All Blacks: Raging bull can help ABs out of tight spot

Owen Franks against South Africa. Photo / Getty Images

A lot of frogs have been kissed but, in Owen Franks, the All Black selectors finally have the prince of props in their midst.

Maybe the commotion around Carl Hayman angered him or he's just maturing and feeling more confident. Whatever it is, Franks has been in frighteningly good form of late.

The Brumbies will vouch for that. They saw how Franks buckled their scrum and then sent hooker Stephen Moore to casualty with a broken jaw.

The tackle on Moore was a little clumsy yet worthy of celebration. It was inevitable someone would be hurt, such was the way Franks was throwing himself about - all raging bull.

He's only 22, but already a destructive force that keeps teams more than a little wary.

Hayman was chased hard by the All Blacks because he's a proven world class talent and if someone of his calibre is potentially available, it's best foot forward time. Those efforts to catch the big fish, however, shouldn't be read as a sign that the All Black camp lack faith in what they have.

"In Carl, you are talking about a world class prop who has played at the highest level and has an established career," says All Blacks forward coach Steve Hansen. "If he's not the best tighthead in the world, then he's in the top two. It would be pretty harsh to read into that that we are not happy with Owen.

"If you look at all the requirements of a prop - being able to scrum; lift explosively in the lineout; effective at the breakdown and offer bucketloads of aggression - then Owen has all that."

Prop has been a selection black spot for the current All Black coaching panel. They have had trouble assessing if a candidate is ready for test football. All the data and their instincts led them to believe Campbell Johnstone, Saimone Taumoepeau, Clarke Dermody and John Schwalger were ready.

The reality produced less favourable conclusions. When Franks started last year's Super 14 as the fourth-ranked prop at the Crusaders and was selected as an All Black in June, the list of duds was set to become longer.

Franks didn't blink when he was thrust into the fray against the Italians in Christchurch. He was an impact sub from the bench, holding steady in the set piece and sprightly in the loose. His cameo appearances were so valuable, he was chosen to start against the Springboks.

It was vindication of sorts for Hansen and his fellow selectors. Franks restored some faith their gut instincts weren't failing.

"It's not so much a difficult position to determine whether players are ready, it's more a case of it being a very difficult position to play," says Hansen of tighthead prop. "You can't step out of the fire the way a loosehead can and there is nowhere to go. You have to have the mental fortitude to cope so it was really pleasing to see Owen handle himself."

What's more pleasing is that Franks, in propping terms, is only a baby.

While Hansen estimates Franks has a "training age" of around 26, there is still ample room for him to develop physically, mentally and technically.

The old belief that props don't hit their best form until their late 20s largely holds true, which is why there is so much excitement around Franks. Already he's dismantling some of the best props. He's 117kg and technically strong.

"Carl came on the scene at a young age," says Hansen, "but I think he only played his best rugby later in the piece. Owen is very young for a prop and he has a very big future."