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From Rongotai to the All Blacks – Savea’s dream fulfilled
This week All Blacks winger Julian Savea announced his New Zealand career is all but over after signing with Toulon. The hometown product has achieved it all and will leave as a local legend. It’s been a magic ride to the top from an underdog school, fulfilling a dream that looked possible from a young age.
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At barely 15 years old he made his 1st XV debut in Year 10 and quickly became a school hero as the underdog Rongotai College had uncovered the rugby equivalent of Lebron James. He was a special athlete who measured at 1.90 and 104kg in his last years of high school. With sprinter’s speed, power and most of all rugby nous, Savea was as Steve Hansen described – ‘unstoppable’.
By Year 11 whispers began about this special kid from Rongotai. Every team that played them had a plan to ‘get Julian’. Many tried and many failed.
On a perfect winter’s afternoon in 2007, Rongotai played rival St Pats Silverstream at home in the annual traditional, one that has been historically dominated by Silverstream. In 60 attempts Rongotai has only notched 18 victories.
Savea, now in Year 12 and his third year of 1st XV, scored three first-half tries all from past halfway on the way to a 28-11 win. It was a sight to behold. With every Savea touch, the crowd rose in anticipation of seeing something improbable, each time left with growing disbelief at what they just saw. The win was by the largest margin since 1969 and is still the biggest margin against Silverstream in school history.
He made the New Zealand schoolboys that year as a winger and returned for his final year of schooling the next, already in the Hurricanes academy. He was selected for the New Zealand Sevens team while still a schoolboy.
Whilst it seems the path was laid out, there were bumps to overcome. He was propelled through to each level so young, and each time had to adjust. He played club rugby just like everyone else, but eventually, the prodigious talent found his way.
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A breakout 2010 Junior World Cup in Argentina for New Zealand put the world on notice that his arrival was imminent. He picked up the IRB Junior Player of the Year award and comparisons were made to the late great Jonah Lomu. He debuted for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby in 2011 but had a quiet time in a developing Hurricanes team.
2012 saw the arrival of ‘The Bus’ as a damaging force in Super Rugby as he plowed his way through opposition backs. He began bumping off current All Blacks like schoolboys. His try against the Crusaders where he crushed Israel Dagg like a hydraulic press machine was mesmerizing. An All Blacks debut beckoned, where he scored three tries against Ireland and thus begun the Savea-era in the famous 11 jersey.
His most memorable match will probably be the 2015 World Cup quarter-final against France, where he scored three barnstorming tries in a record win. Savea had finally made it to the biggest stage of all and fittingly came up big like he had always done. It was a pinnacle moment and left a global audience with the same feeling many had watching him in high school – a mix of disbelief and awe.
He left with a World Cup winners medal and then helped his hometown franchise Hurricanes to a maiden Super Rugby title the following year. Something as a local product will be a cherished achievement for him.
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The move to Toulon follows the exact path of another All Black legend, Ma’a Nonu. Fittingly, Nonu was also a Rongotai old boy and has had nearly an identical path. With so much left to give, France will still see the best Savea has to offer. With Top 14 titles and Champions Cups to compete for, Savea will find new challenges and Europe will get a first-hand look at one of the best power wingers in history.
Hopefully, they will leave with that similar feeling of amazement.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
In football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
5 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
3 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
3 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
1 Go to commentsHaha lads lads lads, that’s how you have a holiday In Majorca
4 Go to commentshit on Lynagh was defo late and card-worthy. The other 2 are bang on OK. Hurts you at Test level if youre timing is off and the nostrils are flared. Jerry C knew when to lean in on one, Finau just needs to keep his discipline and head straight.
5 Go to commentsSlade was exceptional against Gloucester. Not only was he doing the classic Slade stuff of running amazing lines and timing passes to perfection to put his wingers into space, he was kicking goals, flying off the line smashing people and crashing into rucks like a flanker… his hair even looked on point. 😍
1 Go to commentsThat’s really sad, hope everyone involved is ok. At least he had pants on.
4 Go to commentsTo be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
1 Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
5 Go to commentsCan we also show some love for Tane Edmed’s fantastic draw and pass? Put his body on the line and committed the defender before letting go of that pass. Flawless skill.
5 Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
7 Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
3 Go to commentsJa, why do Bulls get flack for not bringing their best but Leinster never bring their best and it goes “unnoticed”?
5 Go to commentsIt’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
7 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
5 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
12 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
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