Celeb Clarke was a standout against the Hurricanes. Photo / Photosport
Celeb Clarke was a standout against the Hurricanes. Photo / Photosport
Carter. Barrett. Ioane. Tuipulotu. With headline names such as these, you could be forgiven for initially overlooking one of the Blues' brightest Super Rugby prospects.
Caleb Clarke made his Auckland debut at 18 and played his first match for the Blues a year later.
At the risk of further enhancingexpectations should this trajectory continue, he could face a dilemma next year — the postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo or the All Blacks.
Clarke turned 21 in March and is now finding a home in the Blues starting side. Even at this early development stage, it's clear the son of Blues and All Blacks midfielder Eroni is a prodigious talent destined for the test arena.
Last Sunday, as the Blues opened their Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign with a 30-20 victory over the Hurricanes at Eden Park, Clarke scored the opening try, made 105 metres, beat five defenders from his favoured left wing and earned a breakdown penalty.
Celeb Clarke was a standout against the Hurricanes. Photo / Photosport
Not bad for someone who joined the Blues after lockdown, having previously committed to spending this year on the world sevens circuit in pursuit of Olympic gold before Covid-19 hit.
"I was really grateful to be called back. I've seen Super Rugby as a second chance because some of the sevens boys have had three weeks of training and nothing else," Clarke says. "I was grateful to come back into a team environment early and get to play some footy.
"It's such a special group to be a part of right now, especially with the likes of Beauden and Dan Carter coming in, you might never get the chance to be around that sort of experience. The boys started off with a hiss, so hopefully we can continue that."
Clarke is a picture of humility. While the plaudits grow, he is content sharing the Blues starting wing roles with the equally lethal Mark Telea. Yet he is also aware that with the Olympics postponed until next year, attention from All Blacks coach Ian Foster could cloud those plans.
George Bridge, Sevu Reece, Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane are the incumbent All Blacks wing options who remain available after last year's World Cup. Ioane has switched to centre for the Blues, while Barrett's best position is fullback.
"The Olympics is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm still young. I'd be 22 if I could head over. It's definitely on the radar. We've got Super Rugby and Mitre 10 for now, and depending how I go, we'll see what happens for the future.
"The All Blacks is the ultimate goal. That's what I want to do, that's where the Olympics and All Blacks question comes in. That's definitely the end goal but also just seeing how far I can go in my career because you never know what happens."
Clarke has added a couple of kilograms to his 107kg frame since returning to the Blues, and as the former Auckland schools sprint champion showed against the Hurricanes, he does not lack pace.
While with the sevens team, Clarke hit 4m 40s in the Bronco fitness testing. Beauden Barrett, who at 91kg is significantly lighter, clocked a record 4m 12s.
Time spent on the taxing sevens circuit has improved Clarke's well-rounded skillset, specifically his work rate and aerial game, to the point he now hopes teams kick him the ball.
"I love that competition in the air now. Sevens is so fast paced that when I watched old games on Sky we have recorded, I would look at myself and feel I didn't do enough in XVs. That came from the constant pace with sevens. Now I feel I can get involved more because of that sevens experience. If I don't get the ball in XVs, I'll go looking for it because I want those touches."
Caleb Clarke spent the start of the year with the All Blacks Sevens team. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand sevens coach Clark Laidlaw recalls Clarke flying through the air at several tournaments earlier this season.
"He scored a try against France in the quarter-final in LA where he takes it clean off the kickoff and scores," Laidlaw says. "And there was another against Kenya in Vancouver where he climbed over the top of two guys and took an unreal kickoff."
Laidlaw praises Clarke's left foot, wide and short passing game and strength over the ball in the wide channels at the breakdown.
"If he keeps developing that part of his game, he'll be a real weapon at turning over the ball. He's going to be a helluva attacker for the Blues.
"Long-term, Caleb can be as good a rugby player as he wants to be. He has everything he needs. His character off-field is as good as any rugby player. He's a great young man.
"Everyone wanted him to be the finished article when he was 18 but we all know that's not the case. If he does have that kind of decision in a year's time, then we'll have all played a part, and no one more so than Caleb. Olympics or All Blacks would be a great dilemma for him to have, wouldn't it?"
The next step in Clarke's rugby maturation will be learning to shake off inevitable mistakes and deliver consistency throughout the virtual All Blacks trials of the next nine weeks.
Tonight against the Chiefs in Hamilton, where Foster will be watching from the stands, Clarke gets another chance to push his case for the ultimate goal.
