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Building the perfect rugby player: Blindside flanker

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We now move to the blindside flankers in our series looking at what goes into making the perfect rugby player at each position, having profiled the prototype lock earlier this week.

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The composition of back rows is by no means rigidly defined, with many teams opting to double up on similar players across the loose forward trio, although the traditional stereotype of a blindside flanker still exists and is still highly valued by most teams.

Even when a team does opt for two more traditional opensides on the flanks, or even moves a second row to the blindside, those players still have to deliver in areas that have long become associated with the six jersey. We pick out those five key attributes below and highlight the best examples of them in world rugby.

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First and foremost, a blindside flanker is required to exert their physicality on the game, often most notably in the tackle. They are regularly among the biggest hitting players in any team and they are frequently tasked with bringing down the opposition’s power carriers in solo tackles on or before the gain-line.

Few players do that as well as Argentina’s Marcos Kremer, with the former age-grade second row having transitioned excellently to a role on the blindside as a senior international. His ability to stay low in the tackle and drive up and through ball-carriers, denying them any momentum, is something which sets him apart, whilst he’s also not afraid to go higher and attempt to deny the carrier any offloading opportunities.

One word that has always been associated with blindsides is ‘workhorse’ and relates to the demand that they be one of, if not the busiest player on the team in defence. They are regularly asked to make multiple tackles in a small number of phases and that can be physically and mentally draining, and it takes special players to fight through that and keep performing.

As far as the current crop of blindside flankers go, no one surpasses South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit in this area. The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year could be mentioned in any of these five categories, such is his incredible ability on the pitch, though it’s that stamina and work rate he has that allows and pushes him to keep positively impacting all facets of the game at club and international levels.

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Although normally considered more of an openside flanker trait, the ability to influence the battle at the breakdown has become an important part of any blindside’s repertoire. The accuracy and efficiency of a blindside on the clear-out has always been required, though with transition rugby being such a pivotal part of the game, proficiency stealing ball at defensive breakdowns has also become key.

Part of England’s ‘Kamikaze Twins’ pairing at the Rugby World Cup, Tom Curry excelled in a role on the blindside in England’s mobile and dynamic pack. He brought physicality and other more blindside-specific skills to the position, but his work as a brutally efficient operator on either side of the ball at the contact area dovetailed well with the similarly effective Sam Underhill.

Providing a third option at the lineout, in addition to the two second rows, is another area of the game where a blindside flanker can set themselves apart. There are exceptions, of course, but No 8s and openside flankers don’t always tend to be the most adept jumpers, so a tall blindside with plenty of vertical explosion can make themselves integral to any back row unit.

There really is no one more adept at this in the modern game than Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony, who has regularly wrecked opposition game plans with his ability to disrupt at the lineout. His tendency to read an opposition throw and get up and in front of his rival jumper is remarkable and any team lining up against Munster or Ireland has to have a contingency plan for him. Throw into the mix the fact he is a reliable option on attacking throws, too, and you have quite the player.

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Last but not least, we come to mobility and athletic ability. As with the locks, this has not always been a major requirement of the position, but as the game has become faster and forwards in general have turned into a rare breed of physical freak, the same is expected of blindsides.

For New Zealand, Shannon Frizell has encapsulated this brilliantly. He provides all the physical muscle close to the ruck and in the tight that he is needed to, but he also shines when the game breaks up or becomes looser, as he has the pace to live with it. Whether making important breaks as a ball-carrier, supporting others’ breaks or covering across the pitch in defence, Frizell’s proficiency at moving through the gears is impressive.

Physicality in the tackle – Marcos Kremer

Stamina and work rate – Pieter-Steph du Toit

Breakdown contribution – Tom Curry

Lineout option – Peter O’Mahony

Mobility – Shannon Frizell

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R
RedWarrior 31 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

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