'That was bad, really bad. He turned me inside out, I got an absolute spanking'
Nearly twenty years into a career that has propelled him from Auckland to the All Blacks, the Blues to Ulster, and from Gloucester to the marauding Bristol Bears, taking in nearly 450 top-class games, John Afoa can still remember his first.
He can still feel the tension coursing through his teenage body on that cold night in Pukekohe in 2002. The notorious, steep walk down the stadium tunnel that seems to last forever. The rustic aesthetics of the venue that make the stride to the touchline feel like stepping back in time. Looking for his father in the crowd, only to find the old boy festooned in the colours of the opposition.
“My dad turned up to the game in his Counties Manukau top – it didn’t matter to him that I was playing for Auckland, he was Counties to the death,” Afoa tells RugbyPass.
“I got on early because one of the boys got injured, I was walking down the famous long tunnel, the lights on. I played the game, got the win, and that was it. I didn’t play another game until the NPC final that year.
“One of the other boys fell out of favour, and Wayne Pivac, who was our coach at the time, told me I was going to be on the bench for the semi. Honestly, I was bricking it. I didn’t get on against Canterbury, it was a tight game. The following week we played Waikato in the final, Kees Meeuws got sin-binned so I got on for 10 minutes. That was it. I tell you, it was a wild week for an 18-year-old, winning the cup.”
Afoa is a beacon of longevity in a sport that seems to grow more perilous by the season. The prop is negotiating another year’s contract at Bristol – if his wife relents – that will take him a few months short of his 39th birthday.
He is hardly clinging on either. Last season, Afoa started fourteen Premiership matches. The year before, nineteen. He will begin Friday’s seismic derby with Bath in the number three jersey, the cornerstone of Pat Lam’s gnarly pack.
And Afoa looks every inch a man joyous in his work, thriving on the game that has shaped his life. In November, he was caught on camera thundering out of the sheds for the second half of Bears’ win over Worcester, arm outstretched, mimicking Superman.
“The thing is, that’s me,” he says. “I do something stupid like that about five times a week in training. The guys weren’t shocked at all. I’ve always loved rugby, pig on it, eating out on it, watching it, playing it. I’m still running around with these 18-year-olds and doing stupid stuff.
“I remember my first year at Auckland, me and Eroni Clarke weren’t training one day because we were both injured. He was like, ‘Oh, I did my knee’.
“’When did you do that?’
“‘I think it was ’87, I went in on this tackle.’
“I was thinking, oh my god, I would have been eight or nine in 1987. And now at the age of 37, with the boys in the changing room asking me when I finished school, I’ll be like ‘cough-2001-cough’. I tell them I was already getting bits done before they were born. We’re lucky, we’ve got a young team with a sprinkling of old boys who keep everyone level-headed.”
Back then, with Clarke and Carlos Spencer and all of the heavyweights of the Auckland franchise, brutal lessons were taught. Afoa shudders as he recounts a duel with Tony Woodcock while on the cusp of becoming an All Black.
“That was bad, really bad,” he says. “It was one of those Probables v Possibles games in 2005. He turned me inside out, I got an absolute spanking, and didn’t make the Test team for the Lions series. Thanks for that, Woody.”
His back concertinaed by the rugged farmer, Afoa did crack the Test team that autumn. In all, he won 36 caps, before signing for Ulster after the 2011 World Cup.
Mention 2011 to Afoa, and the big man frowns. He made two substitute appearances at the tournament and when he arrived in Belfast to great fanfare, he felt like he hadn’t earned the honour.
“You always have this dream of playing, being on the field in the last minute, celebrating,” Afoa says. “In reality, I only played two games that totalled like 40 minutes. And then I left to go to Ulster after the tournament.
“I found it quite hard with people saying ‘World Cup winner’. I used to be quite defensive about it. I was part of a squad but I didn’t feel like I’d had a real impact on the field.
