'The Rolls Royce of fullbacks': Calls for All Blacks selection grows louder as David Havili impresses again for Crusaders
David Havili’s scintillating early Super Rugby form continued on Friday evening as he captained the Crusaders to a convincing 33-13 victory over South Island rivals, the Highlanders, at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.
Standing in for injured skipper Scott Barrett, the 25-year-old fullback continued from where he left off in previous weeks against the Waratahs, Chiefs and Blues as he sliced the Highlanders defence on multiple occasions to put the visitors on the back foot throughout the contest.
Havili’s attacking exploits are reflected in his stat sheet from this match, which he ended with a team-leading 82 running metres, six defenders beaten, five offloads – the most from any player throughout the encounter – and a clean break.
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He probably should have also had a try assist added to that list as well, but a long range pass following his solitary line break to a wide open George Bridge was fumbled with the try line in sight.
Performances of this ilk have become common for Havili in the opening rounds of the new Super Rugby campaign, as he registered similarly compelling displays in Nelson, Hamilton and Auckland over the past three weeks.
Subsequently, the three-test All Black has become the most dangerous player in the competition with ball in hand, an accolade of which is again represented by his season statistics thus far.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8mys_kA7SK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
He leads the competition in ball carries (45), defenders beaten (25) and offloads (14) – twice as many as the second-placed Jack Goodhue – while also sitting in second-equal for points scored (30), fourth for metres carried (258) and sixth-equal for line breaks (six).
So rich is his vein of form that fans are already predicting Havili’s return to the national side three years after his last appearance, while others have taken to Twitter to express their awe of the utility back’s attacking feats in the wake of his most recent showing.
Surely we havent seen the last of @DavidHavili in an @AllBlacks jersey?! #CRUvHIG
— Koro Vaka'uta (@The_KorOcle) February 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/sweetxmelly/status/1230754547464732674
🔴⚫️ David Havili is on 🔥🔥!!#CRUvHIG #BattleoftheMainland #NZderby #2020crusade
— #RugbyCrusaders (@RugbyCrusaders) February 21, 2020
David Havili is the Rolls Royce of fullbacks. #CRUvHIG #SuperRugby
— The Bulldozer (@MazwiZuma) February 21, 2020
6 – David Havili made six offloads in tonight's #CRUvHIG #SuperRugby game, Sonny Bill Williams is the only @crusadersrugby player to make more in a @SuperRugby game in the last decade (8 x 3 – v Waratahs, Highlanders and Sharks respectively in March 2011). Free. pic.twitter.com/B140kwpoQ1
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) February 21, 2020
It’s clear to see that an All Blacks re-call wouldn’t go amiss among New Zealand’s online fanbase, but whether or not such a selection comes to fruition remains to be seen.
Despite Havili’s exceptional start to the new season and all the utility value he adds, he still has to usurp the likes of Damian McKenzie and Jordie Barrett for his preferred fullback role, which was last filled at the World Cup by none other than Beauden Barrett.
However, his top-class form has proven him worthy of starting ahead of the highly-touted Will Jordan at the Crusaders, proving he can displace other creditable candidates from their respective places in the pecking order through his own ability.
That leaves new All Blacks boss Ian Foster with a premature selection headache, but with plenty of talent at his disposal, it could well be Havili who stands as the crème de la crème of Kiwi fullbacks when Wales and Scotland roll into town in July.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments