‘Fend and grease’: Mark Tele’a reveals secret to success after breakout year
After taking the rugby world by storm during a breakout year at Test level, it wasn’t a surprise to see All Blacks wing Mark Tele’a walk onto the World Rugby Awards stage to receive one of the most prestigious individual honours in the sport.
World Rugby had recognised Tele’a as one of four nominees for the Men’s 15s Breakout Player of the Year award. The New Zealander was nominated alongside teammate Tamaiti Williams, France wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey and South African Manie Libbok.
But there could only be one winner. Tele’a shaped up as the fan favourite for the accolade after headline-grabbing performances in the Rugby World Cup knockout stages.
After missing the All Blacks’ crunch clash with Ireland in the quarter-finals, Tele’a returned with a sensational showing against Los Pumas a week later. The wing broke 14 tackles, ran for more than 100 metres, and held his own on the defensive side of the ball.
Tele’a was also one of the All Blacks’ best in a heartbreaking defeat in the World Cup final against eventual champions the Springboks.
The elusive wing was doing things that were hard to fathom. Tele’a appeared to be breaking tackles at ease, and now rugby fans know why.
Almost 24 hours after the World Cup final, Telea held onto his new trophy as he joked about the secret to his success in the black jersey.
“Footwork, a little bit of pace, fend and grease,” Tele’a told a few reporters in response to a question from RugbyPass.
“I’m joking. I’m just trying to get active as much as I can, get off my wing, try and get involved wherever (by) coming around the rucks, getting out of the edges.
“Wherever you can get the ball bro and just try and break the game open, change it up a little bit.”
Rugby fans in the southern hemisphere have known about Tele’a’s seemingly limitless potential for quite some time. The try-scoring phenom has been sensational for Tasman, North Harbour and the Blues, so it wasn’t a shock to see the speedster carry that form into the Test arena.
Tele’a crossed for a double on debut against Scotland at Murrayfield last year, including a try with five minutes to play that secured a tense win during their end-of-season tour.
But that was just the beginning.
Tele’a started against England at Twickenham a week later and managed to take things to an all-new level in 2023. Tele’a scored four tries in seven Test matches this year, but it’s his work rate around the field that is especially impressive.
But when World Rugby announced their breakout award nominees in the lead-up to the World Cup final, teammates started congratulating Tele’a and he didn’t know why.
“A massive honour,” Tele’a added.
“At training, I kind of didn’t know because I don’t have social media so I was getting ready and the boys were coming (up to me) and saying congratulations.
“I was like, ‘congratulations for what?’ They were like, ‘Oh you got nominated,” and I was like, ‘Oh mean.’
“They were just telling me you’ve got to go these Awards… to actually get it, it’s a massive honour. Credit to my team, they’re helping me play the way I can play, get out there on the field and express myself.”
With the likes of Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith, Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga leaving the All Blacks after the World Cup, it seems like the dawn of a new era in New Zealand.
The next wave of talented rugby players will fight to do the coveted black jersey justice in the Test arena, and Tele’a will almost certainly play a key role in that under new coach Scott Robertson.
“It is going to be hard without the boys there but the foundations that they left for us young players coming through is massive,” he said.
“We can take confidence from that. They have a lot of belief in us, especially us boys coming through.
“They always say we’ve got to leave the black jersey in good hands and I believe they have we’re just gonna do the best we can.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Aha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
85 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to comments