Todd relishes close-up view of in-form stars

Matt Todd hasn’t always had what you might call a dream run in the All Blacks, the luckless Cantabrian being stuck behind some world-class performers in the No 7 jersey.

Richie Mccaw springs to mind. And Sam Cane, for that matter. Even Ardie Savea in more recent years. Their presence has limited the 31-year-old to 20 test appearances since making his debut in 2013.

Remarkably, for a player as adept as he is, this will be Todd’s first World Cup as one of three specialist No 7s in Steve Hansen’s Japan-bound squad.

Of course, helping his cause is the fact that New Zealand rugby’s big mover of 2019, Savea, has now been shifted into a sort of roving role in the No 6 jersey. That leaves Todd and Cane covering the specialist No 7 position.

Whatever way it plays out over the next seven weeks in Japan, Todd counts himself in a privileged position to be tackling the best sides in the world on the biggest stage in the game alongside a special player in the making in the form of Savea.

Todd started at No 7 alongside Savea in Saturday’s 92-7 shellacking of the Tongans in Hamilton and remarked afterwards about his fellow loose forward’s continued ability to impact matches with his unique blend of attributes.

‘‘He’s in special form and he’s a special athlete,’’ Todd said after he, Savea and No 8 and captain Kieran Read found a nice rhythm as a loose trio in a free-flowing contest on FMG Stadium Waikato.

‘‘It’s certainly a lot better playing alongside him than against him. He can create things on the footy field and do stuff that no-one else really can.’’

As has become apparent over the last couple of tests, Read is also rounding into some nice form. Not that it was ever in doubt, reckons Todd.

‘‘He’s a massively influential player right across the game – set pieces, kickoffs, with his ball skills in the middle of the field with his distribution or carry.

‘‘He’s a pretty special player and can impact the game in so many ways. He’s been around a long time and is timing his run nicely. He’s excited, he knows what’s coming and he’s leading from the front.’’