Rugby: Ross must be boss against plotting Matfield

He may be a nice bloke on kid's television - but on the field Isaac Ross is all business. Photo / Getty Images

The All Blacks' answer to world rugby's most destructive lineout is still the gangly youngster whose smile lights up children's afternoon television, but assistant coach Steve Hansen believes Isaac Ross is worth the investment.

To turn around their twin defeats in South Africa, the All Blacks' lineout must improve against the Springboks in Saturday's Tri-Nations test here.

Countering Springboks ace Victor Matfield is the conundrum once again, with the decorated Bulls lock sure to be chasing a big game as he becomes the most capped South African in all tests against New Zealand, surpassing Percy Montgomery and Mark Andrews.

Matfield will be intent on picking apart the All Blacks' throw, applying heat on opposite jumper and the man entrusted with the lineout calls, Ross.

It worked to perfection in the tests at Bloemfontein and Durban, where the New Zealanders appeared to self-destruct.

Hansen today played down the Matfield factor, saying his forwards would not make any special allowances.

"I think we're starting to build this guy to something that he's not, he's just another human being," Hansen said.

"Isaac Ross has to prepare like he does for any test match."

The comments contrast with those the other All Blacks coaches and players have delivered all season, constantly attributing their lineout inefficiency to the methods of Matfield, who dissects oppositions systems, anticipates calls and is athletic enough to cut off throws over a large area.

Head coach Graham Henry this week described Matfield as "the best lineout student in the game", who had forced the All Blacks to rethink their approach this week despite an improved showing in the one-point defeat of the Wallabies in Sydney three weeks ago.

"We made a lot of improvements in Australia but South Africa are the best lineout in the world. Matfield ... does a lot of homework and I've got a huge amount of respect for what he does.

"He's head and shoulders above everyone else in the world in that regard. He puts a lot of pressure on so you have to think it through again and come up with the right recipe."

Countering the gnarly Matfield is 24-year-old Cantabrian Ross, a player at the opposite end of the test rugby spectrum.

He has accrued seven caps since his debut three months ago but he would still be better recognised by the youth of New Zealand for his role as a roving reporter on a TV entertainment show.

Hansen admitted the athletic Ross still had improvements to make at the top level but suggested a peak by the next World Cup was a realistic target once he had beefed up.

"When you look at Isaac, he's a big skinny kid, for want of a better term," Hansen said.

"He's working hard on his physicality in the gym. He'll mature probably in another two years.

"There are things at the moment that he physically can't do. It's just that his body's not mature enough yet to allow him to do that.

"(But) There are things he can do better than anyone else in the world. You've just got to make allowances and get on with it."

Meanwhile, Henry and Hansen were both relaxed about their tactic of naming a reserves bench without specialist lock cover.

Starting blindside flanker Jerome Kaino will shift into the engine room if Ross or Brad Thorn is injured, and might even make a tactical switch there late in the test.

Hansen said it was an experiment being used this week only, with a clear goal of playing at speed late in the test.

"If we've got mobile athletes on the park, when they (Springboks) are tiring things might open up."

Henry said Kaino, No 8 Kieran Read and reserve loose forwards Rodney So'oialo and Adam Thomson were all capable lineout jumpers.

Hansen added that scrum coach Mike Cron was confident Kaino would not affect the All Blacks scrum at lock after assessing his technique.

New Zealand's thin locking depth is set to stiffen when Anthony Boric makes his return for North Harbour either this week or next from a toe injury that has sidelined him for about six months.

Boric, who joined the All Blacks as an observer this week, is sure to be named in the season-ending tour squad, with first-choice lock Ali Williams still recovering from calf muscle problems.

- NZPA