Hemopo is taking his chances
The end of Super Rugby was bittersweet for Jackson Hemopo.
The Highlanders lock was disappointed his side was bumped in the quarterfinals, but he was also on a high after his impressive form late in the campaign.
‘‘I am pretty happy with how my season finished personally, but I would have been happier if it had gone on a bit further,’’ he said.
His high work-rate leapt off the screen in his first three starts for the franchise.
With the way Hemopo turned it on late in the season, you’d be forgiven for thinking that he hadn’t been given a crack earlier. But that was not the case. The 23-year-old, who is also comfortable on the blindside flank, was a regular in the franchise’s early season teams playing six games off the bench.
But he eventually fell out of favour with him never really exciting in limited minutes.
After a patient wait, his big chance came when the Highlanders hosted the British and Irish Lions and were missing most of their All Blacks and New Zealand Maori players.
And Hemopo knew it was an opportunity he had to take with both hands.
‘‘I had a couple of games at the start of the year and I did not really do too well,’’ he said. ‘‘When I got another chance, I don’t what it was. I just tried to put it all out there. [The Lions match] was a pretty exciting game. That probably had something to do with [my form] as well, I was just really excited to get the opportunity to play against the Lions.’’
Hemopo was outstanding in that match, popping up across the field, constantly getting his hands on the ball and tackling tirelessly.
He outperformed the likes of Irish international Iain Henderson, English international Courtney Lawes and Welsh international Alun Wyn Jones, who came off the bench.
The reward for such a performance was starts in the Highlanders’ final round-robin match against the Reds and quarter final against the Crusaders where his form carried on.
But there is a new challenge for Hemopo, which is transferring that form into the provincial form of the game with Manawatu.
‘‘I am just looking forward to trying to keep consistent with my performance,’’ he said.
There is a chance for a 2011 Palmerston North Boys’ High School 1st XV reunion of sorts at the Turbos this year, especially if Ngani Laumape is released from the All Blacks for a match.
Laumape, Hemopo, centre Jason Emery, halfback Jamie Booth and returning first fiveeighth Jade Te Rure were all part of that team. Lock Tom Hughes, who is not contracted but is working with the team in preseason, was also in that 2011 side, as was out-of-favour hooker Nick Grogan.
Hemopo admitted it was a factor in his decision to return to Manawatu from Otago last season.
‘‘It is one of the reasons I wanted to come back - to play with some mates from school,’’ he said.
Hemopo is taking a couple of weeks break after the Super Rugby season before linking up with the Turbos for their provincial campaign which kicks off on August 20 against Wellington.
One thing Hemopo won’t have to worry about is where he will be playing Super Rugby with two further years already locked in with the Highlanders.