Blues gone begging: A theoretical XV of lost Auckland talent
Tana Umaga’s Blues are often criticised for their failures when it comes to player identification and retention.
Despite Auckland’s status as a rugby talent hotbed, featuring one of the country’s leading schoolboy competitions and a historically strong provincial setup, there has been continued failure to turn that talent into Super Rugby success.
What makes the Blues’ failure even more painful is the success players from the region have found elsewhere. 2018’s shining example has been overnight celebrity Ben Lam.
The Hurricanes winger has lit up Super Rugby, scoring eight tries in five games, include a record four-try haul against the Rebels in week seven.
26-year-old Lam was educated at Auckland’s St. Peter’s College, played provincial rugby for Auckland and made six appearances for the Blues over three seasons (2012, 2015-2016). But it wasn’t until he left Auckland that he started to put it all together on the field.
Unfortunately, Lam isn’t the only talent the Blues have either discarded or overlooked.
We have put together a hypothetical starting fifteen of ‘Blues gone begging’. To qualify, the player must be currently playing for a New Zealand Super Rugby side and have been either born or educated in Auckland, played rugby for a Blues province, or played for the Blues previously.
Here’s the team:
15. Solomon Alaimalo
After completing high school in Christchurch, 22-year-old Alaimalo shifted to Northland to play provincially and has since set Super Rugby alight with his play for the Chiefs in 2018.
He has scored five tries this season and averages 104 run metres a game, operating from the wing or at fullback.
Alaimalo’s Auckland-bred Chiefs teammate Shaun Stevenson would also be a quality pick here.
14. Ben Lam
Lam has been the form winger of 2018. His four-try effort against the Rebels matched a Super Rugby record and put him in pole position as try scoring leader with eight tries on the year.
He ran out for the Blues seven times between 2012 and 2016, but it wasn’t until he joined the Hurricanes in 2017 that the former All Blacks Sevens star finally caught on at Super Rugby level.
Fellow Hurricanes winger Vince Aso could also fill this spot admirably. Aso plays his provincial rugby with Auckland and scored 14 Super Rugby tries last season, good for second in the competition.
13. Seta Tamanivalu
Three-time All Black Seta Tamanivalu was introduced to New Zealand rugby after being awarded a scholarship to schoolboy powerhouse Saint Kentigern College as a teenager.
After high school, Tamanivalu moved down to Taranaki where he became a provincial star and later a Super Rugby scoring machine, playing for both the Chiefs and Crusaders.
Former All Blacks and Highlanders midfielder Malakai Fekitoa would be a shoo-in for this list if he wasn’t playing for Toulon. The 25-year-old shifted from Tonga to Wesley College in high school and made one appearance for the Blues in 2013 and played his provincial rugby with Auckland.
12. Jack Goodhue
Northland midfielder and now one-time All Black Jack Goodhue was schooled at Auckland’s Mount Albert Grammar School alongside twin brother and Blues lock Josh.
Goodhue has played two tournaments for the All Blacks Sevens side and captained New Zealand at the Under-20 level, and has emerged as one of New Zealand’s best midfielders with the Crusaders.
11. Waisake Naholo
Before playing a starring role for the Highlanders and All Blacks, Waisake Naholo picked up two caps with the Blues in 2013.
The electric Fijian has won a Super Rugby title, scored over 30 Super Rugby tries and scored 12 times in 18 tests for the All Blacks.
10. Mitch Hunt
Now plying his trade with the Crusaders, Mitch Hunt – most famous for his last gasp drop goal against the Highlanders in 2017 – has represented Auckland at the provincial level and New Zealand at the Under-20 level.
He played for the Blues development side but could never crack the first team, prompting a move to his hometown Tasman Mako and eventually the Crusaders.
9. Bryn Hall
Hall made 32 appearances for the Blues from 2013-2016 and played in all 15 of their matches in 2016.
He then moved south to the Crusaders, where he currently splits time with Mitchell Drummond and won a Super Rugby title last season.
8. Kieran Read
The All Blacks captain hails from Papakura, in the south of Auckland.
Read was educated at Rosehill College after a one-year stint with Saint Kentigern and has since become one of world rugby’s most decorated players, winning two World Cups and playing 109 tests.
Otahuhu native and current Crusaders No. 8 (while Read is out with injury) Jordan Taufua could also easily slot in here.
7. Dillon Hunt
Westlake Boys’ product Dillon Hunt came out of nowhere to earn a shock end-of-year All Blacks call-up in 2017.
The 23-year-old worked his way up from second tier Otago club rugby to the world stage after moving south to study.
6. Vaea Fifita
Born and raised in Tonga, All Blacks lock/loose forward Vaea Fifita went to Auckland’s Tamaki College after being spotted on a rugby tour to New Zealand.
After high school he shifted to Wellington and dominated the club scene before picking up a provincial contract which eventually led to stardom with the Hurricanes and All Blacks.
5. Michael Fatialofa
Fatialofa played his provincial rugby with Southland and Auckland after being part of Mount Albert Grammar’s national championship winning side in 2010.
The big lock’s play for Auckland finally earned him a Super Rugby contract in 2016, where he played an integral role in the Hurricanes’ maiden title winning season.
4. Sam Lousi
Former New Zealand Warrior Sam Lousi played his schoolboy footy with Auckland rugby league hotbed St. Paul’s college.
After two seasons in the NRL, Lousi made the code-switch to union and linked up with the Waratahs, before moving back to New Zealand and becoming a regular starter for the Hurricanes.
3. Angus Ta’avao
Ta’avao is another player that played for the Blues but didn’t reach his potential until he moved elsewhere.
The former U20 international has 37 Blues caps under his belt and has impressed as a starter for the Chiefs since joining the injury-riddled side as cover in 2018.
2. Andrew Makalio
Makalio was an Auckland club rugby star, hoisting the Gallaher Shield in 2015 after a man of the match performance, but couldn’t get a look-in at the provincial side.
That triggered a shift south, where the 26-year-old joined the Tasman Makos and eventually earned a Super Rugby contract with the Crusaders.
1. Chris Eves
Maori All Black Chris Eves has become a mainstay of the Hurricanes front row, chalking up over 50 appearances for the side.
After playing his high school rugby at Massey, the prop played sparingly for North Harbour and failed to kick on at the provincial level.
After a two-year spell in Portugal, Eves shifted to Wellington looking for a fresh start and quickly latched on with Manawatu and the Hurricanes where he has been ever since.
Comments on RugbyPass
Sometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to comments