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The drums are starting to beat louder for Du’Plessis Kirifi
The drums are starting to beat a bit louder for Du’Plessis Kirifi.
I can remember when he arrived in Wellington from Hamilton in 2017 and the way he carried himself.
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Kirifi had the swagger and confidence of a 50-test All Black and quickly gravitated towards the better players in the side. The same was true when he was elevated to the Hurricanes’ squad two years later.
Since then he’s shown himself to be a durable, competitive and athletic openside. Not big, but certainly a brave and boisterous presence on the paddock.
He might not have accumulated a single cap for the All Blacks, but he’s continued to give the appearance that he believes he belongs in that company.
That might soon become a reality, given how often coaches and selectors succumb to public sentiment.
Personally, I think we waste quite a lot of time discussing players who are unlikely to ever be All Blacks of consequence.
I always admired the play of Pita Gus Sowakula, for instance, but never really regarded him as All Black material. I said as much on a radio interview a few years back, which seemed to offend the host.
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His contention was that Sowakula had to be an All Black and it would be an egregious snub if he wasn’t. My counter was that he was playing the same position as Ardie Savea and I couldn’t see a world where Sowakula ever displaced him in the side.
Sowakula was eventually picked, discarded and we all moved on.
And that’s kind of how I feel about Kirifi.
I see the argument for him as a player of test quality, I just don’t see where he quite fits in New Zealand’s loose forward mix, where the preference is for players who can occupy multiple spots in the trio.
With Sam Cane now retired there is a spot up for grabs, but I’d be surprised to see it become permanently occupied by Kirifi.
We’re yet to see how Scott Robertson configures the loose forward mix, but Savea will be in it. So too Ethan Blackadder and Wallace Sititi, once fit.
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Peter Lakai looked the part against France at the end of last year, Samipeni Finau was a fixture in the squad and then you’ve got others such as Dalton Papali’i and Luke Jacobson.
Five of those blokes do, or can, play openside, as well as offering an option at 6 or 8.
Yeah, you could add Kirifi to that list – and I don’t think he’d look particularly out of place – but at the age of 28 it’s hard to see that he’s got a lengthy test career in front of him.
I don’t write any of this to be critical of him or to run him down. Kirifi is a good player and there’s a huge amount to admire about the way he plays his rugby.
I just go back to the point that we often devote too much time to pushing the test claims of players who come and go from the All Blacks pretty quickly.
Take Shaun Stevenson. Great to watch, accumulated plenty of highlights over the years, but the coverage of the man is completely disproportionate to his status in the game.
There will always be players, such as Stevenson and Sowakula who accumulate a cap or two. Kirifi could become another.
But, when we’re talking about potential All Blacks, I think we should be talking about guys with the potential to play 50 tests-plus and guys who’ll go down in the annals of history.
I might be reading this wrong. Maybe Kirifi will one day be talked about in the same breath as the great opensides of my lifetime such as Richie McCaw, Josh Kronfeld, Michael Jones and Graham Mourie.
I just think sometimes it’s okay to regard someone as a good player, without demanding they be made an All Black.
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I would like to see Kirifi given a chance. It is how good some one is not how big they are. Tom Christie for the Crusaders is so good. Like Du Plessis. Matt Todd was a huge part of successful Crusaders and Canterbury teams, statistics consistently up there. Matt played when South African teams were in the comp. Good enough equals big enough. As Hamish also says Ethan Blackadder will be in the mix. He has been in great form for the Crusaders this year. Two weeks ago against the Reds, he was awesome. His team mate Cullen Grace is playing so well in all facets . Great line out jumper at the back too.
Cane and McCaw didn’t jump in the lineout. The argument doesn’t make sense. Kirifi can bring things to the mix, that’s undeniable. He’s very combative, a real pest in the rucks, and he repeats the efforts. He’s a bundle of energy.
Besides, I don’t see how the careers of Blackadder, Jacobson, and Papalii in the All Blacks demonstrate that they are more indispensable at the moment?
Kirifi needs to be tested. And even if he might not be considered an automatic starter, he would be a good squad player. For 2027, I imagine a back row of Frizell/Savea/Sititi. Sititi at 7."
McCaw did jump in the lineout, for example July 25, 2015; but example that was a trick play. He was occasionally used at two, in a traditional role, but not often, probably not even every other game (McCaw, although shorter at 1.88m, offers much the same. As Henry says, he's an improved ball-carrier and a proven lineout jumper [Herald on Sunday 1 Jun, 2008 05:00 AM]).
When A Savea jumps it is also often at two. Adding an option that the opposition have to factor into their lineout defense plans. The more options a lineout has the better.
