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Sir Steve Hansen's verdict on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's All Blacks chances
Former All Blacks head coach Sir Steve Hansen has delivered his verdict on new Blues star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s chances of succeeding in rugby union.
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Tuivasa-Sheck has dominated headlines since switching codes from rugby league, where he became one of the best players in the NRL over a decade-long span.
During that time, he won the competition alongside former All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams with the Sydney Roosters in 2013 before becoming a Dally M Medallist as the NRL’s best player while at the New Zealand Warriors in 2018.
As such, considerable hype and anticipation has surrounded the 28-year-old’s move from the NRL to Super Rugby Pacific, where he will suit up for the Blues over the course of the next two seasons.
Among the various talking points that Tuivasa-Sheck’s switch has generated includes his chances of selection for the All Blacks, a prospect of which the man in question has distanced himself from but will undoubtedly be targeting as a long-term goal.
Now Hansen, who won two World Cup titles during his reign as All Blacks assistant and head coach between 2004 and 2019, has weighed in on the matter.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, the 62-year-old described Tuivasa-Sheck as “a superb athlete” who has “every chance in the world” of becoming an All Black.
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“He’s a superb athlete, and he’s not coming in 100 percent cold, is he? He played for New Zealand schoolboys so he’s played the game before, he’s got an understanding of it, so you could say he’s returning to rugby,” Hansen said.
“He’s got every chance in the world, I think, because of his natural talent, because of the fact that he understands the game already, albeit at a lower level.
“He’s got a great mentor in Leon MacDonald up there, he’s doing a fantastic job, so I think he’s got a real chance. If he plays well, why wouldn’t Fozzy [All Blacks head coach Ian Foster] and his team be excited about having him? He’s an athlete and a half.”
During his time on the All Blacks’ coaching staff, Hansen selected a handful dual-code athletes, including Williams and current Queensland Reds boss Brad Thorn, for the New Zealand national side.
Between those two players, they won five NRL titles with the Brisbane Broncos, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Roosters before joining forces to win the 2011 World Cup with Hansen and the All Blacks.
Williams also went on to win the 2015 World Cup under Hansen’s guidance, as well as the 2012 Super Rugby title with the Chiefs, before announcing his retirement from both rugby union and rugby league last year.
Thorn, meanwhile, won the 1997 Super League title with the Broncos, played 14 times for Queensland and eight times for Australia in rugby league, before becoming a Super Rugby champion with the Crusaders in 2008.
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The 47-year-old also claimed the Champions Cup with Leinster in 2012 before ultimately calling time on his 22-year playing career in 2016.
Foster, a former assistant to Hansen and his successor as All Blacks head coach, is yet to select any cross-code athletes since taking charge of New Zealand in 2020, but will have the chance to do so should Tuivasa-Sheck shine for the Blues this year.
Comments on RugbyPass
At this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
3 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
3 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
3 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
11 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
11 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
11 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
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