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Aidan Ross is one big game away from All Blacks selection

Aidan Ross. (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

Having strung two seasons of uninterrupted rugby together, Aidan Ross looks destined to be rewarded with an All Blacks call-up next week.

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Ross, the formidable loosehead prop, has been knocking on the national selectors’ door for some time now and was a called into camp last season when injuries struck the squad during the July test series. While Ross never managed to find his way onto the park – and didn’t travel with the squad once they set off on their off-shore odyssey in August – his selection emphasised how high up the 26-year-old was in the national pecking order.

Time and time again over the better part of the last four years, the All Blacks selectors have spoken of the need for their front-rowers to be dynamic with the ball in hand, as well as strong at the set-piece. While Ian Foster and co obviously had one eye on the Chiefs loosehead last season, they will have been lasering in on how Ross fits the mould of a test rugby prop throughout the 2022 – starting with his indominable performances at scrum time.

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Picking an All Blacks squad to take on Ireland.

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Picking an All Blacks squad to take on Ireland.

Ross has been part of an impressive Chiefs tight-five that has rarely taken a step backwards throughout their campaign to date. In fact, it’s been a key weapon for the team this year, one the Chiefs have regularly relied upon to earn them penalties or free players during the season.

“Some of our work in training is harder than what we’re getting at times in games,” Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan said earlier in the season regarding his side’s formidable set-piece. “And that’s not to say there aren’t some bloody good scrums out there, but we just don’t feel like we have to play silly buggers to get rewarded at scrum time.

“We’re happy to go there and challenge teams … The other thing we’re probably the best at is we’re the most disciplined team in the competition. There’s no need to wheel when you’ve got a lot of confidence in your scrum, you just scrum square over the ball, you just be prepared to scrum for as long as a referee allows you to scrum.

“It’s always a ding-dong battle but our scrum has continued to be a real strength of ours,” he added this week ahead of the semi-final clash between the Chiefs and Crusaders.

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“But we’ve had the odd slip up, we’ve lost a bit of concentration and opposition teams have exploited that so it’s just another lesson for us that one good scrum doesn’t guarantee a scrum the next time, you’ve just got to keep in the grind and go through the process.”

Of the myriad players in contention for spots in the All Blacks front row, Ross, Joe Moody, Nepo Laulala and Karl Tu’inukuafe are the only players to have not copped any penalties at scrum time this season. With 14 appearances and 12 starts under his belt this year, Ross concedes the fewest scrum penalties per minute played.

In terms of his play around the park, Ross hits an above average number of rucks for a prop and is also regularly one of the first players to the breakdown in order to maintain possession.

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It’s his link play that has probably impressed the most in recent times, however. He and fellow Chiefs front-rower Angus Ta’avao have regularly been involved in sweeping back line plays and, although they’re unsurprisingly not the men making the runs, they’ve thrown inch-perfect passes when called upon and not stymied attacking opportunities through a lack of sleight of hand.

The All Blacks called upon the services of eight props last season: Joe Moody, George Bower, Ethan de Groot, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Nepo Laulala, Ofa Tuungafasi, Angus Ta’avao and Tyrel Lomax. In all likelihood, six or seven will be named next Monday for the All Blacks’ first squad of the season.

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Of the above group, Moody is injured and Tu’inukuafe is heading overseas, which rules them out of contention. Add the likes of Alex Hodgman, Ollie Norris, Tamaiti Williams, Oli Jager and Fletcher Newell into the mix, and there’s ample competition for propping spots.

While Tuungafasi has been one of the best performers across the park this year, he was under the pump against youngster De Groot in last weekend’s quarter-final fixture between the Blues and Highlanders. With senior prop Moody out of the equation, the selectors will likely retain the experienced Laulala. Bower, meanwhile, was effectively the All Blacks’ second-choice loosehead behind Moody last season, starting six matches in the No 1 jersey, but could still find his position under pressure due to the performances of Hodgman and Ross throughout 2022.

It’s likely that Ross has his nose ahead of Hodgman at present but performances in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals could sway the selectors one way or another. De Groot is the only prop in contention for a spot that won’t feature this weekend but it’s likely his impressive work against the Blues last week will have him penned in to feature in July.

Normally at this time of year Ross has found himself sidelined due to injury and hasn’t had the opportunity to press his claims for selection. Last year, after 11 appearances for the Chiefs, he fought his way into the All Blacks squad – albeit temporarily. In 2022, with 14 appearances to his name, it’s likely that the 26-year-old will go one better.

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

14 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

14 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England and their Chief problem England and their Chief problem
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