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Caleb Clarke: 'I know there's more in me'

By Ned Lester
Caleb Clarke with the ball in hand for the Blues in Cross-Border rugby action, Japan. Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images

Caleb Clarke is giving himself every opportunity to find career form in 2024 and from the glimpses we’ve seen of the powerful youngster in pre-season contests, the hard work is paying off.

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Clarke returned from his extended summer break in late January, along with his fellow Kiwi Rugby World Cup participants, and revealed he had dropped some weight through a revised regimen over the summer.

An eight-kilogram drop to be precise, a change Clarke decided he was ready for while biding his time as a secondary option for the All Blacks at the World Cup.

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The 24-year-old was rewarded for his form in 2023 with a World Cup squad selection, but couldn’t crack the starting unit ahead of Mark Tele’a and Will Jordan.

“I spent time in France in my reflection times – I call them quiet times,” Clarke told Newshub.

“I just knew there’s more, I know there’s more in me.”

During that World Cup campaign, Clarke says his relationship with his weight felt unhealthy, and now he’s at a weight he hasn’t been since his high school days, feeling much more comfortable in his eating routine.

“For me, seeing a number on a scale was a big thing,” he said.

“I remember on my day off I’d eat maybe one meal, then go sauna at night and then just pray I was at the right weight they wanted me to be at.”

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Last month Clarke said that he was grateful for his friends and teammates helping him get his diet right and stay off the chocolates while reassessing his outlook on diet and exercise.

“If I wanted to stay away from that, I just needed to get food right, get nutrition right.

“It’s not about the number on the scales, it’s about how I’m performing and how I’m feeling each day.”

A hat-trick within 45 minutes against the Yokohama Canon Eagles certainly gave the impression Clarke was feeling good, and the effort hasn’t gone unnoticed by new Blues head coach Vern Cotter.

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“He’s actually asked a few questions of himself, and where he needs to go to become better,” Cotter said.

“He’s brought a competitive edge to himself.”

Clarke will feature alongside a host of returning All Blacks in the second half of the Blues’ final pre-season fixture against the Chiefs at 4pm NZT in Takapuna.

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R
RW 2 hours ago
The All Blacks' backline is to blame for Robertson's unflattering record

Your feelings of rugby players personalities on and off the field aside, the ABs can't really blame the backline, sure they didn't perform but where were they last year, they got to a World Cup final. Same players different coach. Scott Robertson has the unenviable task of taking over a team that has traditionally been fantastic. They places a huge amount of pressure on a man, particularly one with the pedigree of 14 Super Rugby titles.


However club level and international country level are two completely different beasts. For one the opponents are good in club level but normally the best if the best are picked to represent their countries. Thus the level of opposition in club level vary tremendously. Also you only learn against the opposition you play, again Crusaders have really only got New Zealanders to play against who can give them any kind of opposition. Which means any non style ABs game play is not tested by 'Saders because they don't face anything else.


Now Scotty has taken over the coaching role from a guy who worked under possibly the best coach ABs have ever had, which means when Fozzie took over, he still had the inklings of top quality rugby although it appeared he didn't quite know how to work them properly. Now Scotty had no coaching ties with them, effectively starting from scratch. So he is still figuring out his team, and working them in. But unfortunately for now he is the one to blame for the less than average performances by his team that was shown us these past two tests and even the one against Argentina.


But it's not to say he is done and dusted but rather he needs to figure out his route, and like Rassie did and does, figure out his players, his game plan and how to get them back to where they were on 2011-2015.


My suggestion if he can, is to blood quite a few new okies, who can gain experience of playing against Springboks, France, Ireland, etc. and prepare them for the the next World Cup. Don't be shy about losing games but always look to preparing a new group for the RWC '27. If he has a newish style of playing, what better way to inform that than by starting with a fresh pair of legs and minds. Let a couple of the oldies to stay but build a new ABs team with a new style. Easier to train a puppy than an old dog. Just saying.


Give Razor time, and allow him the space. This is coming from a Saffa🇿🇦. Go Bokke, love you okes

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