All Blacks great Wayne "Buck" Shelford has weighed in on the selection battles set to take place for departed No.8 Kieran Read's vacant black jersey, saying there is an underlying issue at the position that needs to be addressed.
With Read hanging up his international boots after last year's Rugby World Cup, questions have risen over who will take over his starting spot in the All Blacks' line up at Number 8.
Experiments in the past have seen new captain Sam Cane at the back of the scrum but Shelford told Fairfax he doesn't see Cane as a permanent answer because it requires a different skill set than an openside flanker.
"Every time Richie McCaw went back there he looked out of sync. He wasn't a No 8.
"You put Cane back there, and he's exactly the same. It does not suit them."
Shelford said it's an issue currently creeping into New Zealand rugby with many "utility" back rowers surfacing in recent years that can play at either flanking position or No.8.
Recent players who have been tagged as such include Ardie Savea, Dalton Papali'i, Luke Jacobson and Cane and while they're great players, Shelford - the former All Blacks captain said more specialist No.8s are needed in New Zealand.
"A lot the No.8s struggle to control the ball with their feet and a lot of them struggle to get off the back of the scrum," he said.
"Sometimes I don't think they know how because they haven't been taught those skills."
With that in mind, it could lead some to think Shelford has someone like Blues breakout Hoskins Sotutu in mind with the young No.8 a standout so far for the Auckland franchise in the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition.
But Shelford said the 21-year-old is missing something important too - time.
"He's powerful and pretty quick and gets around the field, and gets involved in the game a lot.
"[But] we're pretty good at putting guys in high places, and then they struggle with all the media and they fall over.
"He's good enough to go all the way, but he needs a couple of good seasons with the Blues."
In fact, it's another Blues No.8 Shelford still has high hopes for, Akira Ioane, who has struggled to get playing time with the Blues this year while Sotutu has started.
"He's got the ability, but it's whether his head is in the right space," Shelford said of Ioane.
"Strong boy, good runner, and basically he needs to play some football and get his hands on the ball as much as he can."
SHARE ME