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Newest All Black sends message to selectors after dominating Highlanders
Recently capped All Black winger Mark Telea started his 2023 campaign in emphatic fashion producing a starring performance in the Blues 60-20 demolition over the Highlanders.
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After receiving a call-up last November on the All Blacks end of year tour with Will Jordan out injured, Telea scored two tries on debut at Murrayfield against Scotland.
In his first outing of Super Rugby Pacific he continued that hot streak, the Blues winger ran riot over the hapless Highlanders clocking up 202 running metres on 13 carries whilst beating 13 defenders.
Telea made four clean breaks, scoring two tries whilst assisting on two more for the Blues in the eight try rout. Statiscally, it was one of the all time Super Rugby performances.
Praise for Telea flowed in from media and fans alike with claims he is ‘the best winger in New Zealand’ and is sure pick for the World Cup squad later this year.
Comparisons were made to the playstation game Jonah Lomu Rugby after looking unstoppable in Dunedin.
Mark Telea gets the Blues first for 2023 👏
ADVERTISEMENT? Highlanders v Blues, LIVE NOW. Every Match. Ad-free. Live & On Demand on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport.#StanSportAU #SuperRugbyPacific #HIGvBLU pic.twitter.com/l7pQOnpHXc
— Stan Sport Rugby (@StanSportRugby) February 25, 2023
In a position that’s wide open for the All Blacks this year, Mark Telea’s just made one heck of a statement #HIGvBLU
— Ollie Ritchie (@OllieRitchie1) February 25, 2023
Four Super Rugby Pacific player stocks on the rise from #HIGvBLU:
– Mark Telea
– M.E. Telea
– Telea, Mark
– Mark Evander Telea https://t.co/lgBuUsOvom— Christopher Reive (@ChrisReive) February 25, 2023
Mark Telea is the best wing in the country right now.
By some way. #HIGvBLU
— Ryan Nixon (@NewYorkNixon) February 25, 2023
Mark Telea putting on a clinic. Literally one of the top SR performances by a winger in history! #HIGvBLU
— Nelson Dale (@Nelsonhdale) February 25, 2023
Mark Telea is playing this game like Jonah Lomu rugby….on easy mode
— Lance KT (@lkerrtaylor) February 25, 2023
All Blacks have to use Mark Telea at the world cup, absolutely electric wild card, what they lacked last time.
— CJ (@CjSonOfAnarchy) February 25, 2023
Blues simply ruthless on attack and defence. Mark Telea fantastic with the ball. Early days
— Glenn M SMITH (@GlennMSMITH1) February 25, 2023
The Blues No 14 had the first try of the night when he finished a one-on-one with Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava, reaching out to place the ball down after a low tackle.
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Telea nearly had his second after the Blues launched a counter-attack from an errant Highlanders’ pass following a long break by Finlay Christie. Beauden Barrett finished the movement after Telea managed to find an offload.
The Blues right edge combination then combined to produce a scintillating piece of play, with All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane linking with Telea before receiving the return ball to coast away untouched.
Deep into the second half Telea snatched a long-range intercept when he perfectly read a Highlanders scrum play which broke the 50 point barrier, and then produced another break to set up Ioane’s second try.
Telea’s competition for a place in the All Blacks World Cup squad includes Crusaders right wing Sevu Reece, who has 15 test tries in 23 caps since his debut in 2019, and fullback Will Jordan who is also used on the right wing.
Also competing for a spot is uncapped Chief Shaun Stevenson who was a standout for the All Blacks XV in their tour matches.
Comments on RugbyPass
Just shows how a hand up can help as long as the invitation is accepted. Good story.
1 Go to commentsKarma is a powerful force
21 Go to commentsFrench players said the same thing to the All Blacks after their pool match in 2011. But the French can back up their s**t talk with action.
67 Go to commentsThe problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
21 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
67 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
67 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
28 Go to commentsEben really seems like just a deeply unpleasant man.
67 Go to commentsDMac. BB crabs too much at 10.
4 Go to commentsIt is every boys dream to be a Springbok. I managed it in a discipline other than rugby…But rugby, I have always engaged with passion. It does my old heart good to see the mix of people in the team and this displays the possibilities for this wonderful country. The logo “stronger together” says it all. This current edition of the Boks is nothing short of inspirational.
