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Caleb Clarke's 'hard sessions' with new Blues recruit Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Blues fans will have plenty to cheer about when Super Rugby Pacific kicks off next month, thanks in part to the return of Caleb Clarke and the arrival of NRL superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
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Clarke was immense for the side throughout the 2020 and 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa seasons but shifted his focus to sevens ahead of the Olympics and hasn’t played a game of the full-man code since the end of last year’s Aotearoa campaign.
Tuivasa-Sheck, meanwhile, hasn’t played a game of XVs since his final year of secondary school, way back in 2011.
The pair will add plenty of additional firepower to a backline that already boasts the talents of All Blacks Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane.
Clarke revealed to media on Tuesday that he’s shed some weight over the past 12 months and will enter the coming campaign fizzing for action, thanks in part to his off-season training with new recruit Tuivasa-Sheck.
“I’m actually a lot skinnier now,” he said. “It’s quite good. I can run around a lot more.
“In lockdown, I got to train with Roger once that picnic rule came out and we had some hard sessions. I was crying in one of them. That’s how hard it was. I never cry in a session.”
Tuivasa-Sheck, on the other hand, didn’t struggle quite as much with the intensity and “was just laughing”.
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It wasn’t just Clarke who benefitted from the training, however, with Tuivasa-Sheck working on some areas that will prove crucial if he slots into the midfield for the Blues, as has been telegraphed by head coach Leon MacDonald.
“He had to use me as a tackling ram,” said Clarke. “It was good, though. Over that lockdown period, I got to actually get a bit of ball-into-contact work with him, sort of that ruck work as well, that physical side. He was a bit confused when we first started. He had an idea because of being in the Auckland system [in the recently completed NPC], the coaches were teaching him there, but in lockdown we got to really work on the small things like the jackal, getting over and through the rucks, so it’s been good.
“It was lucky we had [former Auckland midfielder and current Hawke’s Bay representative] Danny [Tusitala] there, because he was helping Roger with all the passing, which is what he wanted, and that’s sort of where we built our relationship, in a way. We had his brother Johnny and his cousin Vince there as well, so we had extra numbers just to get through all the skills, but, rugby-wise, we just sort of sat down together every morning, just talking through different pictures.”
Unsurprisingly, Tuivasa-Sheck’s development in the game has only stepped up further since pre-season training with the Blues kicked off again this year – to the detriment of Clarke, at times.
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“Now he’s got all the coaches, he’s got boys like Stephen [Perofeta] and Harry [Plummer], and it’s just awesome that he’s really growing in the game and he’s helped me with a bit of my footwork,” said Clarke. “It’s helped me out on attack, but I don’t think it’s helped me much on [defence]. I’m still getting stepped here and there, but it’s been good, though. It’s just been real cool having someone of his calibre here at the Blues.”
Super Rugby Pacific kicks off on February 18 with the Blues set to face new side Moana Pasifika in the inaugural game of the revamped competition.
Comments on RugbyPass
Just shows how a hand up can help as long as the invitation is accepted. Good story.
1 Go to commentsKarma is a powerful force
21 Go to commentsFrench players said the same thing to the All Blacks after their pool match in 2011. But the French can back up their s**t talk with action.
67 Go to commentsThe problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
21 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
67 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
67 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
28 Go to commentsEben really seems like just a deeply unpleasant man.
67 Go to commentsDMac. BB crabs too much at 10.
4 Go to commentsIt is every boys dream to be a Springbok. I managed it in a discipline other than rugby…But rugby, I have always engaged with passion. It does my old heart good to see the mix of people in the team and this displays the possibilities for this wonderful country. The logo “stronger together” says it all. This current edition of the Boks is nothing short of inspirational.
