Former All Blacks hooker James Parsons is wary about getting too caught up in the hype of Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku\u2019s man-of-the-match shift at flank for the Crusaders.<\/p>\n
Rob Penney rolled the dice for the Super Rugby Pacific<\/a> Super Round fixture against the Waratahs by naming the All Blacks centre\/winger on the side of the scrum, but the gamble largely paid off as the defending champions romped to a 35-20 victory with Fainga\u2019anuku<\/a> crossing the whitewash in the win.<\/p>\n The Crusaders<\/a> boss\u2019 selection call dominated the build-up and reaction to the match as it was the first time that Fainga\u2019anuku got a run in the forward pack in New Zealand<\/a>, having enjoyed cameos with RC Toulon in the role previously.<\/p>\n While the 26-year-old has received largely positive feedback for his performance, Parsons<\/a> took a broad look at his shift, particularly from the perspective of the positional demands, and argued that he could have had a similar impact had he just played outside centre.<\/p>\n Jonah Lomu-esque<\/p>\n The former Blues hooker likened the ploy from the Crusaders to how the All Blacks utilised the late, great Jonah Lomu, who used to be shifted into the forward pack simply to create more opportunities for him to get his hands on the ball.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was interesting, but I felt like the game plan was like back when Jonah Lomu was playing, and get Lomu the ball. In attack, in particular, he was still sort of playing that midfield role. A lot of short lineouts were used, and even in the pod work, I\u2019m convinced he could still do a similar role in a 13 or an 11 jersey, in and around the pod work he does,\u201d he said on the Aotearoa Rugby Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was surprised that they didn\u2019t put him on the blindside at scrum time. I thought they probably could have moved Lio-Willie or Dom Gardner just defensively, because a couple of times the Tahs got on the edge really easily because he was caught scrummaging and didn\u2019t get off, so it doesn\u2019t free the defence to get to that edge.\u201d<\/p>\n As a former front-rower, Parsons took particular interest in Fainga\u2019anuku\u2019s antics at scrum time and concluded that the Crusaders should have \u2018helped\u2019 him more by letting him pack down on the blindside or at number eight. The former hooker said that Fainga\u2019anuku was guilty of not getting out of the set-piece quickly enough and added that while he had a good game in open play, he profited significantly from the performance of fellow flanker Dom Gardner.<\/p>\n Crusaders v Waratahs: Five takeaways as Fainga\u2019anuku gamble pays off for All Blacks and \u2018Saders while Will Skelton \u2018successor\u2019 costs \u2018Tahs<\/a><\/p>\n Big performances from the Crusaders back-rowers<\/p>\n \u201cLook, he played amazingly, like there\u2019s no question he did the job within the game plan that he was given. You know what he can do defensively, and he\u2019s good at that breakdown,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cBut there were some big performances around him to allow him to play that style. In particular, Dom Gardner was just as huge. He actually had more run meters, believe it or not, than Leicester with less carries. But look, it\u2019ll be interesting to see how it would go in a derby.\u201d<\/p>\n Adding further context to the Crusaders star\u2019s performance against the Waratahs, Parsons looked at how other openside flankers\u2019 numbers from the weekend\u2019s Super Round action.<\/p>\n \u201cLeicester had 23 touches and 19 times he carried, and if you look at Fraser McReight, he had 15 touches, carried eight times; Du Plessis Kirifi had 22 touches, he carried eight times. He needs to get that balance right because teams will find it a little bit predictable, and they\u2019ll load up on him defensively,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they can evolve that role to him being more of a ball-player, even off set-pieces, I think he could be more destructive in that role. They could give him a hand and maybe put him at blindside flanker and just have him out a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Hybrids suit Springboks\u2019 as Jeff Wilson questions whether Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku is a \u2018viable option\u2019 for the All Blacks<\/a><\/p>\n Need for more dominant carries<\/p>\n Former Crusaders scrum-half Bryn Hall weighed in by saying that the selection ploy from his former club was possibly to get more gain-line carries, something they have struggled with due to the injuries of Tamaiti Williams, Ethan Blackadder, and Codie Taylor throughout the season, with Scott Barrett also taking up a non-playing sabbatical.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Crusaders\u2019 forward pack, for some parts of the year, hasn\u2019t been able to get that lightning-quick ball,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n \u201cLeicester had 19 ball carries, was the top ball carrier in the forward pack, and I think that\u2019s what his role should be, it\u2019s been able to get over the advantage line, get touches, and make it a little bit more difficult for defences\u2026 You saw on the edge with the little offloads, picking and going through the middle, having more of a license in and around the ball, but maybe to Jip\u2019s [Parsons] point, knowing that he\u2019s going to be a big ball carrier because he is a back, he has that skill set to be able to tip and zero out the back \u2013 which we saw a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cLook, it\u2019s his first game that he\u2019s been there. He played a bit there at Toulon, but you have to think if they do continue with this, he\u2019s only going to get better around those little things, the tip balls, the zero ball, and not being able to be so dominant carry focus. But I\u2019d have to think, their game plan for Rob Penney, from what I saw, is that being able to get him the ball to get over the advantage line and then being able to unlock the attack, and being able to use their phase play shape and even little tip balls with their forwards on the front foot.\u201d<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to say that,\u201d Parsons argued. \u201cBut out of his 19 carries, he set 14 rucks. He got gain-line 40% of the time, and he got lightning-quick ball 30% of the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I mean, if he gets that balance between carry and pass\u2026 out of those 19 touches, 14 rucks set, so he gets the offload away, but he can do that at centre, he can do that at wing. I still think he can get that edge threat. If they are going to use him more as a ball-player forward, it\u2019s just making sure they get their balance right.<\/p>\n