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'Best in the world': Folau Fakatava confirms desire to play for All Blacks
Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava has outlined his ambition to play for the All Blacks after recovering from the ruptured ACL he suffered last year.
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Fakatava has frequently been linked with All Blacks selection as one of New Zealand’s most promising young prospects, but is yet to make his test debut after sustaining his serious knee injury in last year’s win over the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Speaking to media ahead of this week’s rematch at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday, the Tongan-born 22-year-old confirmed his desire to play for the All Blacks should the opportunity arise down the line.
“Yeah, obviously All Blacks is the best in the world for me, so it’d be good to have a crack at it,” Fakatava said before suggesting that he may choose to instead play for Tonga should an All Blacks call-up elude him.
“Just keep doing what I do, learn from the best, and hopefully, when the opportunities come, I’ll take it. If not, then I might have to play for Tonga.”
Questions remain over Fakatava’s eligibility status for New Zealand after World Rugby altered its laws so that players must reside in their adopted nation for five continuous years rather than three.
Fakatava moved from Tonga to New Zealand as a schoolboy in 2016, but World Rugby’s new laws means that the five-year residency period only begins once a player turns 18.
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As such, Fakatava’s residency period only began in December 2017, meaning he won’t be eligible for the All Blacks until December this year.
New Zealand Rugby could, however, launch an appeal to World Rugby to make Fakatava available for the All Blacks before this December on the basis that he has now lived in New Zealand for six years.
When asked on the matter, Fakatava said he has no interest in the off-field proceedings surrounding his international eligibility as he instead focusing on his on-field performances with the Highlanders.
“I’ve been talking with my agent and I got a message from other people. For me, I don’t really care much. I just focus on right now and the team, the performance, so I don’t really worry about what’s going to happen with my eligibility,” he said.
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“If it happens, it happens. I’ve just got to nail every week and put a performance out there.”
Should he become remain unavailable for the All Blacks, Tonga may look to secure Fakatava’s services as part of their global raid of players following World Rugby’s overhauled eligibility laws that enables test-capped players to switch countries.
Since that change of ruling, Israel Folau, Charles Piutau, Malakai Fekitoa, Sekope Kepu, Adam Coleman, Vaea Fifita, George Moala, Augustine Pulu and Atu Moli are, or will soon become, eligible for Tonga this year after completing three-year stand downs from test rugby.
With such star power in the ‘Ikale Tahi’s ranks, Fakatava could be persuaded to represent his homeland while still being eligible to play for the All Blacks provided he too stands down from international rugby for three years.
Before all of that, though, Fakatava is intent on getting back to his best for the Highlanders after a successful return to action from his knee injury during last week’s season-opening defeat to the Chiefs in Queenstown.
“Yeah, obviously I trusted my rehab, all the help that I had throughout my rehab. By the time I was out on that field, I was pretty confident, nail my role and preparation throughout the week. Knee’s feeling good.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Billy's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
28 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to comments