A legendary figure in New Zealand rugby, Murray Mexted, has raised concerns about the upcoming All Blacks' Grand Slam campaign. In a recent podcast interview, Mexted highlighted what he believes to be a critical weakness in the team's strategy: the lack of size among their loose forwards.
The All Blacks, led by head coach Scott Robertson, have selected a 36-man squad for their upcoming fixtures, including 20 forwards and 16 backs. However, Mexted believes that the composition of the forward pack, particularly the seven loose forwards, is not ideal for securing possession in lineouts. He argues that only two of the loose forwards are of adequate size to compete effectively for aerial possession.
"It's an interesting dilemma," Mexted said. "When you look at the loose forwards, there are seven of them, but only four locks. And of those seven, only two are big enough to consistently win ball on opposition throws. It's a crucial aspect of the game.
In our recent series against Australia and South Africa, we struggled to maintain possession, falling below 50% in both matches. We need players who can consistently win the ball in the air. Out of those seven loose forwards, four or five won't be able to do that, which is a significant concern.
The selectors have done a commendable job overall, and I'm generally pleased with the team. But I believe they're still experimenting with the loose forwards, which is a bit worrying.
This issue of size among the forwards, especially in the back-row, has been a recurring theme for Mexted over the past year. He emphasizes the importance of possession, stating, "You've got to have the ball. It's impossible to win a game without it."
Mexted further explains, "Fifty years ago, teams were winning games with kicks at goal. That's no longer the case. Today's game is all about scoring tries, and that requires possession. That's why I keep emphasizing this point. We need loose forwards who can consistently win the ball in the air, and currently, we're lacking in that department.
We've tried players like Tupou Vaa'i, who performed well when moved to the blindside. But the selectors have moved him back to lock. It seems they're still experimenting, trying to decide who to keep. When you look at the size of the current loose forwards, they're quite similar. Lakai, Sititi, Kirifi, Savea, and even Jacobson are all relatively similar in size. They need to narrow it down to two or three, not four or five."
