All Blacks Starting Loose Forwards: Murray Mexted Picks His Best Trio

Murray Mexted, All Blacks loose forwards, Chiefs vs Hurricanes, Super Rugby selection, and the future of New Zealand rugby all come under the spotlight in this DSPN episode. Mex joins us to break down the modern roles of six, seven and eight, and why getting those jobs right is far more strategic than people think. We dig into the Chiefs vs Hurricanes showdown as a live trial for All Blacks selection. Murray also explains why size, lineout impact and broken-play instincts still matter when you’re building a test-match loose forward trio. Then, the chat widens out to the state of the game here at home. Murray gives a blunt view on overseas selection, the weakening of club rugby, and why he believes the decline of rugby in New Zealand is real if the grassroots keep getting ignored. 00:00 Murray’s big concern for NZ rugby 01:00 Chiefs vs Hurricanes as an All Blacks trial 02:00 What six, seven and eight actually do 07:45 Who won the loose forward battle? 09:30 Jacobson, Kirifi, Lakai and size at test level 15:20 Is the All Blacks trio still up for grabs? 20:00 Should Kiwi players be picked from overseas? 21:00 Rugby’s grassroots problem in New Zealand 24:00 Why leaving in your prime can backfire