Murray Mexted has slammed fellow former All Black Jeff Wilson for urging the New Zealand selectors to think about benching star No 8 Ardie Savea.

On a latest installment of Sky Sports activities rugby present The Breakdown, player-turned-pundit Wilson claimed that Chiefs bruiser Luke Jacobson must be the beginning forward of Savea, to offer the All Blacks a bodily edge on the World Cup.

Nonetheless, the 34-Check Mexted, who was rated a powerful all-rounder from the again from the scrum, reckons Wilson ought to persist with commenting on positions he really performed.

“I feel he’s a winger speaking about free forwards,” Mexted mentioned in a wide-ranging interview on The Platform with Martin Devlin.

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“It’s attention-grabbing isn’t it, Jeff was an excellent rugby participant and has now develop into a implausible color commentator and I assume it’s provocative.

“He’s speaking a few place that he’s not an professional in, he’s by no means performed in. He was an incredible finisher and take a look at scorer, and truly fairly a inventive finisher as effectively. However I don’t suppose he is aware of the artwork of free forwards.

“Should you ask him what the function of the six and the seven and the eight had been – and it’s not simply Jeff, it’s any commentator that performed within the exterior backs – they don’t essentially know concerning the function of these numerous free ahead positions.

“I do learn about that function and I do know Ardie Savea.”

In the meantime, former Australia centre Morgan Turinui, now additionally a TV commentator, weighed in on the controversy on social media.

Couldn’t agree extra for matches july 29 and august 5. Be happy to choose him on different days… https://t.co/rUdADnnO8F

— Morgan Turinui (@MorganTurinui) June 28, 2023

Photograph: Patrick Hamilton/AFP by way of Getty Photographs