Julian Savea can prove 'The Bus' is not out of service just yet as All Blacks future hangs by a thread
World rugby's most prolific wing has been axed from New Zealand's November tour, but has the chance to show Steve Hansen what he's missing when he lines up for the Barbarians
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Julian Savea, the All Blacks’ most dangerous wing in their history, returns to international rugby this weekend intent on proving that his time on the biggest stage is not over by the age of 27. The only difference is that he will be playing against New Zealand.
With 46 tries to his name in just 54 Tests, Savea trails only Doug Howlett on the all-time All Blacks try-scorers list, and it took Howlett an additional eight matches to reach his record of 49 that, not so long ago, Savea looked destined to surpass.
Savea has made just five appearances in the last 12 months, though, with his only try coming in a pre-Lions tour rout of Samoa, and he was left out entirely of New Zealand’s successful Rugby Championship campaign over the last two months as the endless conveyor belt of outside backs showed no signs of letting up.
In Savea’s place is Rieko Ioane, the 20-year-old that hit the ground running against the British and Irish Lions, but Savea will have the chance this weekend to show Steve Hansen that he can still give him something to think about in his team selection.
‘The Bus’, as he is known in world rugby – as the mental and physical scars left on many a wing across the globe testify – will turn out at Twickenham this weekend for the Barbarians, and while it is not uncommon for players to face their own country when turning out for the BaaBaas, they are normally either in the twilight of their careers or finding their feet on the international stage.
Not Savea, though. The Wellington wing established himself as one of the most lethal finishers in international rugby back in 2012, and he has tormented England – among many others – with eight tries in just five matches. Not only that, he saw his name put on the same level as Jonah Lomu’s, given that his speed, try-scoring record and deceptive power led to comparisons with the late All Blacks great.
He - or rather his wife - has also rejected any chance of Savea leaving the Land of the Long White Cloud for the northern hemisphere this week, with talk of a move to Harlequins branded "fake news" by the All Black, though wife Fatima's response was much more damning. "Wtf? This is news to both Julian and I!" she wrote on Twitter. "#NotTrue #InNZTill2019 p*** off with your rumours."
His inclusion this weekend in Robbie Deans’ Barbarians side gives the Twickenham clash an added edge. These exhibition games can often turn into a ‘who can score the most attractive try’ affair as organised rugby is thrown out of the window with little on the line, but for Savea this is his biggest chance to show his head coach that he made a mistake in dropping him from the squad.
There will be a number of Kiwis in the BaaBaas side, 11 of which faced the Lions in the summer, but none of them have their international career dangling on the last piece of thread quite like Savea’s. This is mainly due to the other options at Hansen’s disposal, with Waisake Naholo, Ioane, Israel Dagg and Nehe Milner-Skudder all ahead of Savea when fit and both Matt Duffie and David Havili selected ahead of him for the end-of-season tour.
Given the sheer number of wings at Hansen’s disposal, a failure to fire this weekend could well see The Bus put out of service for good.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments