TRU's Position Watch - Openside

This week, we take a look at one of the most scrutinised positions in the modern game, the openside flanker. Given the weight that the breakdown battle has on determining results, the focus on opensides, whose duty it often is to boss this area of the game, is understandable.

The depth of talent at the position in the Aviva Premiership may not rival that of the previously examined loosehead prop or blindside flanker positions, but it’s still a position group stacked at the very top.

8. Matt Kvesic, Gloucester
A lot of deliberation went in to who should have this spot, with Pablo Matera and Sam Jones amongst the finest young flankers currently playing the game. Ultimately, however, Kvesic has repeatedly proven his quality in the Premiership, something which Matera is yet to do following his arrival at Welford Road and Wasps’ proclivity for moving Jones around the back row hasn’t helped him nail down the position.
Expectations were high for Kvesic in the 2013/14 season, but as he struggled amongst a misfiring Gloucester pack, whispers began to arise that the openside was not the future star he was made out to be, instead standing out in a poor Worcester side. Though his ceiling is yet to be determined, both domestically and internationally, a solid start to this campaign has him heading in the right direction and he looks ready to prove the doubters wrong.

7. David Seymour, Sale Sharks
One of the most underrated players in the Premiership, Seymour can count himself extremely unlucky to not yet have picked up an England cap. His best rugby has come since he moved north to Sale from Saracens in 2009, but with the focus on the likes of Tom Rees and Chris Robshaw at the time, Seymour failed to break into the international set up.
At 30, Seymour’s international prospects are unfortunately now all but gone, but his exceptional form for Sale last season at least means he will get to enjoy European Champions Cup rugby this season. A breakdown savant, Seymour’s partnership with the workhorse-like Dan Braid in the back row will be key to Sale achieving their ambitions this season.  

6. Julian Salvi, Leicester Tigers
Salvi’s play often goes under-the-radar for Leicester, but you would be hard pressed to find a more consistent performer over the last three seasons. His place in the starting XV may come under threat from the soon-to-be acclimatised Matera, but the Australian’s high-calibre performances ensure he is mentioned amongst the league’s best.
Through six rounds of the Premiership season, Salvi leads the Tigers with 74 tackles and along with fellow flanker Jamie Gibson, has been one of the few saving graces in a disastrous start to the season for Leicester.

5. Will Fraser, Saracens
As talented as anyone at the position, Fraser’s young career has already been blighted by numerous injuries. His ability over the ball arguably exceeds that of all his national colleagues, but until he can prove his durability, his status will likely stay in limbo between ‘exceptional talent’ and ‘rugby star’.
Sharing playing time with a player as impressive as Jacques Burger may be many players’ idea of a nightmare, but it could be beneficial for Fraser, who can work his way back from injury without too heavy a workload and put himself firmly in England contention.

4. James Haskell, Wasps
Haskell’s path to the top has been an unorthodox one. A highly-touted prospect at Wasps, who shone under the tutelage of Lawrence Dallaglio, Haskell surprisingly chose to head overseas, plying his trade in France, Japan and New Zealand before eventually returning to his boyhood club.
Confidence is not something Haskell lacks and given his ability not only as a seven, but all over the back row, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have that kind of self-belief. His dominant defensive performances were pivotal to guiding Wasps back to Europe’s elite club rugby competition last season, whilst they have already shown up again this season, most noticeably in Wasps’ 20-16 home victory over reigning champions, Northampton, and their 29-22 win against Bath on Sunday.

3. Jacques Burger, Saracens
Burger may not be the most naturally or physically gifted openside in the Premiership, but he is certainly the most feared. The Namibian plays with a ferocity that is unmatched by his peers, putting his body on the line for his team time after time.
Already a cult hero at Saracens, the one-two punch he provides at the position with Fraser has already paid off for the club, who have won five of their opening six games this season. His defensive work will dictate, as much as any other factor, how successful Saracens can be this season and there are few opensides currently playing you would rather have in the big games than Burger.

2. Chris Robshaw, Harlequins
Narrowly pipped to top spot, Robshaw’s ability as a world class back row is not in question, but his efficiency at the breakdown is. It’s now a tired criticism, but given the requirements of the modern openside, it remains valid. The likes of Joe Launchbury, Dan Cole and Tom Wood in the England team help negate this factor, but at Quins, it can on occasion be an Achilles heel.
Quins’ start to the season has been far from ideal, but little of that rests on Robshaw’s shoulders, who has been tireless and productive in both defence and attack. The flanker’s potent combination of set-piece ability, tackling and effective carrying make him one of the best in the game, albeit not in the traditional fetcher mould of most opensides.  

1. Tom Wood, Northampton Saints
A blindside for England but an openside for Northampton, Wood may be the best back row forward in the northern hemisphere. Messrs O’Brien, Warburton and Dusautoir may have a thing or two to say about that, but it would be a hard sell to claim any of them are as well-rounded as Wood.
His chemistry with Dylan Hartley makes him an effective lineout weapon for both Northampton and England, whilst back row colleagues Calum Clark and Samu Manoa compliment him superbly, helping him impose his game on all levels of opposition. A back injury has slowed Wood’s start to the 2014/15 season, but his impact in his two games thus far, Saints’ emphatic wins over Gloucester and Sale, was extremely telling.