Ross tough enough for Tri-Nations

Photo: Reuters

All Blacks lock Isaac Ross on the burst for the ABs.

Photo: Ben Campbell

Isaac Ross in his capacity as reporter with TV2's Erin Simpson Show, chats with two members of the Syrian team at the under-19 basketball world championships in Auckland.

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Before the test rugby year began Graham Henry mentioned in a chat with a group of reporters that it was a shame you couldn't go into a pharmacy and buy some "hardening-up pills" over the counter. He figured his rookie lock Isaac Ross could probably do with some.

Maybe Henry had underestimated his young second-rower who has been the feelgood story of the All Blacks' rather shaky June test window. Or maybe you can buy those pills after all, for this 24-year-old son-of-a-gun (his father Jock was an All Black tourist, and mother Christine a Black Fern) has taken to test rugby like the proverbial duck to water.

Though his biggest challenges are still to come, especially in the Tri Nations, which kicks off at Auckland's Eden Park on July 18, it hasn't been, by any stretch, an armchair ride for the 2.01m, 115kg streak of confidence and cohesion.

For starters he had to get through a debut against a French pack in Dunedin playing with all the fire and brimstone for which they're renowned. And he saw his first test marred by that rare bird a home defeat for the All Blacks.

Then there were fingers pointed at the forwards in general, and in no uncertain terms the acid was on the black pack to flex their muscles in the second test, which they did admirably on a horrible night in the capital.

Then came test start No3 in Christchurch against Italy. Ross was named as a sub, then whistled up midweek when it became clear Ali Williams was in no state to play any test rugby this year. What flowed was a virtuoso performance which stood out like a beacon among the drudgery around him.

Ross has played well in all three tests, and has deservedly hugged the headlines as one of the All Blacks' best players in a pretty ordinary series. He's got through his work, revelled in his role as the lineout go-to guy and responded excellently to the additional challenge of having to call the set-piece. But it was only in the second half in Christchurch that we really saw the full gamut of what he is capable.

One run saw him step two bamboozled Italians, slip another three tackles, then turn and pop a basketball-style inpass to his lagging support crew. On another occasion he sparked a breakout with his step-and-pass skill, then had the workrate to pop up on the other side of the field to take the final pass for a well-deserved first test try. In the first half, with the All Blacks struggling desperately, it had been Ross who rose to pluck an Italian lineout throw and set up the opening try for Joe Rokocoko.

While many of us in this business have jumped at the chance to champion Ross' status as a rookie success story, there has been a reluctance among the All Blacks coaches to garland him with too much praise.

Part of that will be a keenness to keep the young man's feet on the ground, and part of it their knowledge of what lies ahead. They may well have a "keeper" on their hands, but for now they're suspending judgment.

"He's been one of the big positives," conceded forwards coach Steve Hansen. "But there are still parts of his game we need to grow. Physicality is not his normal game he's going to take time to become the complete rugby player."

Right from the off Henry had made it clear they see Ross as a project, despite his obvious skills. "We've got to get him a bit nasty," said the All Blacks coach. "It's going to take Shag [Hansen] a couple of years to mould him into that, and get that hard edge to him. I don't think he's going to go bed one night and wake up the next morning a hard fella. It's going to take time."

But maybe not as long as first thought. After his French debut Ross mentioned he had been welcomed to test rugby with a few punches to the head, and had shrugged that off as part of the deal. Then he was eye-gouged by Italian skipper Sergio Parisse in Christchurch, and again took that in his stride.

New Zealand's most capped test lock, Ian Jones, has certainly been impressed by Ross' entry to international rugby. The Sky TV analyst has been impressed with the young man's lineout knowledge and said he "came into his own" in Christchurch when his fellow tight five members gave him the platform from which to operate.

"He should be very proud of what he's done so far," said the 79-test cap Jones. "There's no question about his game sense, there's no question about his skill and there's no question about whether he deserves to be there. I guess the question mark is `is he tough enough for test footy?' At the moment he clearly is."

Jones also has no worries about him meeting the Tri Nations standard. "He's got an old campaigner [Brad Thorn] right next to him who will take a lot that responsibility for pick-and-goes, driving and hitting rucks. That should leave him to continue to do what he been selected to do."

The final word on Ross should go, appropriately to maybe the best of them all, the venerable, and now knighted, Colin Meads.

Pinetree was encountered returning from Christchurch after the sorry Italian job last week, and was none too happy about the state of his All Blacks. Needled, you might say.

I mentioned the name Isaac Ross and the legend's scowl turned into a smile. "I like him," beamed the Tree. "He can play. He looks like he's going to be a good one. A bit more natural talent than his old man, too."

Ross may still have some "hardening up" to do, and he may have a Victor Matfield-sized reality check around the corner. But, if the Pinetree thinks he's up to it, who are we to argue?

- © Fairfax NZ News