All Blacks staff spell it out for Isaac Ross

PETER MEECHAM

FORGOTTEN MAN: Canterbury lock Isaac Ross hopes to get his career back on track in Canterbury's provincial campaign.

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Steve Hansen has urged Isaac Ross to indulge in some serious self-scrutiny if he wants to rejuvenate his All Blacks career.

This week Ross maintained he still had little idea why his rugby fortunes had taken such a heavy hit, believing his tumble from grace a "head scratcher".

But All Blacks forwards coach Steve Hansen said the lock, who started in eight tests last year, had been told which areas of his game needed to be improved and the message remained the same: he wants the second rower to lift his work rate, hit more rucks and be more physical.

"Isaac knows clearly what he has got to do," Hansen said. "I think everyone that has watched Isaac play knows what Isaac has got to do. And Isaac really needs to understand that the only person that can fix Isaac's problems is Isaac."

After being dumped from the All Blacks' northern tour last year, Ross was unable to arrest a form slide but now aims to use the Canterbury campaign as a springboard back into the All Blacks.

This week he even admitted he had pondered whether it was worth persevering with rugby after "everyone turned their back on me".

Rarely, in recent times, has a fully fit All Blacks player fallen so quickly from grace.

Earlier this year he was dropped by Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder because he was not smashing enough bodies in the breakdowns and after the Super 14 he was jettisoned by New Zealand Maoris head coach Jamie Joseph who preferred to start Hayden Triggs and Jarrad Hoeata, a blindside flanker, in his second row instead.

"I don't really know what's going on. It's sort of just the thought of one person and now everyone thinks my s... stinks, basically," Ross said this week.

Having been ranked No2 in the country behind All Blacks and Crusaders locking partner Brad Thorn, Ross is now well down the pecking order with Tom Donnelly, Sam Whitelock and Anthony Boric all ahead of him. Ali Williams and Jason Eaton are both out injured.

Thorn, Whitelock and Chris Jack were preferred to start for the Crusaders this year and if he cannot impress Blackadder during the NPC, Ross may contemplate moving to another franchise next year.

Meanwhile, Hansen maintains he still has no idea if he will be involved in a coaching or mentoring role with the Highlanders next season.

"I know from what I have read that Jamie Joseph is looking to go there."

Asked if he was still keen on being involved with the Highlanders: "I will do whatever the Rugby Union tells me to do.

"My main focus is obviously this job, I will keep doing this job and worry about what happens after that. Everything is just speculation."

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