Yes, Kirifi is good. Yes, he offers things that Blackadder or Jacobsen don’t offer (they are not real sevens; six and a half at best). But what does Kirifi offer that A Savea or Peter Lakai don’t offer? A Savea and Peter Lakai can cover all three loose roles and can be used as ‘sometimes’ jumpers.
Kirifi is probably worth a shot, just to see if he ‘grows another leg’ when he get a Black jersey. Some do. But he’s an outside chance to be the starting 7 on a regular basis. Peter Lakai would be the best 7 to invest in, Lakai is just 22 while Kirifi is 28.
Agree, for RWC 2027 Sititi might be the best option for 7. He could be like Michael Jones. Sititi is a good ‘secondary’ option in the lineout too.
This is a strange article, so players that won’t make 50 caps aren’t worth talking about? Saying, oh he isn’t the best in his position is too simple.
The question should be: Can a player add to the All Blacks environment?
Winning world cups is about squad depth, combinations within the 23, rest and rotation and team culture. Henry knew this and Erasmus knows this, any kiwi without the memory of a goldfish should know this too (2011). Rugby media in NZ are too fixated on the starting XV, let alone the makeup of the match-day 23 or even the wider squad.
Some quality 20-30ish cap loosies like Matt Todd, Liam Messam, Chris Masoe and Victor Vito added plenty to their respective teams.
As others have mentioned Kirifi could be a weapon on a 6-2 bench, with impact, clutch plays and leadership at the death, not to mention his off field impact on the squad culture. Starting XV for every match? Unlikely, but we can use him to play horses for courses and have a 6-2.
Back to the question then: Can Kirifi add to the All Blacks environment? Yes.
I think the whole utility thing is a bit over done. Yes the bench and squad need some utility players to cover injury, either in game or through a tournament. However the starting XV should be the best in that position. Full stop. Line out jumping hasn't ever been a 7’s job. Tackle, win the ball, support the ball runner, link plays is a 7’s job. That said, I see Peter Lakai as the future and 2 full seasons from RWC’27 the future needs to be playing and gaining those 25-30 caps of experience.
The utility aspect could become more important if World Rugby reduces the size of the bench, or keeps the bench at the same size and reduces the number replacements.
That is a real possibility to occur before RWC 2027. The 6-2 and 7-1 splits are becoming more popular. But a lot of people don’t like those splits as they reduce the impact of fatigue and encourage slow power based play resulting in more heavy collisions.
World Rugby has been pretty clear they would like to see: less heavy collisions, and fatigue to play more of a roll. We’ll see how it goes.
Peter Lakai is tall enough to be a ‘sometimes’ jumping option. About the only 7, currently in contention for the All Blacks, who isn’t is Kirifi. I think Sititi could also make a good 7.
Wow did you know not every AB is a 100 cap player but some can get 12 caps and win a world cup. Moron as usual bidwell
The Allblacks have a bunch of sevens running around at six and eight. They don't need another small seven added. However they should be switching some of these sevens into hooker.
Kevin Mealamu used to be an eight, then moved to 2 as his lack of height was going to hold him back as an eight. He was a mobile and dynamic 2.
In New Zealand the 2 has become almost a second 7: Mealamu, Hore, Coles, Taylor, Anuma, Ekland etc.
Kirifi would be a menace, at 2, with 20 minutes to go. Lots of running meters, turnovers and tackles. Most probably too late to transfer now though. Kirfi is still a very good 7, gives 100% and wouldn’t let the All Blacks down. He seems like a nice guy and someone who is respected too.
As much as rugby is a game, it’s also a job - at the professional level. Lots of people do jobs they don’t like, as that is what is best for their work teams.
I suspect the only way Kirifi makes the ABs is if the selectors want an NZ version of Kwaga Smith. And that implies we go 6-2 or 7-1 and there is the option for one or two of the forward to cover midfield. Not impossible, but I don’t think it’s likely.
Do you think NZ can go 6-2 with at least one player backline player covering each backline position? Ie. only needing a forward in the backs in the event of 2 injuries? Just wondering because, most of our backs play multiple positions, its seems like we aren’t utilizing that.
Don’t get me wrong 5-3 should be our go to but surely it should be 5-3 with best players in preferred positions or 6-2 with some utility options. We seem stuck in between the two.
In any case we need an answer to France and Boks if they are can go for a 7-1. Kirifi could be that 6th impact forward we need.
in fairness Kirifi shown much more consistency over a number of years than Gus ever did? And I wouldn’t be so sure about Blackadder Papalii or Jacobsen retaining there places all the above are good players but do u think any of them have had as much impact on a match as much as Kirifi like ever ? Give the man a go ball carry been great last couple of years!!
His tiddly height woumd disrupt us and be mercilessly exposed by opposition sides. Cruel but true Sad because he is durable and has a colossal engine. A 7 litre v8 in a Toyota Corolla.
I think he deserves a call up because of his name alone.