Justin Marshall boldly predicts next All Blacks wunderkind to have a ‘statement year’ after Scott Robertson tip

Colin Newboult 29 Jan 2025 4:47 PM

All Blacks and Hurricanes back-row Peter Lakai, and former scrum-half Justin Marshall.

Justin Marshall has predicted that Peter Lakai will make a Wallace Sititi-like impact this season after the Chiefs back-rower’s injury.

The 22-year-old will miss the majority of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign, which could affect international selection later in the year.

Sititi has plenty of credit in the bank and could well make the July series with France, but his exact return date has not been confirmed.

With the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year out and Sam Cane retiring from Test duty, Marshall thinks that Lakai could stake his claim by impressing in Super Rugby.

Impressed against France

Just a few months younger than the Chiefs star, the 21-year-old Hurricane made his All Blacks debut against Japan in October before coming off the bench in the first minute of their penultimate Autumn Nations Series encounter against France.

He scored his international try and impressed throughout the clash despite Les Bleus edging to a 30-29 victory in mid-November.

Lakai will now look to build on that when the Hurricanes’ Super Rugby season starts next month with more New Zealand caps potentially on the horizon.

“Obviously, with Wallace Sititi being out, that’s offered another massive opportunity. With Sam Cane moving on, there is a position there in the loose forwards that somebody needs to grab. But it’s Peter Lakai for me,” Marshall told DSPN with Martin Devlin.

“He had a really good season two years ago and then the loose forwards at the Hurricanes played unbelievably last year.

“Guys like [Brayden] Iose and that were outstanding, Brad Shields was playing some of his best rugby and Lakai, whilst still being a really good performer and being in the All Blacks, this is his year to take that next step.”

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Lakai made his debut for the Hurricanes as a teenager in 2023 and featured in the first eight rounds of Super Rugby Pacific that year.

The back-rower, who can play both flanker and number eight, built on that in his second season and became a key part of the Wellington outfit’s loose forward combination.

Scott Robertson a fan

According to Marshall, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson is a fan of the youngster and Lakai could well follow Sititi in cementing himself in the New Zealand 23 over the next 12 months.

“I had a beer with Razor in Ireland and he was massively complimentary of him at training and his work ethic, and the things that he’s doing, but he didn’t take that next step because Wallace Sititi basically took that role,” the former scrum-half added.

“Razor preferred having experience in Cane and Savea over having two rookies in there or two players that were a little green.

“Keep an eye on Peter Lakai this season, he’s one player that I really feel we could do with stepping up and having a statement year.”