“We all had a job. Some guys played more; some supported the team. My job at that time was to support those boys. But afterwards in the changing rooms, I remember Wayne Smith and Richie McCaw mentioning to the non-playing boys how important it was. People say it all the time but they 100% meant it. When I look back, that makes it easier to take.”
The northern voyage was supposed to last three years before Afoa called it a day. But here he is, a decade later, starting in one of England’s most ferocious derbies.
Pat Lam has a lot to do with that. Afoa worked with him as a pup at Auckland and the way the great Samoan runs a ship has kept him energised.
“The way he is, he could be your best friend but when you see those frowns going, those eyebrows lifting, you’d better run for cover,” Afoa chuckles. “The rugby, it’s miles ahead. He was a new coach when I had him at Auckland. He was still very good, and we had a good team, but a lot of boys left and he had a tough year. That was it, they cut him off.
“But he has always had the potential. He is a guy that sees the game in so many different ways and is able to pick different bits out. He’s got a good support crew, he’s happy to listen to suggestions from the boys and have them help drive the team.
“We are a hard-working team, we don’t muck around. Yes, we laugh a lot, boys trying to keg each other at training, dunk each other at the gym, but when we cross onto that field, that is when we are at our best.
“We work hard, but we have so much fun. And a big driver of that is the way that Pat lets us be who we are. There is no point putting a lid on it. Even Pat cracks a few jokes which is surprising, but he’s got a bit about him. It is a good environment. And those young boys who came from Sarries, Ben Earl and Max Malins, they were maybe a little bit shocked how different it was.”
At first, Lam urged Afoa to take up a role within the club’s leadership group. Afoa said no – he’d done it before, he’d seen how it worked, and he wasn’t interested.
But Lam couldn’t leave that volume of rugby IP untapped. So instead, Afoa runs the Bears’ mentorship programme, helping to support burgeoning academy prospects, make them feel at ease in the environment, and encourage the warriors of the first team to reach out. He is the wise old sage in the background, seldom shouting, but always watching.
“Early on at the Blues, I went down to the gym one day and Carlos Spencer was in there training,” Afoa says. “We were there for an hour, didn’t speak a word. Zip. Not even like a ‘’Sup’. I was just trying not to get in his way.
“That’s maybe how rugby was back then because you had to earn your stripes, but the way it is now, one injury or Covid-19 positive, that young player could be starting. They need to be educated on how the game is played and they need to know the boys trust them.
“We have our targeted group of players who we meet or chat to, casually or formally if we want. It’s not just about rugby. That might be only half their life. It’s storytelling, really. My experiences, what works well, what might work for him, and he can pick and choose.
“The young players might get a better appreciation of how the rugby works, the pressure, handling Pat when he might be coming at you at 100 miles an hour on the field in front of 30 boys that you don’t take it personally.
“Coping with things that they can’t ask coaches themselves. I might be the middle man where I go to the coaches and say, ‘Is there anything you want this player to work on?’ On the other side, it’s a good way for senior players to really get to know the younger boys. You build a relationship because you see them regularly and make an effort to grab them, having that awareness and making that conversation.”
Bristol sit proudly atop the Premiership six games in, the fruits of skill, toil, fun and culture. Lam continues to raise the bar and the players continue to respond. Afoa would dearly love to help the Bears claim the title, or to make deep inroads into the Champions Cup, before the end inevitably dawns. In his heart of hearts, he knows the ride is almost over, but the pleasure remains as pure and gripping as ever.
“I know it’s coming to an end, for sure,” he says. “That’s just the way life is. But the enjoyment will not go away for a long time.
“I’m 37, I’m trying to hit 450 games – it’s definitely not over. I’ve been saying I’m on the last 100m for five years – it’s turned into another 1000m. I’ve pulled cramp and just walked the last bit ‘cos I’m still going.”
All hail John Afoa, the Bristol superhero who continues to laugh in the face of Father Time.
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
8 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
8 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
8 Go to comments