The Tasman-product who has become a loose forward with the Hurricanes
The Hurricanes coped some heat for resting All Blacks Jordie Barrett, Ardie Savea, and Tyrell Lomax in their Round 12 Super Rugby defeat to the Chiefs.
However, with the Blues and Crusaders remaining before the playoffs the alternative was to rest for the trio for those fixtures or the finals.
Leaving out marquee players presents opportunities for wider squad members and Caleb Delany is one who is keen to take his chance and replicate his breakthrough 2022 form.
The lock or loose forward has only managed 139 minutes in six appearances this year. In March he ruptured a ligament in his elbow against Blues.
“It required a lot of rest initially and then strength work,” Delany told RugbyPass.
“There was a chance it would require surgery which would have put me out for eight or nine months, but I taped it up and feel the strength returning.”
After missing eight rounds Delany returned a fortnight ago with a try in the 71-22 thrashing of Moana Pasifika. He managed his longest shift of 2023 against the Chiefs with 48 minutes of bustling injury.
“My game is about working hard, hitting breakdowns, making tackles, and winning and stealing lineouts. I’m happy to cover both lock and flanker,” Delany said.
“It’s important to build depth in the squad so if guys like me are required for the finals they can step up if required.”
In 2020 Crusaders winger and possible rising star Macca Springer won the Philip McDonald Memorial Medal as the best schoolboy player in the Crusaders region out of Waimea Combined.
Rewind three years and Delany was the best player in the same outfit that draws talent from as far as Takaka and Murchison. He was beaten to the MVP by All Black Leicester Fainga’anuku but beat his Nelson College side 38-22 in a boilover.
He won team MVP and received the Jack Jeffs Rugby Scholarship at Wellington’s Victoria University. He has completed a Bachelor of Architecture degree and cemented himself as part of the capital rugby fabric the old-fashioned way.
He joined Old Boys University where he has played 34 games and scored 12 tries for the Billy Goats – a member of 2018 and 2020 Jubilee Cup winning teams.
His debut season with the Wellington Lions in 2020 earnt a place as a replacement player for the Hurricanes in 2021 where he didn’t get on the field. His first full season for the Hurricanes yielded 12 appearances and 444 minutes catching the eye of Maori All Blacks coach Clayton McMillian.
The former New Zealand age group softball representative played a blinder off the bench in the second game of a two-match series against Ireland in Wellington.
“Making the Maori All Blacks was a real proud moment for my family and. I’m from Ngati Tuwharetoa and learned so much about my whakapapa and Maori in that environment.
“I was supposed to be a lock replacement for that game in Wellington but when Reed Prinsep got injured early, I had to cover for him at blindside.
“Ireland was massive. They were very physical and clinical at the breakdown. They really contest that hard and a little differently from New Zealand teams.”
Ireland won the match 30-24.
The Wellington Lions didn’t look like winning the title in the early rounds of the 2022 NPC. They were upset by Northland without scoring a try in Round 3. Some heavy soul-searching resulted in honest appraisals about strategy and individual accountability. Wellington would win their next 10 constitutive matches.
Wellington kept successive opponents scoreless for the first time since 1999, stripped the Ranfurly Shield of Hawke’s Bay ending the Magpies’ impressive tenure at 14, and then defended it themselves against top-of-the-table Waikato 34-6.
“I didn’t realise how important the Ranfurly Shield is to the city and the people until we won it. I remember watching Southland win it off Canterbury as a kid and thinking this is emotional, but I didn’t really get it. The response was crazy and gratifying. I guess it’s an elusive thing with the randomness of the draw.”
In the semis, the Lions thrashed Auckland by a record score of 54-19. Perennial champions Canterbury awaited in the final.
“We found our stride in that team. All the boys connected on and off the field. We were very confident we’d win in Christchurch. All we had to do was back our systems and we’d be successful. We were playing the best rugby out of anyone.”
Wellington won 26-18 to capture the Premiership for the first time since 2000. In the final Delany made a lineout steal which led to a try by Ruben Love.
He started 12 of 13 matches and was named Maori Sportsperson of the Year at the 2022 Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Premier Blues Awards.
“It was honestly pretty even but we back out defence which by then was really in place to not only shut down teams but hurt them too. We executed well inside their 22.”
The Hurricanes are 8-4 in 2023 and sit in fifth place. They have scored more points (428) and tries (62) than any team. Victory in the next two New Zealand derbies will ensure hosting rights for a home quarter-final. Delany insists the Hurricanes will be a threat in the playoffs.
“We learned a lot from the Chiefs game especially around being accurate with our exits and adjusting to rainy conditions. We’ve just got to trust our systems and better take our opportunities.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments