge for starting honours for the All Blacks leading into the next World Cup and beyond.
But, if Frizell continues his strong form at domestic level, it will be increasingly difficult to deny one of the Highlanders’ most consistent performers the All Blacks’ No 6 jersey in the coming months.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
13 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)
1 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?
1 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.
4 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.
16 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
16 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.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments