Julian Savea to be offered NFL opportunity?

Julian Savea bumps off Georgian defenders. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A British newspaper is reporting that All Blacks star Julian Savea is set to be offered the chance to follow Jarryd Hayne into the NFL.

The Daily Mirror interviewed two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora, who is the NFL's UK ambassador.

NFL scouts have reportedly been scouring the World Cup for talent the Mirror claimed Umenyiora intends approaches to two players after the tournament but said he won't reveal the pair's names after until tomorrow morning's final.

The newspaper speculated the two players are Savea - the leading tryscorer at the tournament with eight - and England flyer Anthony Watson.

"No doubt about it, the guys in question are genuine candidates," Umenyiora said. "Their particular skill sets transfer over. We think they will be very good....

"Jarryd has done very well, but the players we are talking about are going to be better than him. "No question about it."

Umenyiora mentioned Savea by name.

"Everyone in the NFL remembers Jonah Lomu and the way he changed rugby, and loads of people in the States noticed him. Obviously New Zealand's Julian Savea is being dubbed the 'new Jonah', and he has been awesome this tournament.

"His hat-trick of tries (against France) blew me away. The guy ran over people for his second try and you definitely sit up and notice!'

"It has been fascinating for me being here at the Rugby World Cup. I have been watching closely for players who could potentially translate across as NFL players, and have definitely seen a few.

"Some of the skill sets are similar but what I really look at are: the way the players run, do they have a low centre of gravity? How do they tackle: do they get low and explode into it?

"Another key is how aware are they of the space around them on the field? Rugby is a game where everything is played in front of you whereas the NFL is a 360 degrees game so players need to have good sense of their surroundings and great vision."

The Mirror asked Umenyiora to pick a RWC fantasy team of players that could potentially follow Hayne's lead and convert to the NFL.

Savea, hooker Dane Coles and halfback Aaron Smith all made his offensive team. He had Coles as a centre and Smith as a running back.

Jerome Kaino made his defensive line-up as a safety along with the one Wallaby to make the cut - outstanding No 8 David Pocock who was also identified as a potential safety.

But there was surprisingly no room for Sonny Bill Williams or Ma'a Nonu and England's Owen Farrell was preferred to Dan Carter as the team's kicker.