All Blacks: Du’Plessis Kirifi named at second five
All Blacks player Du’Plessis Kirifi has been moved to the second five-eighths position for an upcoming NPC match to demonstrate his versatility. This shift follows his omission from the national squad for the South Africa tour.
Why it matters
Player positional flexibility is becoming increasingly important in professional rugby as teams look to maximize squad depth and tactical adaptability.
Overlooked All Blacks loose forward Du’Plessis Kirifi has a chance to prove his versality after being named at second five-eighths for Wellington’s NPC clash against Auckland at Western Springs on Saturday.
The eight-test All Black was a notable omission from Dave Rennie’s 44-man squad for the Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa.
Rennie indicated the coaching group had favoured players capable of covering multiple positions, and felt they had sufficient depth at openside flanker.
After missing out , Kirifi returned to Wellington colours at openside in Sunday’s 52-33 season-opening loss to Hawke’s Bay, crossing for a try.
This weekend, however, the 29-year-old will wear the No 12 jersey in an unexpected positional switch that offers a chance to showcase his versatility.
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