Julian Savea 'probably' better than Jonah Lomu; by LIAM NAPIER

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has declared Julian Savea is "probably" a better player than Jonah Lomu.

It's the most glowing accolade that could be bestowed on a New Zealand wing with Savea's physical capabilities, and yet, after 27 tries in 27 tests, and seemingly many more to come, the praise is deserved.

Hansen fielded a range of questions at Thursday's (NZT Friday) media conference in Johannesburg, but his comment about Savea boasting a more complete skill set than Lomu stood out.

Lomu stole the limelight as rugby was poised to turn professional.

Back then, and particularly at the 1995 World Cup which he took by storm, athletes didn't have the same conditioning and full-time training dedication.

He was one of a kind, finishing with 37 tries from 63 tests.

While Savea is from a similar mould - 107 kilograms compared to Lomu's 119kg - Hansen said there was much more to his game.

Last week against the Pumas in Argentina, Savea steamrolled two defenders in Lomu-like fashio,n but also showcased his off-loading abilities.

He is also sound under the high ball, rarely gets caught out turning to chase a kick, is solid on defence and has silky hands.

Interestingly, neither Lomu nor Savea have scored tries against the Springboks. Lomu failed to cross the line in 12 tests, while Savea lines up at Ellis Park on Sunday morning (NZ time) for his fifth.

"I think he's probably better [than Lomu]" Hansen said.

"He can do more things than Jonah. Jonah was a great player, but I think Julian has got more to his game to be honest and that's saying something. I genuinely believe that.

"He's very good going back, under the high ball, with the ball on the ground, as well as being a greater carrier so I think he's right up there."

Meanwhile, commenting on captain Richie McCaw, who passes Colin Meads' record of 133 matches for the All Blacks this weekend, Hansen quipped: "What he did in the World Cup in 2011 with that broken bone in his foot basically won us the World Cup."

"He's achieved a lot in the jersey and I'm sure when he finishes he'll reflect back on it with a lot of pride.

"He shouldn't have to buy another beer in New Zealand for the rest of his life. I don't think Colin has."

*Who do you rate the better player? Share your view in comments below.

1: As Steve Hansen says, Savea has more game than Lomu. As devastating as Lomu was with the ball in hand, he did carry a liability factor on defence where he wasn't the quickest on the turn.

2: Admittedly when he first started life as a professional, Savea was iffy in the extreme under the high ball. But not now. He's not in the same league as Cory Jane, Ben Smith or Israel Dagg, but Savea is a solid performer when asked to deal with high kicks. Big Jonah was never going to be able to wear the No 15 jersey. Just wasn't his thing.

3: Savea has incredible hands. There have been several times in the last two years where he's picked passes up off his toes - most notably this year against England in Hamilton. Lomu wasn't bad in this regard, but he wasn't quite in the same league.

4: There was never any doubt what Lomu would do when he received the ball - he was going to run. There is a bit of variation in Savea's game - he can kick. He's good at chipping ahead into space and against Australia at Eden Park he set up a try with a brilliant nudge off the outside of his right boot.

5: Lomu could tackle. No question of that. But his size made him vulnerable at times and often his tackles were passive. Savea is a brutal head-on defender - he lines men up and smacks them down. He knows when to come off his wing looking to shut down attacks and he's agile enough to ensure he doesn't get beaten on the outside.

6: Lomu scored a highly respectable 43 tries from 67 tests. Savea is on 27 from 27. On that basis, Savea is the better finisher.

7: Savea was prone to being a little lazy earlier in his career. But not now. He's good at getting off his wing and looking for work and injecting himself into the game. Lomu was good at that, too, especially at blasting into the midfield. But he wasn't as good or as eager to track back on defence and help out the other wing and fullback. Not in the way Savea does.

1. Because there is no Julian Savea without Jonah Lomu. If John Kirwan advanced the big wing tactic beyond what David Duckham and John Bevan achieved, then Lomu took that idea to the stratosphere. He changed rugby. As good as Savea is, he's adding subtleties to the template established by Lomu. Jonah was genuinely revolutionary, he forced rugby to become more sophisticated defensively - no longer could coaches leave backs to tackle backs while the forwards just took care of the middle of the field.

Gregor Paul: 7 reasons why Savea is better than Lomu

Steve Hansen: Savea better than Lomu

2. Continuing from point one, Savea is better than Lomu in the same way Retallick is better than Meads. Is Retallick greater than Meads? Probably in Hansen's eyes, yes, because he's going to help him win a World Cup, not Meads. Likewise Savea v Lomu. That doesn't make him better, just better for the coach.

3. Savea is yet to create the sense of anticipation every time he was on the field. When Lomu played, you were on the edge of the chair waiting for him to get the ball. Savea is great, but you could argue Ben Smith creates more of that sense of sheer excitement than him.

4. Jonah was the best player at one World Cup and certainly in the top three in another. Let's hold fire on that assessment of Savea for now.

5. Savea is firing on two blood-cleansing cylinders; Jonah played the bulk of his career on one. Not Savea's fault, this, but still a mighty effort from Lomu.

6. No one has made a film or documentary on Julian... yet.

7. We like to downplay the achievements of the past; it makes us feel better about our place in the universe.

04th October 2014 10:19

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Icon: Joost meeting with the All Blacks earlier this week in Jo'burg

Former South Africa scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen will lead out South Africa at Ellis Park for Saturday's Test against New Zealand.

The All Blacks met with the hugely admired former Springbok earlier this week and Sport24 have revealed that he will be play a key role in Johannesburg.

Van der Westhuizen suffers from Motor Neurone Disease and was diagnosed in 2011, when he was given between two and five years to live.

The presence of Van der Westhuizen, who won 89 caps for South Africa between 1993-2003, will no doubt increase the emotion of a huge Test match between the top two sides in the world.

Van der Westhuizen was a World Cup winner in 1995 with the Springboks against the same opposition and at the same venue. He is regarded as one of the greatest scrum-halves of all time.

"I realise every day could be my last," Joost told BBC Sport in 2013.

"It's been a rollercoaster from day one and I know I'm on a deathbed from now on.

"I've had my highs and I have had my lows, but no more. I'm a firm believer that there's a bigger purpose in my life and I am very positive, very happy."