Gregor Paul: The ‘relentless’ star who could finally fix big All Blacks issue

OPINION:

Super Rugby has started to deliver answers to all sorts of questions in recent weeks, none more important than a solution to the vexed issue of whether New Zealand has a world-class blindside flanker in its midst.

What’s become apparent, albeit disguised by the fact that neither of them has spent much time wearing No 6, is that Luke Jacobson and Shannon Frizell have presented themselves as compelling contenders to win All Blacks selection at blindside.

Jacobson has quietly impressed all year with his attitude and aptitude – selflessly playing wherever the Chiefs have needed him to and delivering the same sort of consistent crunch in his defence that was a hallmark of Kieran Read’s game.

Some players produce the occasional spectacular tackle that makes everyone wince, but Jacobson is a high-percentage defender – relentlessly driving his shoulders into ball carriers to make his presence felt - and if the Chiefs go on to win the title, no one will have contributed more than the 25-year-old loose forward.

Chiefs duo Sam Cane and Luke Jacobson could be linking up in the All Blacks loose forwards. Photo / Getty Images

Defence of that nature wins test matches and he’s established this year, particularly in the last month, that he’s the country’s most consistent, high-impact, accurate tackler.

But as Jacobson reminded everyone on Saturday night, there’s an explosive ball-carrying element to his game too and as he tore down the left flank to score the first try in Canberra, he established that he has speed and athleticism, and an awareness of when and how to use it.

While Jacobson mostly plays at No 8, he’s bringing precisely what the All Blacks want from their No 6 – dominant tackles, powerful ball carrying and a high work rate.

He has demonstrated his ability to fulfil the positional demands of blindside and so too has he played with such conviction and impact as to force the All Blacks selectors to ask, if not Jacobson at No 6, then whom?

Akira Ioane has been mostly injured in 2023 and while he’s undoubtedly a powerful athlete who excites when he finds himself in a bit of space, it would be a stretch for the selectors to argue that his overall body of work in the last two years has shown either the range, consistency or dynamism of that produced by Jacobson in this campaign.

Ethan Blackadder has also been challenged by injury this year and as he offers much the same skill set as Jacobson – honesty, integrity, high work rate and undeniable commitment – it would be difficult to justify how, on form, the All Blacks could pick him ahead of his Chiefs rival.

Luke Jacobson (left) is a strong contender to be the All Blacks No 6. Photo / Getty Images

The only other player who has significantly advanced their cause is Frizell, who curiously demonstrated his World Cup value during a stint at lock for the Highlanders.

Seeing Frizell make a successful, albeit brief transition to the second row, enabled him to demonstrate his raw power as a ball-carrier, lineout prowess and hitherto unrealised, or at least under-appreciated, scrummaging ability.

By playing as well as he did in the unfamiliar position, Frizell highlighted his blindside credentials through his muscular attributes.

Whether it was good luck, or good management, Frizell’s stint at lock saw him become more obviously involved in the dual arts of driving his team over the gainline and stopping the opposition from doing the same.

His ball-carrying in the middle of the field as a first receiver was the big surprise, as he was able to frequently dominate specialist locks who were 10kg-15kg heavier than him.

So too was he able to endure the additional scrummaging load that comes at lock and still get himself around the field and in doing so, he has provided reason to start seeing him as a potential utility option for the All Blacks.

Using Frizell as a utility would pave the way for the All Blacks to replicate their 2015 World Cup strategy of not putting a specialist lock on the bench.

When they won in 2015, they went through the knockout rounds with Sam Cane and Victor Vito on the bench, with starting loose forwards Jerome Kaino and Read aware that one of them would have to shift to lock if there was an injury to either Sam Whitelock or Brodie Retallick.

It was a risk, but it gave the All Blacks the ability to inject speed, dynamism and mobility off the bench to try to increase the tempo at which they played in the final quarter.

With one crunch qualifying round and playoffs to come, there is still time for the picture to evolve, but Jacobson and Frizell have played their way from being possibles to sit alongside Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and Dalton Papali’i as probables.

Which likely leaves Hoskins Sotutu, Blackadder, Ioane and Billy Harmon fighting for one last place in the All Blacks squad.