All Blacks: Emoni Narawa thriving on Chiefs wing after fears injury might end career

Emoni Narawa has been strong since making his return for the Chiefs. Photo / Photosport

Emoni Narawa has a renewed appreciation for his time on the footy field.

After a delayed start to his 2024 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, the All Blacks and Chiefs right wing has flown straight back into his work causing problems for defences.

It’s a position he’s grateful to be back in, after a back injury suffered prior to the Rugby World Cup saw him not only miss the tournament, but also the opening four rounds of the Chiefs’ season.

Narawa suffered a slipped disc in his back late in a pre-World Cup training session. The disc hit a nerve and he lost feeling in his left leg.

Reflecting on his road back to the pitch, Narawa told the Herald it wasn’t something he took for granted.

“I wouldn’t say my approach to the game has been different. I definitely appreciate it a bit more now; things can just happen like that. Careers can just end like that. So I’m enjoying every day, week by week.”

The 24-year-old admitted that when the injury initially happened, he “100 per cent” feared it might bring a premature end to his career.

“It just shows how quickly it could happen when you’re at the peak, then this small thing can change a whole career just like that.”

While he still doesn’t have complete feeling back in his left leg - something he is expecting to be without for the foreseeable future - Narawa has been impressive since his round-five return for the Chiefs.

After a confidence-building 16-minute stint off the bench against the Highlanders, he has been a key contributor in back-to-back 80-minute stints against the Crusaders and Moana Pasifika.

In his last two games, Narawa has scored four tries, run for more than 160m, made a handful of clean breaks, reminded everyone that he’s got a fairly handy boot to go with his running game and gotten into his work defensively.

“It doesn’t really affect how I run, but it’s just not still back to 100 per cent strength-wise. It is what it is.”

Narawa will look to continue building towards the level of play that saw him earn his All Blacks debut in 2023, with the Chiefs turning their attention to the unbeaten Hurricanes this weekend.

“It will be a really good challenge for the guys this week,” he said.

In his absence, the Chiefs have been able to display the depth in their squad and Narawa had seen plenty of positives in the side so far this year.

“We’ve got good depth, a good young squad and I think it’s just a matter of us being able to turn up every day, turn up every week and on game day. That’s our focus.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.