'I still can't really make sense of it': Anton Segner on his ankle injury

Anton Segner has earned his first promotion to the All Blacks‘ starting XV in a Test match, named in the No.6 jersey against Wales four dramatic months after his debut.

While the 25-year-old has worn the black No.7 jersey against the Stormers and Bulls and come off the bench in four Tests, he is yet to measure himself against an international opponent from the kick-off. In Cardiff, he’ll face off with a Welsh loose forward trio headlined by British and Irish Lion Jac Morgan.

Segner’s rookie season with the All Blacks hasn’t exactly been all smooth sailing, with an ankle injury ending his Greatest Rivalry tour before the Test series got underway. It was understood to be a peculiar injury at the time, but after keyhole surgery, he managed to recover in time to appear in the Bledisloe Cup series a month later.

Reflecting on the setback, Segner told reporters in Cardiff: “I still can’t really make sense of it”

“It was an autoimmune reaction, so I caught some sort of bug over there and then my immune system got confused and decided to send a whole bunch of fluid into my ankle joint, which was frustrating. But yeah, all good now. Good to go.”

A 25-minute cameo off the bench against Scotland last week added to his impressive Nations Championship campaign, convincing head coach Dave Rennie to back him for a start at Principality Stadium this week. The call-up was welcomed by the German-born flanker and his family.

“Yeah, it’ll be my first Test start, which is pretty exciting. Obviously, I started two club games over in South Africa, but starting in a Test is obviously a huge honour and a huge privilege that I’m very excited for. I’ve got quite a few family and friends coming over from Germany, so yeah, I look forward to playing in front of them.”

Being able to play in front of his family is “extremely special”, says Segner, who left Germany to chase his rugby dream at Nelson College during high school. He was able to spot them in the crowd while singing the national anthem last week at Murrayfield.

With his family’s presence acting as “extra motivation”, Segner is preparing to experience a different side of Test rugby in Wales. He expects starting to be different to coming off the bench in a few key aspects.

“I think physicality from the get-go is definitely one of the main ones,” he said. “Coming off the bench, you obviously sometimes play against some bodies that are a bit fatigued and stuff. So I think starting that’ll be a different story because everyone starts from scratch. So yeah, I’m looking forward to the intensity, especially in those collisions.”

Segner has been named in a starting loose forward trio that also includes Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi. The trio have an average age of 24, but youth hasn’t stopped Lakai and Sititi from showing “what they can do on the rugby field, especially with ball in hand”, says Segner.

“They’re pretty handy athletes, so yeah, I’ll be looking to run off them a bit, maybe catch an offload or two, and make some extra metres. But yeah, I think the skill set that the three of us bring complements each other well, and I’m looking forward to putting that on the grass on Saturday.”

The rising Blues star says he hopes to bring his versatility to the No.6 jersey, keen to test his mettle at the lineout and breakdown in particular against the Welsh pack.

He’ll also have some fans cheering him on from the stands.

“I was actually quite blown away in Edinburgh. It was pretty surreal to see how many Germans jumped on the plane over to watch me play. I remember on the Friday, I went out for coffee with my family, and the amount of Germans that came up to me and asked me for photos and said, ‘we’re a big fan of what you’re doing, putting German rugby on the map by playing for the All Blacks.’

“Yeah, it’s pretty special for me to witness that and getting messages on social media and stuff as well. So, I definitely hear and feel their support, and I’m very thankful for it.”