Canadian Tyler Ardron delighting in Super Rugby roaming role with Chiefs
Tyler Ardron is making a big impression with the Chiefs in his first taste of Super Rugby.
Tyler Ardron can't help but have a quiet chuckle when he hears the cries about Super Rugby being such a long season.
Because, for the Canadian international, who is in his first season of a two-year deal with the Chiefs, the southern hemisphere competition is really a rapid ride compared to what he was used to in his time with Welsh club Ospreys.
Having made the move to the country he describes as the best place to develop as a rugby player, the 26-year-old is already re-paying the Chiefs in spades, with a strong work ethic and eye-catching round-the-park efforts.
Seen here for Ospreys in 2015, Tyler Ardron says the quality of Super Rugby is immense compared to Pro14 level.
"I'm liking it a lot," Ardron said. "It's a bit of an adjustment, everyone thinks it's a long season here, but it's a shorter season than what I'm used to, it's a bit more intense. So I really like that every week is such an important game."
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Ontario-born, Ardron, who has played 28 tests since debuting in 2012, including being a former captain, was brought to the Chiefs via assistant coach Neil Barnes, who was previously Canada's forwards coach.
Tyler Ardron has played 28 tests for Canada and has also spent time as captain.
Ardron had also worked a little with Dave Rennie when he helped out at Canada, and was a team-mate at Ospreys of Brendon Leonard, so the counsel of those two also helped him decide on his next destination.
"There was a few factors that went into it - I finished my degree [in economics] which just gave me a little more confidence for life after rugby," Ardron said.
Usually a loose forward, Tyler Ardron has done a superb job at lock for the Chiefs, following a number of injuries.
"I think the reason a lot of people move over to Europe is for the money.
"This is where I would want to play if I could pick one, taking all the factors like pay aside. Just lifestyle and rugby, this is where I'd want to be. And I wanted to improve as a rugby player."
After linking with Bay of Plenty for the Mitre 10 Cup after coach Clayton McMillan got in touch with a good sales pitch, Ardron was then primed to jump into this Super Rugby thing, only for a hand injury to delay his progress.
Then, with the view to playing in the loose forwards, he has instead been shunted into lock due to the mass of injuries. At 1.94m he isn't the biggest second rower going around, but the positional switch hasn't stopped him showcasing his expansive style.
The expansive game of Super Rugby suits Tyler Ardron, who wanted to test his skills in that environment.
"I enjoy it," he said. "They still give me the freedom to play as a backrow player, so really I push in the scrum and then I play rugby. So I haven't found any difference, which is nice, because you don't want to have to change too much when you're coming to a whole new team and competition."
Ardron said the culture of the Chiefs was the thing he had liked the most, and found the biggest difference, since his move, as well as the emphasis here on skill development, as opposed to working through patterns and systems so much.
"The New Zealand derby games have been the best I've ever played in," he said. "They're not tonnes above the Champions Cup in Europe, but I think the skill level's a bit higher and maybe the physicality... especially being able to maintain it for 80 minutes, you find in Europe, games drop off at the 60-minute mark."
Another new challenge awaits Ardron against the Jaguares in Rotorua on Friday night, where he'll take on more responsibility with not having the world-class Brodie Retallick (rested) alongside him. Then next month he'll look to take some of his newly-honed skills back to the national team, with Canada playing Scotland, Russia and USA.
"I haven't made any final commitments to what I'm going to play yet, but I'll definitely be back for Canada for a game or more," Ardron said.
AT A GLANCE
Super Rugby, Rd 12
Chiefs v Jaguares
Rotorua International Stadium
Friday, 7.35pm
Chiefs: Charlie Ngatai (co-c), Toni Pulu, Anton Lienert-Brown, Alex Nankivell, Solomon Alaimalo, Damian McKenzie, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Liam Messam, Sam Cane (co-c), Lachlan Boshier/Luke Jacobson, Tyler Ardron, Michael Allardice, Angus Ta'avao, Liam Polwart, Karl Tu'inukuafe. Reserves: Nathan Harris, Sam Prattley, Jeff Thwaites, Luke Jacobson/Jesse Parete, Pita Gus Sowakula, Brad Weber, Marty McKenzie, Levi Aumua.
Jaguares: Joaquin Tuculet (c), Ramiro Moyano, Matias Orlando, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Emiliano Boffelli, Nicolas Sanchez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Tomas Lezana, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Julian Montoya, Santiago Garcia Botta. Reserves: Agustin Creevy, Javier Diaz, Santiago Medrano, Matias Alemanno, Leonardo Senatore, Martin Landajo, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Juan Cruz Mallia.
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