The next ABs No 7? How Kirifi became NZ’s top breakdown operator

By Liam Napier

Du’Plessis Kirifi’s coming-of-age campaign for the vacant All Blacks openside position is no coincidence.

His compelling form this year is the culmination of many elements aligning — contentment off the field to channelling his aggression on it — to strike a sweet spot that has national selectors on notice.

Last week, he committed to New Zealand rugby through to 2027, after which Kirifi spoke with the Herald to reflect on poignant lessons, personal growth and his burning desire to represent the All Blacks.

“I’d love to become an All Black. You almost have to try to give them no reason not to pick you.”

Kirifi is no late bloomer. From his youth, emerging alongside Jordie Barrett at New Plymouth’s Francis Douglas Memorial College, he was long earmarked for higher honours.

While Kirifi first captained Wellington at the age of 21, he needed time to grasp a grounding, to understand what’s important — and what’s not.

“I’ve learnt so much about myself, and there’s still so much to learn. I look back fondly on my whole journey. I know my time growing up in New Plymouth, in Waikato, and the earlier years in Wellington provided a lot of good lessons. Hard ones at the time, but that’s any young man. It’s been challenging, but I’ve persevered, and I’m stubborn. I know those times played a massive role in getting me to where I am now.

“When a young man comes into an environment, they’re extremely talented, and they want to let everyone know that. When we’re young, we forget people know how talented we are, but they don’t care. They just want to know how hard you want to work. That was my challenge — proving to everyone I had the goods when really all I needed to do was put my head down and go to work.”

As he’s matured and through a process of elimination, Kirifi has stripped back the non-negotiables to simplify his approach to each week.

“That comes with experience. Knowing how to reset, refill the cup, take a breath is really helping me on and off the field. I’m really enjoying my rugby, but it’s not off the back of anything spectacular — just knowing what works for me and trying to be as effective as possible.”

Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw notes a happy home life, with Kirifi purchasing land and putting down roots in Porirua with fiancé, Silver Ferns midcourter Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, is another key factor in his form.

“He’s got a lot of his off-field really well settled,” Laidlaw says. “He’s really content away from the game. As you mature, that can filter into consistency, which leads in to what you’re seeing on the field. That’s a highly aggressive, confrontational player we love with the maturity to make clear decisions around the big areas of the game.

“It’s not a coincidence around the age he’s at. You often see men at 26, 27 start finding their feet around themselves. No one has ever doubted his ability as a seven to influence with the breakdown, with and without the ball, but you’re starting to see a consistency to that.”

Two big shifts have helped Kirifi deliver that consistency. The first is learning to positively channel his inherent passion.

Each game, Kirifi will emerge from a dominant tackle or match-altering turnover to let out an exuberant roar.

Every week, he devotes mind, body and soul to the Hurricanes cause, but he’s now self-aware enough to know how to harness that authentic energy.

“I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve. To be fair, it’s been to my detriment early in my career, too emotional, too hot-headed. Learning to harness that fire for good rather than getting burnt by it… I’ve tried really hard the last two seasons to hone it in.

“You’ll still see moments of exuberance and passion, which I think is important. We’re not robots. But it’s knowing when the right time is and moving onto the next task. I’m a passionate person. I care a lot. And I’m extremely competitive. In high-pressure situations, that’s often what you see at the other end, but I feel it’s an awesome way to be if you can control it and use it in a productive way.”

The other notable change comes with Kirifi’s approach to the breakdown, where his influence is this year outshining all competitors.

Whether it was overeagerness or pushing boundaries to the brink earlier in his career, Kirifi was often penalty prone. In recent years, though, his timing and accuracy to attack turnovers at crucial times is setting him apart.

Kirifi now understands there’s no need to contest every breakdown battle and that he can be of value elsewhere.

“It’s a mix between knowing myself better and knowing the game better. Some boys are blessed with that straight away. For me, it’s been a process to come of age. The growth has definitely been my decision-making. That brings in attacking rucks and all sorts of things.”

Assuming the leadership mantle can add another layer of pressure. Kirifi is instead thriving. He led Wellington to two NPC titles, and Laidlaw this year promoted him to one of four Hurricanes captains alongside All Blacks Asafo Aumua, Billy Proctor and Brad Shields.

Rather than burden Kirifi, the elevated responsibility is a calming influence.

