Nerves, what nerves?
Fatherhood helps keep Sopoaga grounded
New dad Lima Sopoaga sees life through a different lens.
Rugby is important, and he has a big job coming up in Brisbane on Saturday night, but it’s not as massive a deal as being a parent, he says.
Sopoaga, who will start at first five-eighth for the All Blacks against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium because Beauden Barrett was ruled out in the wake of a recent concussion, became a father for the first time when partner Miriam gave birth to daughter Milla last month.
Sopoaga, 26, was supposed to appear against Argentina in Buenos Aires on October 1, for what would have been his first run-on start in over two years, but withdrew from the trip so he could remain in New Zealand.
‘‘Some things are bigger than rugby. I would have missed three or four games for my daughter and how special that was,’’ Sopoaga said.
‘‘It is pretty rewarding. It keeps you grounded and reminds you that football isn’t the be-all and end-all and that there is life out there after football. It is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me.’’
This match against an Australian side feverish to avenge their last-gasp 35-29 defeat to the All Blacks in Dunedin on August 26, after Barrett scored a try at the death to secure the Bledisloe Cup, marks an important milestone in Sopoaga’s career.
It will be his 13th appearance in black, but just his second start. His first run-on game was in his debut against the Springboks in Johannesburg in late July 2015. Like most new parents Sopoaga is having to deal with the art of dealing with broken sleep patterns.
Being stationed in the team’s hotel in central Brisbane means he can at least catch up on some extra shut-eye.
When he joined the squad a couple of years ago Sopoaga was initially scared of being late for scheduled appointments. He said it could be ‘‘daunting’’ being the fresh face and getting everywhere early helped reduce the anxiety.
Now he is more relaxed. ‘‘Just trying to get comfortable in this environment, in my own skin. I guess that is what has happened over time. That you can learn to be yourself here and really start to enjoy actually being an All Black.
‘‘Most first-year players want to get to meetings 20 minutes beforehand, or get on the bus nice and early. To be fair I think it is just natural.’’
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, while acknowledging Sopoaga has a different playing style to Barrett, said there was no chance of the side changing their patterns to accommodate the new playmaker.
Sopoaga was confident and ready to go, Hansen said.
Growing up, Sopoaga said he looked up to Dan Carter and Aaron Cruden. Later he trained alongside them. It can take a while for some young players to master the knack of believing in their own talents around the big stars. Sopoaga was no different.
‘‘You are playing or training alongside guys that you grew up watching or idolised on TV. So for a young kid coming in, I guess you are just in complete awe of some of the guys. And then you forget, maybe sometimes, that you can actually play football as well and that is why you have been picked.
‘‘After a while you start to realise that and just know a lot of the guys are just normal blokes and all the same.’’