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New Zealand's form winger of 2020 not getting complacent ahead of new campaign

By Online Editors
Mark Telea. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

Mark Telea debuted for North Harbour in 2016, but it wasn’t until last year that the 24-year-old was finally playing consistently enough to warrant a call-up to the Blues.

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Come the end of the 2020 Super Rugby Aotearoa season, Mark Telea was the form wing in New Zealand.

That was no easy task, given the men he was competing with.

The Crusaders had Sevu Reece and George Bridge on their books – the All Blacks‘ first-choice wingers at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, while the likes of Wes Goosen, Sean Wainui and Solomon Alaimalo were all experienced operators at Super Rugby level.

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Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos, NSW Waratahs captain Jake Gordon and Stan Sport commentator Allana Ferguson have spoken at the Super Rugby AU launch event held at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

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Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos, NSW Waratahs captain Jake Gordon and Stan Sport commentator Allana Ferguson have spoken at the Super Rugby AU launch event held at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

Closer to home, young sevens star Caleb Clarke also announced himself to the world with some eye-catching displays for the Blues – but it was Telea who had been his side’s go-to man from the moment that the Blues began their campaign back in January with a narrow loss to the Chiefs.

When the initial Super Rugby season was curtailed due to the coronavirus, Telea sat atop many of the key attacking metrics and had caused havoc for opposition defences.

With over 700 run-metres clocked and 47 tackle busts to his name, Telea was an absolute monster on attack. For comparison, Bridge was the second-best wing in both those measures, but was had 200 fewer metres earned and notched up half as many broken tackles.

Telea wasn’t quite so dominant in Super Rugby Aotearoa, but was still in the top five players for defenders beaten, and not much further down the list for metres run.

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The opening game of the Blues’ Aotearoa campaign saw Clarke score an early try off a beautifully run line but, as if to remind the crowd that it was he had who been the big mover earlier in the year, Telea not long after went on one scorching run that needed four defending Hurricanes to bring him down. He also bumped two tacklers then offloaded to TJ Faiane to set up the Blues’ second try, and ultimately finished the match with 10 defenders beaten.

Heading into the new season, Telea has acknowledged that he’s certainly not the complete package just yet.

“As a player, you can’t come straight through and learn everything,” he said. “Some players grind it out and go through all the training and all the steps, and that is what makes you a better player.”

Telea admitted that he may have coasted at times during the early stages of his career, but some well-chosen words from Blues coaches Leon MacDonald and Dan Halangahu had reminded the 24-year-old that his future was in his own hands.

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“Having come through the grades I had just taken every step as it came but coming into the Blues, Rangi [MacDonald] and Dan had told me about the opportunities I would have and for it was taking those opportunities when you can,” he said.

“I wasn’t the best player at the time – I’m still not the best player now, I’m still learning a lot of things – but for me, I wasn’t developed as a player and the coaches saw that.”

While there’s certainly room in Telea’s game for some improvement, he unquestionably has the right raw materials to stake out a long career with the Blues.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s recent announcement that he’ll make the jump to rugby union next season has no doubt produced many water-cooler conversations around where the code-hopper would best line up for the Blues, whose representative teams he played for as a teenager.

The common suggestion appears to be on the wing, at least initially, so that the Kiwis star can re-acclimatise to union. With Clarke and Telea in the set-up already, however, Tuivasa-Sheck won’t exactly be able to walk into the team.

The Blues’ campaign for 2021 kicks off against the Hurricanes on 27 February.

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Trevor 1 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 5 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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