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In 2018, Chiefs halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi was selected in the New Zealand national side for the first time.
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After earning a handful of starts for the Chiefs, Tahuriorangi was brought into the All Blacks to back-up Smith and TJ Perenara after Tawera Kerr-Barlow left New Zealand’s shores at the end of 2017.
Tahuriorangi, who had spent two years with the Hurricanes before making the move north, was praised by Steve Hansen for his wickedly fast pass which rivalled that of even Aaron Smith.
Although Tahuriorangi was never expected to seriously challenge for a starting role, it was clear that he had been anointed the heir-apparent to the more experienced duo leaping ahead of the likes of Bryn Hall, Mitchell Drummond and Chiefs teammate Brad Weber.
Then everything turned to custard in 2019.
Continue reading below…
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper gave Weber the first opportunity to start at halfback and the 28-year-old took the opportunity with both hands.
Weber’s sumptuous form coupled with his extra few years of experience over Tahuriorangi saw the sometimes-stand-in captain start in all but a handful of the Chiefs’ matches.
Tahuriorangi, who had fought his way onto level pegging with Weber in 2018, was restricted to fewer than three full games of football throughout last year’s Super Rugby season.
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Then came the coup de grace.
On August 28th, the All Blacks World Cup squad was announced. Tahuriorangi was nowhere to be seen – Weber had taken his place.
New Zealand's third choice halfback, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, played the equivalent of only eight full games of professional rugby in 2018 and game time has been equally hard to come by this season at the Chiefs. https://t.co/p9smDCvHlo
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 12, 2019
By Tahuriorangi’s own admission, 2019 did not go to plan.
“Last year wasn’t my year,” Tahuriorangi told RugbyPass.
“I guess for me, it’s just making sure I turn it around this year and have a different kind of mindset and attitude and keep putting that pressure on. Just making sure I control what I can control and doing my best and putting my best foot forward.”
Despite the obvious disappointment that Tahuriorangi felt surrounding both the Super Rugby and international seasons, the Rotorua-born scrumhalf didn’t let his head drop – he still has plenty of time to make a comeback.
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“Everyone thinks I’m kind of old,” said Tahuriorangi. “I’ve been in the Super Rugby environment for a while, first with the Hurricanes for two years then here for a few years, but I’m still young.”
Tahuriorangi, for reference, is just 24-years-old.
While Weber was mostly clocking up time with the other dirty-dirties at the World Cup, Tahuriorangi was throwing himself into a Mitre 10 Cup campaign with Taranaki and honing his skills for the year ahead.
And although Tahuriorangi would have no doubt loved to have been in Japan with the All Blacks, his time with the Bulls may have actually been a blessing in disguise.
Tahuriorangi racked up eight starts and 10 appearances for the amber-and-blacks, which was the most successive game-time he’d accrued since the 2017 provincial season.
New @ChiefsRugby recruit Quinn Tupaea could add an extra dimension to the Chiefs midfield for their 2020 @SuperRugby campaign. @TomVinicombe spoke to the 20-year-old ahead of the upcoming season.
https://t.co/jIEAWhJ5fr#SuperRugby— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 3, 2020
He’s now taken part in a full pre-season with the Chiefs and enters 2020 with a fresh mind, fresh body and a lofty goal..
“My ultimate goal is obviously getting back into the All Blacks,” said Tahuriorangi, “but it’s also about having little plans.
“How you come to training is just as important as your ultimate goal, because in order to be chosen [for the All Blacks], you’ve got to be playing, and the only way you can play is if you train well.
“When you’ve got halfbacks out there that are chasing the same goals as you, it keeps you on your toes – and that’s awesome, I live for that stuff.”
2020 was supposed to be somewhat of a comeback year for Nathan Harris. Instead, he'll be spending the #SuperRugby season on the sidelines.https://t.co/EL0sZ0Om6N @ChiefsRugby
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 28, 2020
Equally as importantly, the former Rotorua Boys’ High student wants to achieve balance in his professional and personal lives.
