Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

'He'd be the first name on the sheet for me': Why David Havili could be set for a first test re-call since 2018

By Online Editors
David Havilil. (Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)

The All Blacks will likely select 11 more players to supplement their current 34-man squad when they travel to Australia in November and there’s one man that, after a superlative performance in the weekend, should be one of the first names that Ian Foster adds to the ledger.

ADVERTISEMENT

David Havili, in just his second match back since he fractured his thumb in the middle of July, notched a hattrick of tries against Waikato in their round 3 Mitre 10 Cup clash.

Earlier this year, Havili was putting in strong performances for the Crusaders, regardless of whether they played him at fullback, in the midfield or even at first five.

Video Spacer

Jerome Kaino on the future of the All Blacks, Cheslin Kolbe and his final season in rugby

Video Spacer

Jerome Kaino on the future of the All Blacks, Cheslin Kolbe and his final season in rugby

On the latest edition of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, former All Black James Parsons suggested that Havili must be one of the additional players called up to the All Blacks squad.

“One game back, Dave Havili, surely?” Parsons asked his North Harbour teammate Bryn Hall.

“He was unbelievable in the weekend. His game management’s as good as a 10. I think he’d go into the squad and could cover 10, 12, 15.”

Havili was first called into the New Zealand squad during the 2017 Rugby Championship to replace Jordie Barrett, who had been sidelined with a shoulder injury. Following two handy performances off the bench, Havili was retained for the All Blacks’ end of year tour where he played three matches. While the utility back wasn’t required for international duty in 2018 or 2019, his form throughout the current season has been unquestionable – something Parsons has identified as “crucial”.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Form has to come into it. You don’t want to just go all out on guys that have had experience of All Blacks footy.

“I just thought, him on the weekend – after a bit of a break, and pretty serious by the sounds of it, he just comes back and delivers a shift like that against … potentially the form-equal team going into that game. I know [Waikato] were away from home but he made light work of it.”

Hall, a Crusaders teammate of Havili’s, didn’t require any convincing from his Aotearoa Rugby Pod co-panellist.

“I’m already on that horse,” Hall said. “The biggest thing that I love about Dave is that he has that versatility as well. He’s done it at Crusaders. He played 10 this year when Richie [Mo’unga] was injured and he’s played 12 the early part of his career. He’s been outstanding at fullback for the last three years with us.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hall didn’t down-play Havili’s form either.

“You think about Tasman, you lose a guy like Will Jordan, who’s probably been one of the form fullbacks in the country, not just in Super Rugby but in Mitre 10 Cup. Then [after Jordan was pulled from the Tasman team for All Blacks duties] you get David Havili, scoring three tries.”

“You replace him with the guy that’s probably been the form fullback the last 2 years at Mitre 10 Cup and Super Rugby level,” Parsons responded. “He’d be the first name on the sheet for me.”

Hall also shed some light on how Havili has managed to seemingly instantly play exceptional rugby, despite the long injury layoff he’s just recovered from.

“I think it comes back to, as well, Dave loves being back home. They’ve got a pretty successful team down there [at Tasman] at the moment. It hasn’t just been built overnight. When I talk to the Tassie boys, they love going back down there – not only for the rugby but that place that they’re living and kind of the culture and success that they’ve brought down there.

“He plays a big part in that community down there and when you’re playing happy and free and at the same being in a good team, you saw how good David Havili was in the weekend and probably for the foreseeable future in the competition.”

With North Harbour set to challenge Tasman this weekend, Hall was hopeful that Havili might take a back seat.

“Davie, I hope you have an absolute shocker, mate. Hope you’re no good. Just take a week off, you’ve got nothing more to prove this week.”

Despite the good-natured ribbing, however, Hall still identified his fellow Crusader as a must-pick for the All Blacks.

“If there’s ever a guy that’s deserving through consistency and week-to-week in what he brings not just on the field but leadership skills and his professionalism, he’s a guy that, for me personally, has got to be in that 11 or thereabouts.”

Find the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod on all good podcast streaming services or listen to the episode below:

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
Search