Justin Marshall: The ‘glaringly obvious’ Ardie Savea call Scott Robertson needs to make after Ian Foster didn’t ‘want to listen’
All Blacks back-rower Ardie Savea and former scrum-half Justin Marshall (inset).
Justin Marshall insists that Ardie Savea’s form in Super Rugby Pacific this season shows that the All Blacks must now move him to openside flanker.
The versatile back-rower has been New Zealand’s first choice number eight for the past few years and became the 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year for his performances in that position.
However, there have been calls to shift him to number seven, particularly due to Sam Cane’s retirement and the emergence of Wallace Sititi.
Savea has only started once in that slot since 2021 with Ian Foster consistently selecting him at the base of the scrum during his tenure.
Reluctant All Blacks head coaches
Marshall claims that he has often urged All Blacks head coaches to make the positional switch, but Foster – and more recently recently Robertson – have been reluctant to do it.
“I don’t want to be a smartarse but I can’t help myself. I’ve been saying for three years that Ardie Savea is an openside flanker and nobody wanted to seem to listen, particularly All Black coaches,” the ex-scrum-half told Sport Nation.
“The more I see him on the side of the scrum and how the rest of the loose forward trio balances out, and the player that he is in that jersey, the more it’s glaringly obvious that Scott Robertson needs to pick him in that shirt.”
Since moving to Moana Pasifika, Savea has played mostly at openside flanker, producing a number of inspirational performances to help them to their best-ever Super Rugby Pacific season.
They are not a one-man team, but the back-rower’s displays have been absolutely vital in giving them a shot at making the 2025 play-offs.
‘Perfectly suited’ to openside
“He’s a unique player. What he does do really well is have the ability to slightly change the picture in the way he’s playing. His natural instinct is to gravitate to the ball because that’s where he’s strong,” Marshall added.
“Either offensively or defensively, that’s where he is at his most destructive. Openside flankers gravitate to the ball, they want to be first or second arriving player the majority of the time.
“If Ardie’s going to that zone and he’s picking and going, and carrying with his leg drive, that’s where he’s devastating – he’s hard to get to ground.
“If he’s there as a defender, how good is he over the ball and how hard is he to move? We saw that on Saturday night.
“For the majority of the game, that’s where he’s at, which suits the jersey number. He then has the ability, when he sees others going to that zone and getting over the ball or cleaning the ruck – and he’s outside of that pattern – to play second or third receiver and do things that he’s been doing for Moana Pasifika.
“His ability to be able to do that and balance his game out is perfectly suited to that shirt.”
READ MORE: Ardie Savea dubbed ‘best player in the world’ by ex-All Black after ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ performance
