NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / Super Rugby

Wynne Gray: Savea's talent demands a chance

Wynne Gray
By Wynne Gray
NZ Herald·
13 May, 2012 05:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Julian Savea's goosestep, power, speed and balance had "pick me" written all over him in the weekend. Photo / Getty Images

Julian Savea's goosestep, power, speed and balance had "pick me" written all over him in the weekend. Photo / Getty Images

Wynne Gray
Opinion by Wynne GrayLearn more
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One brutal thrilling burst. If, before the weekend, the All Black selectors needed more evidence that Julian Savea is ready to don the black jersey, they got it in the decisive moment of the Hurricanes match against the Highlanders.

This is a winger on top of his game, he is switched on, he has turned around an average opening season and become, with Andre Taylor and Cory Jane, part of a very potent Hurricanes back three.

While the Highlanders sat hard on Taylor and Jane to limit their opportunities on Saturday, Savea broke loose and claimed the game for the Hurricanes.

He wears 11 on his jersey and usually plays down the left flank but on Saturday, his breakout moment came when he swapped to the other flank and created mayhem. Savea's goosestep, power, speed and balance had "pick me" written all over them as he fended away Chris King, swerved outside Mike Delany and beat the cover to the line.

It was a hint of the "rhinoceros in ballet shoes" routine which Jonah Lomu used to beat the Wallabies in that thrilling Sydney test in 2000, a new version of the balanced brutality Savea possesses.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Stories of Savea's attacking venom followed his starring role at the Junior World Championships in 2010.

He crushed opponents or left them clutching shadows as his work provoked cries of Lomu II. Expectations at the Hurricanes were high for the 1.92m, 108kg bundle of explosive power. There were moments, but nowhere near enough, as Savea struggled with his handling and the defensive side of his game in a dozen matches for the Canes last year.

This season has been different.

His work under the high ball has been much more assured, his positional play and security on defence has gone up several notches while his attacking play can be devastating.

His late burst killed off the Highlanders and signalled he was ready for a place in an extended All Blacks squad.

Discover more

All Blacks

Rugby: No 10 or No 12, I'll just be happy to make the All Blacks - Carter

09 May 05:30 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: All hands on deck as test duo sidelined

09 May 05:30 PM
Sport|rugby

Rugby: How Taylor copes with the Cullen comparison

10 May 05:30 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: Critical time has arrived for Chiefs' title bid

10 May 05:30 PM

A quality footballer like Jane was a certain pick for the wing while Savea's form and talent demanded one of the backup places.

His performance and Saturday's virtuoso finish declared "this is my time".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Last night's injury to Richard Kahui might elevate Savea further.

Others like Zac Guildford, Hosea Gear and Rudi Wulf bring strong qualities without that little extra sting.

Guildford is the speedster and Gear the powerful glider who drift in and out of games, Wulf is the the allrounder with a low mistake rate. All three have played for the All Blacks and performed well.

But Savea hints at something special, a player to pick now to show his worth at the next level while his confidence is high.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Super Rugby

New Zealand

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Business|companies

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Super Rugby

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Super Rugby

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

12 Jul 05:00 PM

The All Blacks learned to reduce 'turf toe' from the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Premium
Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM
'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

27 Jun 12:25 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP