Peter Lakai is the best openside flanker in the world, according to former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson, who has likened the back-rower to the legendary Sir Michael Jones.

The 23-year-old loose forward played a central role in the Hurricanes’ 2026 Super Rugby Pacific title-winning campaign and has taken much of that form into the black jersey.

Peter Lakai is the best openside flanker in the world

While Lakai made his Test debut under former All Blacks boss Scott Robertson, he has become a key figure in the team’s loose trio under Dave Rennie this year. He featured in all four Tests against the Springboks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, coming off the bench in the first two matches before starting the latter two, playing in the number six and eight jerseys.

For the Bledisloe Cup Tests against the Wallabies, he donned the number seven jersey, which is where Wilson believes Lakai is the best in the world. “The best openside flanker in the world is Peter Lakai. This is a generational athlete at the age of 23,” the former winger said on Sky Sport NZ’s Breakdown show.

“By chance, by injury, he has now fallen into the openside flanker position; he has played number eight for the All Blacks too.”

Generational talent

Wilson’s high praise didn’t stop there as he likened Lakai to his former teammate Jones, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest All Blacks of all time. The ex-winger said that there are two names he would write down first when piecing together a starting XV, with Jordie Barrett being one and Lakai being the other.

Furthermore, he feels that the loose forward is not getting the praise his performances this year deserve – something that he is addressing. His versatility, his athleticism – I’m going to put him in rarefied air in terms of athleticism. To me, he looks like a young Michael Jones,” he continued.

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“He’s got that type of range, that type of skill set, that type of ability to track the ball, his decision-making, his physicality – this is a guy who could be in the All Black for the next 10 years. He is the first guy that I would write down in a teamsheet with Jordie Barrett. They’re the two guys.

“He is a generational talent, and we should be celebrating him. He is a quiet, reserved guy; he is not going to celebrate himself. That means it’s up to us in the media to tell you and show you exactly how good he is.”