We're in seven heaven

He may have missed out on the test squad but Josh Blackie is heading to Australia with the Junior All Blacks. Picture / Fotopress

To the Lions, it must seem like a conveyor belt, and Josh Blackie, the next flying No 7 to tackle the Lions, has been watching and listening.

How the Lions are coping - or not coping - with the tackle-ball area is shaping as one of the most important aspects of this tour.

In successive games, the tourists have found Nili Latu, Chris Masoe and Marty Holah too good, and too quick for them.

Wellington's hopes for Ben Herring to do the same on Wednesday night were dashed when he didn't re-emerge after halftime, due to an injury.

Against Otago, the Lions are playing two opensiders, Lewis Moody and Martyn Williams. Two on one doesn't seem fair; then again, Blackie's fellow flanker, captain Craig Newby, is no slouch around the park either.

Blackie hasn't been impressed with the Lions' work so far in the areas most relevant to him.

"The Lions are moaning about it, but at the end of the day it just comes down to greater intensity at the rucks and mauls," Blackie said.

"New Zealand teams are hoeing in and getting lower than the Lions.

"The Lions are too busy talking to the referee and worrying about what we're doing."

Blackie has a simple theory on why the New Zealand forwards have it over the Lions in that area.

"It happens at every level, Super 12, NPC or club rugby. The team that is more keen or hungry is always going to win the contact area.

"At the moment the New Zealand teams are playing with a lot of pride and emotion, and that's being reflected in the contact area."

Blackie knows the Lions are good-quality international footballers. He ascribes their problems partly to the good day-bad day fluctuations which affect all sports men and women, "and at the moment they've come up against some good tackled ball exponents in New Zealand".

A few weeks back, Blackie's name was being touted as a possibility for the All Blacks first test squad of 26.

He was playing superb rugby for the Highlanders at a time the Super 12 franchise was enjoying a rich run of form and results, winning six matches on the bounce.

Blackie has degrees in commerce and physical education and answers questions in a thoughtful manner. So when asked to assess his own form, he doesn't jump in and take the easy option.

"It's a very subjective area. When you're playing in a team that's winning, your own individual performance gets highlighted more than when you're losing.

"I feel I was pretty consistent in my play, and when we've been losing I sometimes feel I've been playing better than when we're winning. It's just the way things go."

Blackie is tailormade for the sevens game, with his express speed and nose for support play. He's played for Gordon Tietjens' world circuit winners, but while he enjoys it, he still yearns for the All Black jersey.

"All you can do is your best, keep putting the pressure on. You've got to do the hard yards and I'm just chipping away and hopefully it'll happen one day."

In a country renowned for having top-quality No 7s growing on trees, it's a tough position to crack.

Still, the 25-year-old, who was a third former at Auckland's Liston College when the Lions last toured, is in the Junior All Blacks heading to Australia shortly and a strong performance against the Lions tomorrow night will keep his name there or thereabouts.

Blackie also knows his Otago history and its proud record against the Lions.

"They've done pretty well and it is pretty humbling to be part of this generation taking them on.

"Our coach [former All Black Wayne Graham] took them on in 1977. I wasn't even born.

"And John Haggart, our assistant coach, was saying he'd played 119 games for Otago, but never got to face the Lions. Yeah, pretty humbling."