3 Go to commentsIrish people about the best damn people on the planet. OK, in the NH. Fijians are the World’s best happiest friendliest people. But as far as European cultures producing good people, Ireland stands alone. But on the rugby pitch there is a creeping arrogance that has detached from humility. eg Sexton abusing a match referee, and not for the 1st time. He was extremely lucky to make it to the RWC, strings were pulled. And O’Mahoneys sledge to Cane was lowballing, attacking an opposition Captain seems opportunistic and gutter talk. Cane is a real gentleman. Have never seen ABs unleash after the whistle like they did on O’Mahoney after QterF, it was well deserved. Unlike Bok supporters, the Bok players understand history. Massive amount of respect between Boks and ABs is evident, they get on well and have throughout history. Even Pinetree Meads best mate (except his old cobber Kel Tremain) were Springboks, friendships forged after tours. And Meads was always targetted given his star status (he even played 2 x Tests with a broken arm). On the contrary, ABs and Wallabies famously dont get on, bad blood after Aussies not taking offer of beersies postmatch.
67 Go to commentsHaha god NZ journalism is so crap listen to this guy “We’ll be proven in a few weeks if our baseless bs can stick” lol Everywhere else uses experts to write stuff but here they’re just career guys that don’t care about what they write, NOT CONCEDED A TRY IN YEARS lol > “Naturally, you’re looking for performance, sometimes that means you can’t think logically or use evidence to arrive at any sort of clarity of decision. Pretty much sums it up to a tee Paul ignores the articles in here about then runs off each team this year, that Penney is just a yearly stop gap until, who, Ellison is released by ABs, the huge imbalance of the injury front between teams at each end of the table, or who it was that _should_ have been coach. But of course if they actually do evidence and investigative work theyre shy of their article not hitting that sensationalism boundary and lose revenue. Leaving us non the wiser. They look like they would have been best with a geeup coach this year to turn around the razorless depression the clubs obviously going through. Hard to think of someone fitting the Bill to have been chosen instead, the clown Cheika? Id have been tempted to double play and entice O’Gara down. Hell maybe that is who they are waiting for, he wants a international gig and it could be after Scmidt or razor
28 Go to comments_Dan Carter weighs in on who should be Scott Robertson's All Black 10_ Dan: “It’s a toss up between Beudy and Dmac, although Mounga would be nice - but he can’t… so…” The Rugby Public: “Thanks Dan. For nuthin!”
4 Go to commentsEngland did this way back for the Croke Park match in the 2000’s. The shame actually seemed to weigh on them during the match. It will not be easy for Northhampton players to rationalize how their army went into a stadium of a major city of the then United Kingdom and opened fire indiscriminantly into terraces killed 14 and wounding scores. I am sure with a pro setup they will get this balance right. I live beside the stadium. A very old woman on the street remembers as a very young girl the crowds of people filling the street to escape the massacre. A lot of water under the bridge and the match has really little historical relevance for Irish/Leinster supporters any more. Those ghosts were freed in the trashing of England in the 2000’s match. Sure, it will motivate Leinster but Northhampton should not overly consider it or weigh on it in my opinion. Dowson is right to learn the historical importance and Northhampton are indeed giving the occasion due respect. It is important to show respect. But that’s enough for Northhampton. Fair play to them. On to the rugby now.
15 Go to commentsDouble World Cup Champions ? Wow since when did 4 become 2!
215 Go to comments“See you in the final” from a winning (Irish) team is just away of wishing a team well for the rest of the tournament. It’s actually saying I hope we both make it to the final. Etzebeth was the only player who PUBLICLY said that his team would make the final after that match. Does anyone honestly think Ireland who took 100 years to beat NZ and got hammerred by them in 2019 would for the slightest moment not take the perilous threat as seriously as it should be taken? Getting sick of Boks and Kiwis who spend all year every year trying boasting about how great and humble they are and then accusing others of arrogance. Respect people by trying to understand them before hitting a pretty humble people with this crap.
67 Go to commentsThe feelings of gratitude I feel when thinking about the Boks is difficult to describe. It really means a lot to people here. I would flat out ask Ox for a big hug if I met him in person. And then probably pass out after the squeeze. Totally worth it.
3 Go to commentsFarrell seems to be an outstanding coach and Ireland a very well prepared team. But they looked like they had no plan B against NZ. Maybe they really were looking past them, as Eben says.
67 Go to commentsMaybe if you come once in your life in France you won’t writte so much nonsense 🙃
1 Go to commentsWhy did they kill 14 people at a gaelic football match? What had happened earlier that day? Dowson sounds absolutely pathetic, believing what the Irish say about his people, rather than believing what his people say about the Irish.
15 Go to comments