'The Irish had no answer for the pace and power of the world champions' backline': The night Julian Savea arrived on the world stage for the All Blacks
Julian Savea’s debut for the All Blacks in 2012 would be the start of a prolific test career, going on to score 46 tries in 54 appearances. But his three tries on debut surprised even his mum.
“I think he did really well. We were surprised he scored three tries in his first game though,” she said to the NZ Herald at the time.
“He was happy that he scored a try and he said he was never expecting to get three. He owes it all to the team of guys that set him up.”
Following the 2011 World Cup win, the All Blacks were starting the first test of the season against Ireland who were visiting the world champions for a three match tour.
After bursting onto the scene with the Hurricanes the year prior, a 21-year-old Savea was picked alongside Zac Guilford and Israel Dagg in the back three for the opening test at Eden Park.
Savea was one of three debutants on the night, along with Aaron Smith and Brodie Retallick. Returning to the starting line-up was Dan Carter, who suffered a groin injury during the pool stages of the World Cup.
The young Hurricane started off with a loose but strong carry on a kick return, posing a handful for the Irish defence but had the ball stripped in the process of falling to the ground.
Savea found his feet after a crunching tackle on Irish fullback Rob Kearney, and a short while later linked up with most of the All Blacks backs on a sweeping counter-attacking movement to score his first test try.
Carter expertly offered the last pass for Savea to coast over for the first try of the match in the 26th minute for a dream start. Just two minutes later Savea made a clean break after a touch at first receiver, breaking the Irish defence and streaking downfield. It was all up from there.
On the stroke of halftime, Israel Dagg found some space for the left wing to bury his way over the try line in the tackle of Conor Murray and Kearney for his second try.
Just three minutes into the second half his hat-trick was complete, when a smart All Blacks launch play set Israel Dagg away down the left edge. The last Irish defenders were confuddled by Dagg, parting like the Red Sea for Savea to dot down again.
His night finished in the 65th minute when he was substituted for Aaron Cruden, finishing with 104 running metres, three tries, and two line breaks as the All Blacks thumped Ireland 42-10 in the first test.
Patrick McKendry of the New Zealand Herald wrote ‘it all seemed a bit easy for the 21-year-old’ who might’ve felt that test rugby wasn’t such a big deal after a stellar debut.
“Julian Savea could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about. A hat-trick on debut, the first three tries of tonight’s match against Ireland, mixed with an impressive defensive display,” he wrote.
“It all seemed a bit easy for the 21-year-old who stands as tall as Jerome Kaino and almost hits as hard. What made it doubly special was the fact that this wasn’t an Irish team which just fell over. The All Blacks had to work hard for their points, and Savea was often the man to benefit.
The international press was just as enamoured, Irish website the42 wrote that Savea was ‘near unstoppable’ in his debut performance, and highlighted his tackle on Kearney
“The powerful Savea, a former IRB junior player of the year, who has been compared in the New Zealand media to rugby legend Jonah Lomu, was near unstoppable against Ireland as he steam-rolled his way down the left wing.
“And the 21-year-old did not just demonstrate a knack for finding the try-line. He also made a bone-jarring tackle on Rob Kearney that turned the impetus of the game midway through the first half.”
ESPN Staff wrote that Ireland ‘had no answer’ for the All Blacks backs, who ran roughshod over the visitors and that rugby has uncovered a new star in Julian Savea.
“International rugby has a new star in All Blacks winger Julian Savea. The Hurricanes’ speedster backed up his strong Super Rugby form with a dazzling Test debut that brought him a hat-trick of tries, over 100m with ball in hand and the odd linebreak.
“The Irish had no answer for the pace and power of world champions’ backline and the Hurricanes winger ran in three tries inside the first 43 minutes of his first international outing.
“The running lines and swift incisions of Israel Dagg, Conrad Smith and Savea caused Ireland problems throughout and coach Declan Kidney will need to come up with a way of negating the dangerous New Zealand backs if Ireland are to avoid a series sweep.”
The All Blacks went on to win the second test 22-19, in which current captain Sam Cane made his debut, before a blowout 60-0 win in the third and final test to complete the series sweep.
Watch all the key moments from Julian Savea’s All Black debut versus Ireland in 2012.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments