‘He is New Zealand’s answer to Kwagga Smith’ – Rookie backed to fill All Blacks ‘hybrid’ void
Do the All Blacks have their own Kwagga Smith coming through?
Do the All Blacks have their own Kwagga Smith coming through? Ex-hooker James Parsons and former Crusaders scrum-half Bryn Hall believe they do in the form of Waikato prodigy Oli Mathis.
Mathis enjoyed a breakout NPC campaign starring for Waikato in his debut season and could continue his rise with the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific next year.
The 19-year-old made seven appearances for Waikato, twice coming off the bench, with three starts at openside flanker and twice on the wing.
He scored five tries for the side, including a stunner in the semi-final defeat to Wellington where he started the match on the wing and his performances has certainly caught the eye of fans and pundits alike.
Mathis trained with the Chiefs this season as one of New Zealand Rugby’s National Development Contracts (NDC), which allows promising young players to be immersed in the professional rugby environment for the Super Rugby Pacific season and may become a full-time member of the squad in 2025.
The All Blacks’ Kwagga Smith?
The exciting back-rower was overlooked for the New Zealand u20s this year but may well force his way into the squad, particularly after his standout performances in the NPC which earned the praise of ex-All Blacks hooker Parsons and former Crusaders’ nine Hall.
“Oli Mathis is he a seven or is he a winger like genuinely because we talked a lot about the Springboks and about guys being in different positions with Kwagga Smith and that but I think he’s just taken it to another level,” Hall enthused on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Like if you watch him play for the first time and you didn’t know he was a flanker, you’d think he’s a winger but that try, individual brilliance try, that he scored [against Wellington] from 50 metres out from a chip and chase, put it on his right foot, and then the ability to be able to pick it up under pressure – I was like ‘There’s no way this guy can be a seven’.
Jeez if you’re talking about one for the future and one in a hybrid role – we have had a few questions in the past right about having hybrid players – Oli Mathis right there can show you what a hybrid and what the future might look like because he was outstanding, I love watching him play.”
Check out his NPC highlights, the article continues below…
Oli Mathis NPC 2024 Highlights
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Parsons responded emphatically, stating: “He is New Zealand’s answer to Kwagga Smith.
“Kwagga has got a bit more size, Kwagga could go to the wing.”
The former front rower believes that Mathis may follow the same career path as the double World Cup-winning flanker who represented South Africa on the sevens stage before earning his Test debut in 2018.
“Silly enough in terms of his development, we might even see him in the sevens you know like I think he’s clearly shown that,” Parsons added.
“Even when he played at seven, I think it was against Northland, he showed this raw pace and this raw ability to break the line and get the between defenders.”
The risk of filling out
However, Parsons is wary of the fact that the youngster will need to bulk up as he moves up the ranks in New Zealand which could impact his pace.
“I suppose where most coaches will be looking at in terms of role at seven is around the collision area and how they grow his body mass,” he explained.
“Now does he lose that speed and ability to play on the wing as he grows because he is going to have to fill into his body to play a higher level?
“He is a [solid bloke] but you think a Super Rugby seven, an international seven, he going to grow, he’s young as well, so he’s physically going to develop.
“If he can do that development and keep that pace man the world’s his oyster, like even that nudge ahead from the chip and chase just the left foot toe ahead, most forwards would dive on the ball to secure it, he puts the foot to it and scores a ridiculous try.”
Mathis’ bench tweaks
The versatility of Kwagga Smith in the Springboks squad with his ability to play across the loose trio and fill in on the wing allowed South Africa to select a forward’s heavy bench in the build-up to and during the Rugby World Cup.
Notably, they picked a 7-1 split in favour of the forwards for their last warm-up match against the All Blacks and did so again in the final.
Hall believes that Mathis will grant any team he plays for the same kind of advantage.
“Any team that he is on, man he is just great for that hybrid role in a 6-2 or 7-1 split,” he said.
However, Parsons pointed out that Waikato head coach Ross Filipo has already taken advantage of the youngster’s versatility but in a different manner getting more backline options on his bench.
“I actually think that was an element of the 4-4 split because Ross Filipo and his team went for a 4-4 split, so four forwards and four backs but it’s because they had a back that could come into the forwards,” he said.
“So he has actually already allowed for that manipulation in terms of that team structure in a different sense.”
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