Heck of a journey for Hames
Kane Hames seems to specialise in surprising people.
Watching the bearded 27-year-old All Black debutant play, the impression you got wasn’t matched by the small, warm, engaging bloke who eventually came out in a suit, socks but no shoes to talk about achieving his childhood dream.
But any shock the media got at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night was nothing compared with the one he gave the All Blacks back in 2013. That’s when an unheralded club prop - who started this year without a Super Rugby contract and doesn’t have one for next season either - began his unlikely ascent to the international stage.
It was during the Te Aute College old boy’s five-year stint as rugby development officer for Bay of Plenty. Steamers coach Kevin Schuler occupied the office next door and asked Hames if he’d be a last-minute ring-in for an All Blacks camp in Mt Maunganui.
‘‘I rocked up there in a Bay of Plenty T-shirt and I think I was wearing some Warriors shorts, because those were my favourite shorts at the time, and strapped my ears up and got stuck in and it was awesome,’’ Hames said.
‘‘I scrummed well enough and Wyatt Crockett after training asked me ‘who do you play for? Do you play for the Bay or someone else?’ I said ‘no, I’m just the RDO here, I don’t have any contract at all’ and he was like ‘woah, that’s a bit of a laugh’.
‘‘From there it was quite funny. The Highlanders were looking for a prop so the Franks boys [Ben and Owen] contacted Brad Thorn, Brad Thorn told [Highlanders coach] Jamie Joseph and it all kind of happened from there.
‘‘I got my Bay of Plenty contract that year just got it - Kevin Schuler decided I was the sixth prop and just picked me.’’
Stints with New Zealand Maori and the Highlanders followed, before knee injuries threatened to write off Hames’ career. But he joined the Chiefs as injury cover earlier this year and is now All Black number 1152.
Hames came on for Crockett during the second half of New Zealand’s 42-8 win over Australia.
His most eye-catching contribution came out wide where he and Beauden Barrett, who had shifted to fullback, created the try scored by wing Julian Savea.