Ardie Savea labelled ‘the best player in the world’ as All Blacks legend issues Scott Robertson plea
Ardie Savea and an inset of former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson.
Ardie Savea has been hailed as the “best player in the world” following his sensational run of form in Super Rugby Pacific.
The All Blacks star returned to the competition after a season in Japan and has impressed at Moana Pasifika, with the club winning four of their 10 matches including a victory over the Fijian Drua over the weekend.
Savea shone in the 34-15 triumph, producing a stunning moment where he received the ball out wide before chipping over the top of the defence and regathered to score.
The try was ruled out for an earlier knock-on but the loose forward’s display of skill has been widely praised.
Ardie Savea’s form
Former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson believes that Moana Pasifika are making the most of Savea’s talents by deploying him in the wider channels, and has urged Scott Robertson to do the same later this year.
“It was a remarkable piece of skill. Once again, though, I’ve been talking about it all season, Ardie Savea in the outside channels and not through the middle of the park,” Wilson said on the Breakdown.
“He is a ball player, he’s skilful, he’s got creativity, don’t make him go through the middle of the park, get him out in the spaces and use this sort of skill.”
Former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui agreed with Wilson, adding that Savea is the best player in the world right now and one of Super Rugby’s greatest-ever signings.
“Out there, you can find the one-on-ones, you’ve got high-density defenders at second, third, fourth defender, here he is a dominant voice and force, it’s ‘give me the ball’,” he said.
“He is that kid that’s a superstar at 10, who is too good for everyone, but he’s doing it at the Super Rugby level.
Savea a favourite for Super Rugby Player of the Year
He added: “He is the best player in the world, and because it means so much to him to play for Moana, I think he’s gone to another level.
“The amount of strapping he has on him already, he’s just going into blackness, almost in terms of the lack of fuel he has at the end of a match.
“You know that he’s doing four people’s jobs, when he’s there, people play better around him. He is one of the best signings in the history of Super Rugby.”
Wilson added that Savea’s form for Moana makes him a clear frontrunner to claim the Super Rugby Player of the Year award.
“The reality is that he is now locked in to win Super Rugby Player of the Year,” he said.
“He’s the best player out there, the most influential player, and that’s on and off the field. Sometimes there are special players like that, and what he’s doing for them is remarkable.”
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