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'I have a new favourite All Blacks player' - fans react to Clarke's phenomenal run-on debut

By Online Editors
Caleb Clarke of the All Blacks makes a break (C) during the Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australian Wallabies at Eden Park on October 18, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke has sent social media into a frenzy after running riot against the Wallabies in the second Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park. In his first start for the national side, Clarke ran for more than 130 metres and beat 14 defenders in what was almost a perfect performance from the exciting talent.

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Clarke had plenty of impact in his test debut last Sunday, where he played 11 minutes off the bench. Even with limited minutes, there were glimpses of his brilliance in Wellington.

But a run-on debut at his home venue gave the 21-year-old the chance to well and truly announce himself to the world.

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Caleb Clarke after blockbuster first start for the All Blacks

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Caleb Clarke after blockbuster first start for the All Blacks

Every time he touched the ball, he created headaches for the Wallabies defence, and proved tough to bring down with his unquestionable pace and strength.

Arguably the highlight of the game came five minutes after half-time, when the winger ran 35 metres and through five Australian defenders. The play then looked dead and buried as five Wallabies players crowded him, but he managed to stay on his feet, and run another 10.

Clarke’s brilliance and skill is simply beyond his years.

The break caught Australia on the back foot, which let Ardie Savea scored a pivotal try in the next phase. Savea’s try was the All Blacks’ second in under six minutes to start the second half, and let them gain complete control of the fixture.

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With 12 minutes to go in the match, Clarke was subbed off for Damian McKenzie. It was in itself one of the more special moments to come from the test, as the Auckland crowd gave their new hometown hero a standing ovation.

Fans on Twitter have thrown their support behind the up-and-comer, raving about his strength and desire, with one supporter impressed with how he ‘won’t give up.’

The All Blacks number 11 jersey is famous in itself for the calibre of players who have run out in a test match wearing it. More recently the likes of Julian Savea and Rieko Ioane have impressed on the left wing, with their brutal and effective running styles.

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But after just one match in the starting side, fans are already drawing comparisons between Clarke and the late great, Jonah Lomu.

 

Bledisloe III will be held across the Tasman in Sydney on October 31st before a potential decider is played in Brisbane a week later. On the back of his performance, injury permitting, it seems unlikely that Clarke won’t feature.

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Jon 7 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”?

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j
john 9 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.

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A
Adrian 11 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

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