3 Go to commentsIrish people about the best damn people on the planet. OK, in the NH. Fijians are the World’s best happiest friendliest people. But as far as European cultures producing good people, Ireland stands alone. But on the rugby pitch there is a creeping arrogance that has detached from humility. eg Sexton abusing a match referee, and not for the 1st time. He was extremely lucky to make it to the RWC, strings were pulled. And O’Mahoneys sledge to Cane was lowballing, attacking an opposition Captain seems opportunistic and gutter talk. Cane is a real gentleman. Have never seen ABs unleash after the whistle like they did on O’Mahoney after QterF, it was well deserved. Unlike Bok supporters, the Bok players understand history. Massive amount of respect between Boks and ABs is evident, they get on well and have throughout history. Even Pinetree Meads best mate (except his old cobber Kel Tremain) were Springboks, friendships forged after tours. And Meads was always targetted given his star status (he even played 2 x Tests with a broken arm). On the contrary, ABs and Wallabies famously dont get on, bad blood after Aussies not taking offer of beersies postmatch.
67 Go to commentsHaha god NZ journalism is so crap listen to this guy “We’ll be proven in a few weeks if our baseless bs can stick” lol Everywhere else uses experts to write stuff but here they’re just career guys that don’t care about what they write, NOT CONCEDED A TRY IN YEARS lol > “Naturally, you’re looking for performance, sometimes that means you can’t think logically or use evidence to arrive at any sort of clarity of decision. Pretty much sums it up to a tee Paul ignores the articles in here about then runs off each team this year, that Penney is just a yearly stop gap until, who, Ellison is released by ABs, the huge imbalance of the injury front between teams at each end of the table, or who it was that _should_ have been coach. But of course if they actually do evidence and investigative work theyre shy of their article not hitting that sensationalism boundary and lose revenue. Leaving us non the wiser. They look like they would have been best with a geeup coach this year to turn around the razorless depression the clubs obviously going through. Hard to think of someone fitting the Bill to have been chosen instead, the clown Cheika? Id have been tempted to double play and entice O’Gara down. Hell maybe that is who they are waiting for, he wants a international gig and it could be after Scmidt or razor
28 Go to comments_Dan Carter weighs in on who should be Scott Robertson's All Black 10_ Dan: “It’s a toss up between Beudy and Dmac, although Mounga would be nice - but he can’t… so…” The Rugby Public: “Thanks Dan. For nuthin!”
4 Go to commentsEngland did this way back for the Croke Park match in the 2000’s. The shame actually seemed to weigh on them during the match. It will not be easy for Northhampton players to rationalize how their army went into a stadium of a major city of the then United Kingdom and opened fire indiscriminantly into terraces killed 14 and wounding scores. I am sure with a pro setup they will get this balance right. I live beside the stadium. A very old woman on the street remembers as a very young girl the crowds of people filling the street to escape the massacre. A lot of water under the bridge and the match has really little historical relevance for Irish/Leinster supporters any more. Those ghosts were freed in the trashing of England in the 2000’s match. Sure, it will motivate Leinster but Northhampton should not overly consider it or weigh on it in my opinion. Dowson is right to learn the historical importance and Northhampton are indeed giving the occasion due respect. It is important to show respect. But that’s enough for Northhampton. Fair play to them. On to the rugby now.
15 Go to commentsDouble World Cup Champions ? Wow since when did 4 become 2!
214 Go to comments“See you in the final” from a winning (Irish) team is just away of wishing a team well for the rest of the tournament. It’s actually saying I hope we both make it to the final. Etzebeth was the only player who PUBLICLY said that his team would make the final after that match. Does anyone honestly think Ireland who took 100 years to beat NZ and got hammerred by them in 2019 would for the slightest moment not take the perilous threat as seriously as it should be taken? Getting sick of Boks and Kiwis who spend all year every year trying boasting about how great and humble they are and then accusing others of arrogance. Respect people by trying to understand them before hitting a pretty humble people with this crap.
67 Go to commentsThe feelings of gratitude I feel when thinking about the Boks is difficult to describe. It really means a lot to people here. I would flat out ask Ox for a big hug if I met him in person. And then probably pass out after the squeeze. Totally worth it.
3 Go to commentsFarrell seems to be an outstanding coach and Ireland a very well prepared team. But they looked like they had no plan B against NZ. Maybe they really were looking past them, as Eben says.
67 Go to commentsMaybe if you come once in your life in France you won’t writte so much nonsense 🙃
1 Go to commentsWhy did they kill 14 people at a gaelic football match? What had happened earlier that day? Dowson sounds absolutely pathetic, believing what the Irish say about his people, rather than believing what his people say about the Irish.
15 Go to comments