“He leads a lot of the time through actions — he goes forward, he doesn’t take backwards steps,” Laidlaw says. “He often plays with his heart on his sleeve, and that’s the type of player you can follow.

“We’re excited where he’s at with his game, his leadership. He’s thinking deeply how he gets that right. The best rugby is ahead of him. He’s in a sweet spot now for the next few years and hopefully we all get the benefits of that.”

Kirifi’s development was both enhanced and blocked by Ardie Savea’s overarching presence at the Hurricanes. The chance to observe and learn his craft from one of the world’s best loose forwards daily offered nuggets of gold, but so, too, did it severely restrict game time.

It is no surprise that Savea’s absence, first through his Japanese sabbatical last year before moving on to lead Moana Pasifika this season, has coincided with Kirifi’s rise.

“I’ve never felt pressure around trying to catch or live up to Ardie,” Kirifi says. “He’s head and shoulders above the rest of us and has been forever, really. Putting that pressure on yourself is unnecessary.

“As a competitor, I love the challenge, and this comes from how much I respect Ardie, of trying to outplay him. But he’s the best rugby player in the world, so he sets an awesome example for the rest of us as young Māori and Pasifika boys, not just rugby players. Boys growing up look to him as an example of how great we can be.

“I learnt a lot from him when he was here. Since he left, I haven’t tried to fill his void but be me and be the best I possibly can. Hopefully, in my own way, I can do something similar.”

With Sam Cane’s departure to Japan leaving an opening, Kirifi is on the cusp joining Savea in the All Blacks after being called into Scott Robertson’s squad as injury cover for the final two northern tour tests. Kirifi is, however, more aware than anyone of the plethora of loose forward options at Robertson’s disposal.

“That fire is still burning. Anyone who is playing professional rugby in New Zealand, that is one of the goals.

“Whether or not I fit into the All Blacks coaches’ picture is another story. If I do, so be it. If I don’t, I know I’ve given it my best crack, and then I’ll move on and look for what’s next. It’s definitely a desire of mine to represent New Zealand and always has been.

“It’s obviously a massive challenge… I’m not the tallest. I love competing against the other sevens — Ethan Blackadder, Dalton Papali’i, Peter Lakai, Ardie, Luke Jacobson. We are so lucky with the loose forwards we have in New Zealand.”

Kirifi doesn’t lack size in his legs or upper body, but he knows desired modern-day loose forwards can do it all — from the lineout to ball play, tackle, clean, carry — all in dominant fashion.

“I’m under no illusions there are taller boys out there who offer a couple of things I can’t. That just means the things I can do I have to be world-class at. I work every day to try and be world-class at those things.”

With his jackal strength point of difference, Kirifi is something of a throwback openside. His stocky, low centre of gravity makes him incredibly difficult to remove over the ball, and his close-to-the-ground style, in the middle of the field where he offers powerful ball carrying and relentless commitment to collisions, allows other loose forwards to roam the edges.

While Kirifi can’t do any more to launch himself into the All Blacks, there are no selection guarantees with Wallace Sititi, last year’s world breakthrough player of the year, to return from injury and his Chiefs teammate Samipeni Finau among other loose forward incumbents.

“I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be in the frame,” Laidlaw says. “The same conversation will happen around what is the mix the All Blacks want, how do they want to play the game, what roles do they feel are important for their six, seven, eight to function as a team?

“I’m enjoying the burning desire from Dupes to try to make the next level.”

The Hurricanes last week welcomed former All Blacks and Wellington loose forward Andy Leslie to present their jerseys ahead of a win over the Waratahs. Sharing a theme of competing, patience and resilience whatever you are chasing, Leslie detailed how he didn’t crack the All Blacks until he was 28 - the same age as Kirifi.

“It was a great message for all of us to keep pushing,” Laidlaw says. “You could attribute that to Dupes. We love him, he’s playing amazing rugby. He’s craving being an All Black, so keep pushing and holding that determination to get there. Other people will decide that, but if players give everything and fully let go of that, then it’ll be what it’ll be. You know you’ve done your bit.”

As a 13-year-old, Kirifi savoured ball boy duties as the All Blacks humbled Ireland in New Plymouth, with a baby-faced Sam Whitelock scoring two tries off the bench.

Fifteen years on, Kirifi’s All Blacks dream is, surely, closer than ever.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission