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Liam Jack: 'I'd to grab an emergency passport to get on the ride'

Liam Jack steps off the New Zealand bus at a recent game in South Africa (Photo by Thinus Maritz/World Rugby)

There was a light-hearted moment last week when Liam Jack was standing at a hotel table in Cape Town talking to RugbyPass about his fledgling career and his unfolding adventure with New Zealand at the World Rugby U20 Championship.

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Halfway through the conversation, he was approached by staff to see if he was interested in availing of any spa treatments – facials, pedicures and the like – that were available that afternoon. A polite no was the understandable answer.

The 6ft 6in, 110kgs lock naturally wanted to look grizzly for his opposition, not radiant. It’s a big deal the Baby Blacks doing well again at U20s level. They were once the standard-setting powerhouse, reeling off the first four titles in succession after the U19 and U21 grades were amalgamated in 2008.

It was 2017 in Georgia when the last of their six titles was won. They finished fourth the following year, going on to endure successive seventh places in 2019 and 2023, but they are now back dining at the top table, qualifying for Sunday’s semi-final versus France as the No1-ranked side at the 12-team tournament.

Their improvement had been sign-posted in May with success at the maiden staging of the age-grade Rugby Championship in Australia. “It was great to go away as a group and play in a tournament before this tournament, create a great team culture and put together some great games,” said Jack. “We want to do well.”

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They are. Twenty-four hours after Jack optimistically said his piece, New Zealand were pipping France at the death, Rico Simpson landing an 80th-minute penalty kick for the 27-26 win in Stellenbosch.

As luck would have, these same countries will now face off again just 10 days later in the semi-finals at the DHL Stadium. A fiercely physical battle is expected but Jack wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, getting stuck in is part of the family heritage.

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Dad Graham was a 1998 Super Rugby title winner for the Crusaders as a lock and the family reputation in the game was further fuelled by Graham’s brother Chris becoming a 67-cap All Black in the engine room, a career that included two World Cups and plenty of titles with the Crusaders.

“I always knew they were pretty good. There are photos of me watching All Blacks games, all rugged up in All Blacks jersey and stuff. I always looked up to them,” he said about his family. “Rugby was never something I was forced to do, it was just a game that I enjoyed

“When I was 11, I transferred from soccer to rugby. I just wanted to play the country’s game, New Zealand’s game. I was a soccer defender. I started tackling people and then decided it was time to change.”

Jack was always a big teenager and standing out from the crowd wasn’t a burden. Neither has been his surname. “I have always been tall. It was good. Just be proud of how tall you are and just own it.

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“I don’t think I am seen as that [son of Graham, nephew of Chris] at the moment. I’d say people have got their own personalities. Ethan Blackadder [son of Todd], he has his own personality. That’s how it is.

“Dad was a bit earlier (than Chris) but I have the tapes you can put into the video recorder and watch the games. He was a great player, didn’t miss many tackles…

“They just let me find my own feet. If I have a question for them they will answer. They are pretty chill. It could be just a little thing about outside of rugby like I am struggling to do something with my routine; they have that experience, they have done it before and they can give me advice on it.”

A Crusaders fan from a young age, Jack started at Rolleston Rugby Club before the schools became the pathway taking him from Selwyn to Christ’s College and now onto Lincoln University Rams while studying architecture.

It was at high school where he twigged his rugby potential. “When you had to go to trainings and start going into the gym putting extra effort into it, that was when I realised if I can keep putting enough effort into it you can make it into a thing you can be proud of. I am good with routine, it gives you purpose. I enjoy it.”

He was blindsided earlier this year, though. Just days before Rob Penney’s Crusaders flew out of New Zealand on their Anglo-Irish tour, a call was made for Jack to tag along. “My passport wasn’t ready,” he confessed.

“I had to grab an emergency passport to get on the ride. I knew probably five days out that I was going but I should have had my passport ready. I didn’t think I was going to go so I was like, I’ll just get it ready for Australia if I make the New Zealand U20s team’ and then it was, ‘Wow, I better get it ready right now’.

The situation resolved, he lapped up the two-game experience from the fringes. “That was a surprise call-up for me. I was just in there for development. They brought me along for injury cover to Ireland and England.

“It was a pretty cool experience seeing the professionals and how they worked day in day out, how they operated. Some bits of gold from the likes of the players and the coaching as well. It was good.”

What most stood out? “Probably the Munster game, I remember watching from the crowd and how energetic the crowd was and how much people were there and how much of an atmosphere it was. It was pretty awesome. A great game.

“I was in there for a few more weeks (with Penney’s squad) and then went into the U20s set-up for the Crusaders. It’s about just working hard, working on my skills and working on my gym and seeing where it takes me.

“Height-wise, I doubt if I get any taller than I am now. Weight-wise, about 116 (is the target). It’s relatively important but your ability to move around the field is just as important as well. You want to get that size but you want to be able to get around the park as well.

“I want to play for the Crusaders. I’m a fan, big time. We all the time would go to the games. Yeah, there have been challenges (in Penney’s first year) but they definitely got to the end of the season looking pretty good. Just unlucky to miss out (on the play-offs).”

Despite his family lineage in rugby, it is the recently retired Sam Whitelock who is Jack’s idol. “He is just one of the greats of the game, sets the standard, his lineout ability and just his ability around the park is pretty awesome.

“You’d seen it in that game against Ireland at the World Cup, that showed how good he is. I have met him before. I remember seeing him when I came to one of my first trainings with the Crusaders. Pretty scary but it’s cool.” Sure is.

  • Click here to sign up to RugbyPass TV for free live coverage of matches from the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship in countries that don’t have an exclusive local host broadcaster deal

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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