All Blacks legend Jeff Wilson has urged the New Zealand selectors to consider benching Ardie Savea in order to field a more physical starting back row.
Savea has been one of the more consistent players in the Ian Foster-era, taking the No 8 jersey following Kieran Read’s retirement after the 2019 World Cup.
Even though the 1.88m, 102kg Savea is smaller than his counterparts in Ireland, France and South Africa, he has made himself undroppable and earned back-t0-back All Blacks Player of the Year awards.
However, on Sky Sports rugby show The Breakdown, player-turned-pundit Wilson claimed that Chiefs bruiser Luke Jacobson, coming off an excellent Super Rugby season, should be the starting No 8 to give the All Blacks a physical edge at the World Cup.
“I’m going to throw it in right now, I’m changing our No 8,” Wilson said. “I’m actually changing the make-up of our bench, I believe that’s how we’ll win the World Cup.
“Around the world, the globe and how the game’s being played, the nature of the physicality of you need – if you want to be a defensive dominant team – your loose forwards have to be big men.
“We moved Ardie Savea to No.8 because we didn’t have a solution in that position. [We need] specialists in specialist positions for me.
“I’m looking at a guy like Luke Jacobson… his consistency, his size, his ability to hit – I’m looking at a change.
“I’m looking at a change. I want impact from the bench and it’s Ardie Savea for me.”
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