Jona Nareki on the All Blacks' new 'beast', Otago's new star and Wellington's woes

For Otago winger Jona Nareki, losing the Ranfurly Shield to Canterbury and then also to Manawatu in the same week would have been intolerable.

But after a narrow 19-15 loss to Canterbury in Dunedin on Sunday, the prospect of a Palmerston North stumble was real. The visitors trailed 24-7 after 45 minutes and 27-12 with ten minutes left.

“I’m getting older, in rugby age only. I’m not proud of my yellow card coming in the side. I owned one for the team,” Nareki laughed with RugbyPass.

“Watching the game from the sideline, I noticed we weren’t winning contact at all while Manawatu went two phases the same way then switched short side to expose us. Once we fixed that, they became easier to defend against.

“I was put into midfield. I wanted to show I’m not too slow yet to retire from the wing. Being behind a lot gives you a licence to express yourself more. You open up play with instincts; sometimes it comes off. Obviously we don’t want to start like that again, but I’m proud we got out of it.”

Tries in the last ten minutes to replacement halfback Kieran McClea, openside Lucas Casey, and a second for fullback Sam Nemec-Vial nudged Otago ahead in a contest in which they trailed for 62 minutes and only led for two.

Nareki sparked the first try with a break past several defenders and an offload to former Mid Canterbury Meads Cup winner and Sydenham stalwart McClea. All Black loose forward Christian Lio-Willie gained the most ground for Otago with two linebreaks helping set up Casey, who has scored tries in his last five games and in eight of his last nine. Nemec-Vial is a revelation from King’s High School and the Green Island club, which he helped win the Otago metro competition for the first time in 46 years in 2024.

“I hope Sam gets a Super Rugby contract. He’s rapid. He ran the most meters against Southland on Stag Day. He’s lively, sees chances before they happen, works hard and performs consistently,” Nareki said.

“Lucas Casey. He’s not meant to get more tries than me.”

With 39 tries in 71 games for Otago and 22 in 60 for the Highlanders, Nareki has been a consistent performer for several seasons. Yet with competition including Josh Moorby, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordon, Fehi Fineanganofo, Leroy Carter, Caleb Tangitau, and Kyren Taumoefolau, who scored a record five tries for Tasman in their 50-35 win on Sunday, All Blacks XV is the highest level he has reached in New Zealand.

“It’s a privilege to play with and against so many good players. The competition brings out the best in you.

“Kyren’s performance was incredible. He’s so tall he can dominate the aerial contest. He’s also got pace, vision and skill,” Nareki acclaimed.

“I just try to put my best foot forward. We have a settled team and coaching staff. When you’re older, you get as much joy from your own success as others. On Sunday, Saula Ma’u got called into the All Blacks. He has recovered from serious injuries and fixed areas in his game to become a beast. It’s a big loss for us because he’s the anchor of our scrum.”

Otago have a good chance to improve their record to three wins and one defeat when they host winless Wellington at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Sunday. The Lions have conceded 133 points in three games, missed 89 tackles, and suffered a record 47-7 defeat to North Harbour in the capital last Thursday.

“Wellington will be desperate; their season is on the line. Watching the tape, we noticed they are not in sync. We have identified areas where we can hurt them but are not taking anything for granted,” Nareki stressed.

The two teams play for the Mike Gibson Memorial Trophy. Gibson was a dashing centre and wing who played for both Otago (26 games, 1984-86) and Wellington (15 games, 1987-1989), before dying of leukaemia at 27 in 1988.

In his honour, Gibson’s Bay of Plenty-based family commissioned a trophy to be played annually between Wellington and Otago and his parents and several family members brought it down to present it to the inaugural winner. The trophy was carved by Winiata Tapsell, a grandson of Winiata Tapsell who played for New Zealand Maori against the Springboks in 1921.

Wellington won the first game 27-11 in 1989. All Black John Schuster scored two tries and fellow All Black John Gallagher kicked 15 points.

In 123 first-class matches overall since their first clash in 1883, Wellington has won 67, Otago 47, and nine have been drawn. In the NPC, Wellington has played Otago 47 times, with Wellington winning 27, losing 18, and drawing two.

In 1998, Otago beat Wellington 82-10 with Tony Brown scoring 30 points, the largest defeat Wellington has ever had. In 2007, Wellington inflicted Otago’s largest-ever defeat, 68-7. Debutant Dane Coles scored two tries and went on to play 90 Tests (74 wins, 23 tries) for the All Blacks.