New Chiefs coach Jono Gibbes makes no bones of his annoyance at losing first-five Josh Jacomb in 2027.
Despite standing out for Taranaki in the NPC, and stepping into the All Blacks XV in 2024 and 2025, the 24-year-old has found opportunities hard to come by at Super Rugby level.
Competing with Damian McKenzie for the No 10 jersey has seen Jacomb forced to play second fiddle at the Chiefs, with most of his chances to impress coming off the bench.
However, in those handful of appearances he has made, Jacomb has more than proven he has the potential and ability to lead a side from first-five, in a boon for the Chiefs to have a back-up No 10 that would start for several other teams.
As a result, Jacomb will trade Hamilton for Dunedin in 2027, after inking a two-year deal with the Highlanders that will undoubtedly give him the keys to lead a team at Super Rugby level.
That move, though, does leave the Chiefs between a rock and hard place as to how to use Jacomb in 2026.
On one hand, they still have a player that can grow into a competition standout. On the other, they’d be in effect developing a playmaker that could come back to haunt them from 2027 onwards.
But asked about that delicate balance for 2026, Gibbes outlined exactly how he feels at losing one of Super Rugby’s brightest talents, to a rival.
“My goal is to make him regret his decision every day,” he said. “That he loves the Chiefs, he loves the environment, he’s getting awesome coaching.
“If I can put him in doubt over his decision – because we rate him, we really like where he’s at with his game, I really like the person – I want to put positive pressure on him, that way.”
While a blow for the Chiefs, Jacomb’s departure is only good news for the All Blacks and New Zealand rugby on the whole.
In a position that has proven troublesome, with neither Beauden Barrett nor McKenzie able to seize the No 10 jersey outright before Richie Mo’unga’s return from Japan, Jacomb getting regular minutes at Super Rugby level could lead to an unlikely push at a 2027 World Cup place.
The Chiefs got the first example of what Jacomb could do against them on Saturday night, in a hard-fought 19-15 victory over the Blues at Eden Park to open their season.
While the win was no case of individual brilliance on Jacomb’s part, the youngster showed incredible composure in deputising for McKenzie, absent on paternity leave.
In 80 minutes, Jacomb kicked a vital 50-22 that led to the Chiefs’ first try and kicked two conversions, to go with seven tackles, and 30 running metres with ball in hand.
And for Gibbes, who’s now ticked off his first win as Chiefs coach since succeeding Clayton McMillan, Saturday’s win was just a sign of what’s to come.
“I think he met expectations, to be honest,” said Gibbes. “He was the Duane Monkley [medal] winner in the NPC, he had great experience with the All Blacks XV in November.
“Since January, since he’s been in, he’s continued to progress. It’s a key position, there’s a lot of responsibility there.
“Throughout the week, his messaging, his direction he gave the players was really accurate.
“It wasn’t an armchair for him, that’s for sure. But his growth out of that 80 minutes will be massive.”
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.