“It’s hard to do that mahi, do that work, unless you’re getting the balance right off the field; being a good father, being a good person.
“Last year, my wife Keely probably took it all when I wasn’t playing. I wasn’t quite being myself. I knew I had to come in and always have the attitude of wanting to play. Now that I’ve experienced that, I know how to handle it and channel it in a positive way.”
Tahuriorangi understandably credits the strong support team he has around him for helping him get to where he his today and suggests they have just as major a role to play in his future successes.
“I can happily say that if it wasn’t for [Keely], who knows what I would have done,” said Tahuriorangi.
“When times were tough, she was the one that kept me on true north and made sure all my goals were measurable.
“I’ve got great mentors too: my uncle Lee Edmonds, my father Paerata and my father-in-law Tom. They pushed me when times were tough but when times were good too.
“When I made my All Blacks debut, they were the guys that were telling me ‘stay humble’. It’s guys like that that can keep you grounded – when you’re high and when you’re low.
“It’s not just a one-man journey. I’ve never seen anyone do it by themselves.”
2020 is going to be a wild year for new @ChiefsRugby coach Warren Gatland, writes @TomVinicombe.https://t.co/EwEPz94EMP#SuperRugby #Chiefs
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Closer to the professional scene, the coaching team that convinced Tahuriorangi to head to Taranaki for his provincial rugby set the halfback on the right course from the early stages of his career.
“I was just a Maori boy from Rotorua, I had no pathway so I’m just thankful for Taranaki. Paul Tito, Dave Dillon and Jono Philips… if it weren’t for those guys, I’d probably be back in Rotorua as a gang member.”
With Weber on an extended rest alongside the Chiefs’ other All Blacks, Tahuriorangi now has the first opportunity to advance his case with new coach Warren Gatland.
Weber didn’t start training with the squad until the middle of January and sat out the Chiefs’ only pre-season game, against the Blues.
That handed Tahurorangi the starting 9 jersey and his performance against his franchise’s northern neighbours didn’t go unnoticed by Gatland.
“I thought Triple T looked sharp,” Gatland said in the post-game wind-up. “We’re pretty happy with what he did.”
With Weber on restricted minutes for the first two matches of the regular season, Tahuriorangi will no doubt have further chances to push for a starting spot – including starting in this weekend’s opening Super Rugby game, between the Chiefs and the Blues – and he may be backed-up by his Taranaki teammate, Lisati Milo-Harris.
“He’s pretty young, exciting, fit – got a beautiful pass,” said Tahuriorangi of Milo-Harris, “It puts good pressure on me and Brad. If we don’t perform, he could easily slip in there.
The battle of the halfbacks will certainly be one of the major talking points for the Chiefs season ahead.
One of Weber’s major strengths compared to Tahuriorangi is his experience, which was sorely needed last year with so many other experienced players out with injury.
Damian McKenzie's return from injury in 2020 will add plenty of firepower to an already scorching @ChiefsRugby backline. Where does the young playmaker fit in, asks @TomVinicombe.
https://t.co/lovnCjm7xv#SuperRugby #ChiefsMana— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 10, 2019
Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, Damian McKenzie and Michael Allardice all had lengthy spells out of the game.
At the national level, Weber’s experience was also valued highly for the World Cup. Despite being part of the All Blacks squad for a season, Tahuriorangi managed just three appearances over that time.
With the next World Cup four years away, there’s room for some young blood in the set-up once more – and that’s a role Tahuriorangi is aiming to fill.
Of course, as alluded to by the Chief, he’s unlikely to get selected for the All Blacks if he can’t earn selection at Super Rugby level.
So begins Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi’s quest for redemption.
WATCH: Blues loose forward Akira Ioane has revealed how severely his mental health was impacted in 2019.
Comments on RugbyPass
“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
1 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
1 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
42 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
42 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
42 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
13 Go to comments