'No one's going to remember who got second or third but everyone's going to remember who won' - Chiefs coach Warren Gatland on Super Rugby Aotearoa. Video / Chiefs
Luke Jacobson has had a lesson in resilience.
Limited to just eight matches in the 2019 Super Rugby season, the Chiefs flanker found a way to make his presence known. In doing so, the 23-year-old earned his first call up to the All Blacks, only to have the chance toplay in the World Cup taken away by a concussion.
"I knew pretty well that I wasn't right and if I was going to try to put myself out there, it was just going to do me worse," he recalled to the Herald.
"It wouldn't have been smart to go out there to try and whack against some of the best players in the world."
After dealing with concussion, it was a hamstring injury that kept him on the sidelines for all but 10 minutes of action when the Super Rugby season returned in 2020.
Luke Jacobson was limited to just 10 minutes of game time before the 2020 Super Rugby season was halted. Photo / Photosport
For someone who has been largely injury-free in his career, it's been an unfamiliar 18 months.
"Before last year, the longest I had been out for was maybe three or four weeks with an ankle," Jacobson said.
"So I've been through a little bit of an unlucky patch over the last year and a half obviously with my head and then coming back and getting a hamstring (injury); it was probably just the speed at the start of the seasons - I probably wasn't quite conditioned for it, but hopefully that's all behind me now. I'm definitely confident I can get back to some back-to-back games."
Jacobson was on the verge of returning to the pitch when the season was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. His hamstring was still "niggling away a little bit" but had recovered to a point where he was available for selection. At that time, he was itching to get back into action – and was even more so during the nationwide lockdown. But, in the long run, Jacobson benefitted for the extended break.
"It's been a long time coming. Halfway through lockdown I was keen to go, let alone now.
"Mind you, I was ready to go but I probably wasn't still feeling too flash. But after lockdown now the body's feeling as good as it has for a while, so I'll take that positive out of it."
Luke Jacobson earned his first All Blacks cap in 2019. Photo / Photosport
It's been a year and a half of learning off the pitch for the promising young flanker, who will return to action on Saturday against the Highlanders, wearing the No 6 jersey in the opening match of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The match will be one of the first sporting fixtures worldwide to be played in front of a crowd since the pandemic hit, and a bumper crowd is expected at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.
"How good?" Jacobson responded when asked about playing in front of a crowd. "We weren't meant to be playing in front of a crowd which was going to be a little bit strange. But now we'll probably have The Zoo there going nuts, which is good, the music pumping too. It's good as a player running out to a crowd.
"If they're cheering for the other team you can take that and use it for yourself anyway so we're hugely excited to have fans along and we're looking forward to hopefully putting on a good exciting game for them."
While Jacobson will be taking his place on the blindside, with Lachlan Boshier and Pita Gus Sowakula completing the loose trio, coach Warren Gatland has indicated there could well be changes by the week in the three positions, with the Chiefs possessing immense depth in the back row.
Luke Jacobson has been waiting for the opportunity to get back onto the pitch. Photo / Photosport
Speaking earlier in the week, Gatland said the original plan was to play Mitchell Karpik on the openside, Sam Cane on the blindside and Jacobson at No 8. Both Karpik and Cane missed selection due to injury.
"We're lucky enough with the amount of competition and the flexibility that we've got within the squad that we can chop and change a little bit in certain positions," Gatland said.
"Those loosies know that for a performance that isn't quite up there, there's someone ready to step up and fill their shoes. We're very fortunate with how strong our loose forward trios are, so those guys get the chance this weekend to get the first hit out and really mark a mark for themselves and push their names forward for further selection."
