'Whether I played good or bad, I wasn't really afraid': Why Otere Black is the man to lead the Blues to their first title in well over a decade
Otere Black was hailed as a game-changing signing for the Blues when he put pen to paper in 2017. The region had long been without a smooth operator in the 10 jersey and Black was one of the most promising playmakers to come out of the age-grade scene in years. Unfortunately, before Black was able to even step out on the field in a Blues jersey, injury struck.
“I think it might have been the last round or second to last round of the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup,” Black told RugbyPass. “It was the end of season – only a couple of games before a good long break.
“As soon as I did it, I knew it was pretty serious. A couple of days later they diagnosed it and it was the ACL.”
Black knew he would be out of the game for some time but given he’d suffered the injury in October, he was hopeful that he’d be able to play some part in the upcoming Blues season, which was due to run from February to July.
“I got my head around the injury and I sat down with a few people around timings and that but they just said it wouldn’t happen.
“It was still a long way away from the first round of Super Rugby – three or four months, but they just said, ‘We don’t think you’ll be back at all next season.’ I’d waited all this time just to get up [to Auckland] and play some consistent footie, and then all of a sudden it was taken away from me, just like that. That part of it was hard.”
Black, then 22, had spent two seasons learning from Beauden Barrett at the Blues but 2018 was supposed to be the year he took the reins of a Super Rugby side. Instead, he found himself on the sidelines, watching as his side crumbled to a 14th-place finish.
It was mentally tough, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Manawatu product.
“I got to know the Blues really well,” Black said. “Sitting out and not being able to play, you get to see how the boys prepare and what we do weekly before games. I got a good idea of what it’s like being injured and sitting behind the scenes – watching how things work, seeing how it goes in the game.
“I grew as a person, more so than as a player, around the adversity that you can face. That was the toughest thing I had to face in terms of my career so far and looking back at it, it set me up for what’s been happening in the last wee while and it’s put me in pretty good stead, mentally.”
Otere Black made his return to the playing field in September of 2018 – 11 months after his injury – and managed five appearances for Manawatu, then was named in the Maori All Blacks squad for their tour to USA, Brazil and Chile.
It was a huge relief for Black, finally getting out on the park. Although the pivot was nervous in his first outings back from injury, it didn’t compare to what it was like rehabbing his knee in the early stages.
“I think the whole journey is tough, but I found the first part especially so,” said Black. “I was so used to walking or running around and being at training with my mates all the time, but you just can’t do those things. You try – you try and push it, and things like that, but you can’t do anything. I found that first bit very hard.
“Once you get back on your feet and get back out on the field, that seems to go pretty quickly because then you’re out on the grass more, and then you start throwing rugby balls around and kicking and passing, and then you know you’re almost there.
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“It took me a while to get the confidence back – I’d say it took a lot longer than a year to get fully confident around everything that I have to do on the field. It’s good being in the gym and doing rehab, but it just can’t replicate what you do on the field.
“I just needed to get out on the field and get minutes. Whether I played good or bad, I wasn’t really afraid, because it was just about getting minutes under the belt and ticking a few boxes that I didn’t do the week before. It was a tough journey, but I enjoyed it on the way. It had its ups and downs, but that’s part of the game for us.”
Come February 2019, Black was finally ready to play his first game for the Blues in front of a home crowd against the prior year’s champion Crusaders. As far as Super Rugby debuts go, they don’t come any more special than that. The visitors won the match 24-22, but that didn’t dampen the event too much for the returning playmaker.
“It was a long time coming,” admitted Black. “I was just so happy to get out on the field because I’d missed out on a whole 12 months of playing with the boys.
“Everyone – family and friends – were all there because they knew how much it meant, not just for me, but for everyone. They’d seen the struggle that I had to go through when I went home. Being out so long, it was awesome. We didn’t get the result, but it was just a good achievement for me coming back from my knee.
