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The incredible rise of David Havili

By Peteso Cannon
The incredible rise of David Havili

David Havili a student of Nelson College will become an All Black tomorrow should he come on off the bench in Buenos Aires.

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An incredible story considering while at secondary school he struggled to make his first team, getting the majority of his game time with the seconds.

“I sat on the bench quite a lot. I guess I didn’t get the opportunities back then but I was still keen to see how far rugby could take me and I persevered into club rugby,” said Havili.

After school Havilli began work as a builder for a family friend, continuing to play club rugby for Nelson.

It was from this grassroots club level environment that Havilli began to make a name for himself, earning a call-up to the Baby Blacks for the Junior World Cup and from there he got his first Mitre 10 contract with Tasman Makos.

In 2015 he was offered a spot on the wider Crusaders training squad, eventually making the number fifteen jersey his own and in the process winning the Super Rugby title.

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“We’re really proud of him and to get a first cap in an All Black jersey is amazing. From where he started as a really shy young boy only three years ago to the leader he is now, he’s worked really hard and come a really long way and he thoroughly deserves it,” said former All Black and Tasman Makos coach Leon MacDonald.

Taking the path less trodden certainly appears to have worked for Havili, regardless of whether or not he gets off the bench tomorrow night.

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Trevor 2 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.

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Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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