As the All Blacks gear up for their Nations Championship clash against France, a new contender has emerged for the pivotal fly-half position. Ruben Love, whose stellar performances in the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs have turned heads, now finds himself at the center of selection talks. Former All Black Murray Mexted, initially hesitant, now champions Love's cause for the starting role, influenced by his recent on-field synergy with teammates Cam Roigard and Jordie Barrett.
Mexted, speaking with DSPN's Martin Devlin, admitted, "Two weeks ago, if you had said: ‘Would you drop McKenzie and Barrett, and play Love?’ In fact, I was asked that 25,000 times and I would say: ‘No, I wouldn’t’." However, Love's recent form has shifted his perspective. "But in the last two weeks I’ve changed my mind and Dave Rennie would have seen it too. He played so well and he played so well with [Cam] Roigard and with Jordie Barrett, and that’s really important."
"I think Ruben Love is playing on form,"
The potential inclusion of Hurricanes' stars Roigard and Barrett in the scrum-half and inside centre positions respectively further bolsters Love's case. Devlin highlighted the effectiveness of their collaboration, noting, "It’s a powerful image he must have watching those guys cohesively play like that." Mexted responded, emphasizing the intuitive play between the players: "He’s also got confidence because he’s wanting to have a go. He’s looking for opportunities but if he can’t quite make it he can flick it to Jordie and Jordie will tidy it up."
Mexted reminisced about a piece of wisdom from his coaching days, saying, "There was a coach of mine once who said that two players that understand each other are equivalent of three opponents. Two are as good as three if they know each other, so I do think that Love deserves to have a go."
While Love's start in the upcoming test is not set in stone, Mexted feels that Rennie might lean towards the younger player, given his recent form. "I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t start Love; he’s got McKenzie and Barrett there, who are both vastly experienced and outstanding footballers, but Love’s on fire," he stated. "Knowing Dave like I do, he might play Love and that would be great. He’s outside Roigard; that’s the guy he’s been playing with, so I think that’s good too. He’s inside Barrett, the guy he’s been playing with."
The All Blacks' selection dilemma presents a fascinating subplot as they prepare to face France, with Love's recent ascendancy adding an intriguing layer to the team dynamics and strategy discussions ahead of a crucial encounter.