All Blacks legend doubles down on call for Scott Robertson to switch star’s position
Former All Blacks number eight Murray Mexted and second-rower Tupou Vaa'i gathers possession at a lineout against the Wallabies.
Legendary All Blacks number eight Murray Mexted has repeated his call for New Zealand’s head coach Scott Robertson to shift Tupou Vaa’i from the second-row into the back-row.
Two months ago, Mexted urged Robertson to add more height and size to the All Blacks’ back five of the scrum in a bid to get the better of the Springboks when the arch rivals meet in the Rugby Championship later this year.
At the time, Mexted said Robertson may have to sacrifice the talents of 2024 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Wallace Sititi with Vaa’i slotting in on the blindside flank, with either Josh Lord or Fabian Holland coming into the All Blacks‘ starting line-up to take Vaa’i’s spot in the second-row alongside the side’s captain Scott Barrett.
Robertson named a 33-man squad for the All Blacks’ upcoming three-Test series against France in New Zealand and Sititi was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury, after initially being named.
His place in the squad has been taken by Crusaders number eight Christian Lio-Willie although there are just five loose forwards in Robertson’s group with Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Samipeni Finau and Du’Plessis Kirifi the other back-rowers in the squad.
All Blacks lost successive Tests against the Springboks in 2024
Last year, New Zealand lost both their Rugby Championship Tests against their arch rivals in Johannesburg and Cape Town and Mexted identified a lack of height in the lineouts as one of the key reasons for the All Blacks’ defeats.
After selecting only five back-rowers in his group, Robertson indicated that some of the locks could play in the back-row as well and although Mexted is not entirely happy with so few loose forwards in the squad, he believes the All Blacks boss has addressed the height issue judging from some of his other selections.
“Normally you would have six and sometimes we’ve even had seven,” he told the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin. “It’s quite unusual really because there’s six props.
“There’s six props and there’s plenty of hookers as well. So there’s a real emphasis on the front-row, which is interesting in itself.
“The fact that we’ve got four locks and five loosies, it is interesting. I think we’re short in that area of the game or perhaps he’s wanting to boost the front-row because winning possession, one of those areas, the lifting is crucial. And I noticed that the new prop, Ollie (Norris), he’s six foot five.
“I think that’s the same height as Tamaiti Williams. To have two six foot five props in your team is a real bonus because it means with lifting, you can lift the jumper higher.
“There’s still no hiding the fact that we haven’t got much in the way of height in the loose forwards.
“You do need at least two players in that back three that have the ability to win ball in the lineout, but it’s not only in lineouts but kick offs (too).
“It’s not only that area, it’s opposition ball as well, which people seem to neglect or forget.
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“You know, you see every now and again, Ardie (Savea) will be lifting the lineout, but it’s a surprise lift.
‘There’s probably room for another loose forward with a bit of height’
“It’s not a go-to lift, you know. And so I think it’s a really interesting thing. So I think there’s probably room for another loose forward with a bit of height.”
Mexted then repeated his call for Vaa’i – who impressed at lock for the All Blacks alongside the side’s captain Barrett in 2024 – to make the move from the second-row to the back-row.
“I often think about that. That the middle run (Tupou) Vaa’i, you know, he looks to me like he would be a great loose forward. I’ve said this before on your show.”
Devlin then reminded Mexted that Vaa’i has been doing excellently in the lineouts at lock for the Chiefs during their recent Super Rugby Pacific campaign, particularly in the final against the Crusaders.
Mexted was not convinced, however, and said: “That is correct, but you’ve got to look at who he’s marking.
“And he’s been marking Super Rugby players, and there’s a lot of Super Rugby players playing lock that are no bigger than 196 or 197 or 198 (centimetres), which is where he is.
“You go to South Africa and you’re marking guys who are 206 and 207 and 208 (centimetres), you know, and that’s where our yardstick is.
“Our yardstick has got to be South Africa and France and England. The teams that are, the big teams that are hard to beat, the teams that have got real height and real ball-winning capacity.
“And you will remember, because I reiterated it several times, that we went to South Africa last year and we lost matches because we couldn’t win the ball. And I think they averaged 40 or 41 percent of possession. That’s not good enough for an All Black team.
“You know, you’ve got to have at least 50 percent, but I’d be targeting 60 percent for (an) All Black side. And as it takes the referee out of the game, it does a whole lot of things, but at 40 percent, you are reliant on absolutely everything working, and having a completely neutral, when I say neutral referee, a referee that makes neutral decisions, not a neutral referee, because they’re all pretty neutral, aren’t they?
“And there’s some decisions are better than others. But I think that takes those things out of play.
“And we’ve got to think about that because we want to win. We don’t want to come second.”