Black managed 15 appearances for the Blues in his debut season with the team, battling for minutes with Stephen Perofeta and Harry Plummer. Unfortunately for the now-25-year-old, 2020 started on somewhat of a sour note, with a rib injury ruling the sophomore out for the Blues’ first three matches of the season.
“The very first preseason against the Chiefs, I popped my cartilage in the first five minutes,” Black said. “I didn’t play any of the regular season games until we were in South Africa. It was not the ideal start.”
In Otere Black’s absence, the Blues managed just one win – against the Waratahs – while the Chiefs and Crusaders travelled up to Auckland and dealt to the home side.
“We had a tough start. It was tough for me, sort of sitting there and watching the boys go through those first couple of New Zealand games. I always find it quite hard watching but I’m sort of used to it now – that’s what happens when you get a whole year off.”
Super Rugby Aotearoa is at risk of alienating the massive audience its acquired in the last two weeks if things don't change soon writes @realmikepulman #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/JqcbjLllX7
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 23, 2020
Black was finally fit for the Blues’ tour to South Africa – and that’s when things really started to turn around for the team. First up, the tourists had to tackle the Bulls in Pretoria.
“It was a funny old week, really,” Blacks said, “I was only just coming right that week and just managed to get on the plane, and it was quite a good game to come back into.
“It wasn’t as fast as most games are. It was pissing down with rain over there. It was a nice soft field. it wasn’t overly quick, but it was relatively physical. It was a good game to come back into it after being out for a while.”
Black kicked a penalty in the final act of the game to hand the Blues a 23-21 win over the home side. There was little time for celebration, however, as Black’s team were then tasked with facing up against one of the competition’s two unbeaten sides. It was a completely different set of conditions to what Black had experienced against the Bulls.
“The following week, we played the Stormers. It was a beautiful afternoon in Cape Town and in the backend of that game, I just started cramping up,” said Black. “I lasted about 70-odd minutes and I couldn’t carry on.”
The Blues also won that match – the third in their now six-match winning streak. Coincidentally, Black has started at first five in all but one of those games, despite the presence of Beauden Barrett, who has now followed Black north from the Hurricanes.
You could forgive Otere Black for being frustrated at the fact that he now has an extra 10 to compete with – a player who he originally moved away from in the quest for more playing time, but he’s taken it completely in his stride.
“It wasn’t really a surprise for me,” said Black. “I know Beaudie pretty well. I know his partner and her whole family is from up here so it didn’t surprise me in that aspect.
“Me and Beaudie are really good friends and he obviously taught me a lot while I was down at Wellington. I got to play alongside him and trained alongside him. He’s just a really nice guy. I really enjoyed working with him at Wellington.
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“Him being here just makes the competition even better. It’s beneficial for our team to have players like him come to the club and wanting to come here. It’s exciting, not just for us players, but for the fans as well.
“The 10 that are here, we just want to help each other. We’re always pushing each other at training, but also helping each other with what we all need in terms of getting ready for the game, whether you’re playing that week or not.”
Black has consistently been one of the Blues’ best players on the park in 2020 – which is an impressive feat, given that the whole squad are putting out some career-best performances this year.
Barrett’s arrival since the coronavirus-enforced break has seen the All Black utility slip seamlessly into the fullback role while Black has continued to excel at first receiver. While there were calls from some corners that Barrett would immediately usurp his former prodigy, forcing Black into spending more time on the sidelines, Barrett’s presence seems to have only further enhanced Black’s performances.
The Blues have put their best foot forward in their two Super Rugby Aotearoa games to date and there’s a very real chance that the Auckland side could win their first title in 16 years – though there’s still plenty of water to pass under the bridge yet. Their round 4 clash with the Crusaders will certainly give fans in New Zealand a better picture over who’s the favourite to take out the competition.
Regardless of the end result, however, Otere Black will be confident that after stringing week after week of quality performances together, he’s now proving that’s more than capable of handling the demands of running the ship at Super Rugby level – which can only bode well for his future.
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments