Super Rugby: Chiefs flanker Lachlan Boshier promises to keep shining - even if the All Blacks aren't looking

Lachlan Boshier. Photo / Photosport

He was one of the standouts in Super Rugby 2020, in a losing team, no less, but could not get a look in the All Blacks. This season Lachlan Boshier is promising, provided the continually changing laws allow, to again shine at the breakdown where was prolific snaffling turnovers for the Chiefs, and not try be something he is not.

"You don't want to be someone else – you can only be yourself," Boshier says. "Everyone is a different player and there's different types of sevens around. I'm happy with how I play the game and if other people aren't happy with that then so be it."

As an openside in New Zealand, comparisons are inevitable. From Richie McCaw to All Blacks and Chiefs captain Sam Cane, this country has been blessed by superb sevens and leaders.

Yet observers couldn't rave enough about Boshier last year. Near every breakdown it seemed he swallowed the ball faster than seagulls swarm hot chips.

The Taranaki fetcher was particularly prominent before the Covid-19 shutdown struck. When Super Rugby Aotearoa returned a new set of breakdown interpretations, designed to increase speed and improve safety, left him and other opensides such as Blues and All Blacks flanker Dalton Papalii scratching their heads.

With 58 penalties dished out in the first SRA round alone, fans and players alike were left fuming.

"They stuffed around with the laws last year and it put a dent in the game," Boshier says. "It was frustrating the way they played around with the breakdown. It took a few games to get right.

"I don't know why they're trying to change things so much. At the start of Super Rugby Aotearoa they brought in all these new law interpretations and then halfway through it's back to normal. Mentally that drains you as well – it becomes frustrating."

Lachlan Boshier is one of New Zealand's best turnover exponents. Photo / Photosport

At this point of the pre-season Boshier has had little in the way of feedback on how the breakdown will be policed this year.

"We haven't had any comms yet. Closer to the games we might hear a few things but it's not until you get into it do you see how it rolls. It's about who adapts the best to it."

Despite his impressive decision-making at the breakdown and link play throughout 2020 alongside Cane, Boshier struggled to leave a lasting impression on the All Blacks selectors. His sole reward came in cracking the North Island squad for the revived fixture against the South, only to be left out of the 23-man team with Papalii and Ardie Savea preferred.

Later in the test season when Savea was absent from the Tri Nations on paternity leave, the All Blacks usurped Boshier in favour of Hurricanes openside Du'Plessis Kirifi, suggesting he got the nod for his superior defensive physicality and ball carrying.

"I haven't had too many chats with those sorts of guys," the 26-year-old says of the All Blacks selectors. "It is what it is. You can only play as well as you do while you're out there.

"There's definitely plenty of competition in the loose forwards around the country. You can only control what you do so I'm always trying to be a better player. The rest takes care of itself.

"I'll just keep going with what I'm doing and slowly progress in most areas. I'm pretty happy with how my game is at the moment. I really loved my footy last year; keeping it well balanced is key for me. We've got some good coaches here at the Chiefs so I'll keep working with them to grow my game.

"The confidence grows every year. They always talk about experience and I've been in the game long enough to understand that now. I'm definitely getting more and more comfortable every year."

Lachlan Boshier on his way to scoring a try against the Blues. Photo / Photosport

Cane's presence necessitates Boshier to again put his 108kg frame to work for the Chiefs largely from No 6, where he faces competition from two-test All Black Luke Jacobson who has seemingly recovered from his concussion issues that forced him home from the 2019 World Cup without playing a match. Whether it's six or seven Boshier does not mind, saying little changes other than hitting a different ruck.

Having Cane around has its benefits, too. Last year whenever Cane made a trademark hit Boshier was invariably on his shoulder to scrap for a turnover.

"He's always open for a chat and a bit of feedback here and there. We bounce off each other quite well. It's great having his wealth of experience around and his leadership is massive. It definitely helps me and all the other boys."

From a results perspective the Chiefs endured a dire SRA campaign, losing all eight games in Warren Gatland's first year at the helm. While some poor officiating decisions did not help in typically tight Kiwi derbies, Boshier's attitude sums up their intent to rectify the ledger this season. The presence of younger brother Kaylum, another loose forward, in the Chiefs squad this season only fuels motivation.

"We'll take a bit of a chip on our shoulder into this year. There's no excuses – we've got to be better.

"It was definitely a tough season. We were going pretty well before Covid but we then couldn't get anything going. It didn't feel like that, the boys were working hard and the genuine feeling in camp was positive no one was dropping their heads. It was just a shame we couldn't get a win. We were close a couple of times but we've got to be more clinical than that."

Clayton McMillan stepping into the head coach role for Gatland on an interim basis, before switching to assistant next season, has instigated a refreshing change.

"He brings a new edge to the group - he's got that tough man side to him. He brings new ideas, new drills, so the boys are enjoying that change up, he's been really good to have around.

"He's definitely hands on and the boys love that. You can easily go to him and ask a few questions and he's happy to get stuck in at training."

The Chiefs will hope it's a case of new year, vastly improved results.

As New Zealand's best turnover exponent, don't expect him to revolutionise the traits that worked so well for him last year.