Li enjoying game time, grateful for opportunity

HIGHLANDERS winger Tevita Li is going home to catch up with family and friends, but his new home is proving hard to leave.

Li is set to line up on the left wing for the Highlanders against the Blues at Eden Park on Friday night.

His Super Rugby career started at the Blues.

Li (23) was a schoolboy star and played firstclass rugby for North Harbour while still at school.

He then played for the Blues while still 18 and made 30 appearance for the Blues until 2016.

However, he decided new fields were needed and headed south to the Highlanders for whom he signed a twoyear deal last year.

He played 11 games for the Highlanders last year and, with Patrick Osborne leaving the franchise, and injury taking Richard Buckman out of the equation, he has pretty much had a mortgage on the left wing spot this season.

Li said he was enjoying his time in the South and was not keeping too much of an eye on his old team.

‘‘I am really focused on being here and what I can control here. I think they [Blues] have just been unlucky in the past couple of weeks.

‘‘They have got some good coaches and are working hard,’’ Li said.

He said the sides — the Blues and the Highlanders — were the same as were Dunedin and Auckland, apart from one thing.

‘‘The only thing different is this place is not busy. There is no traffic here and and it is a small little town which I quite enjoy.

‘‘Here it takes me 10 minutes to get from my home. Up there it takes somewhere between half hour to 45 minutes to get to training from my home.

‘‘Auckland is Auckland, big city, traffic every day. That is why I came down here.

‘‘Just the support from around here. Everyone buys into one team, the Highlanders. The people are amazing.’’

And playing more makes it so much better

‘‘I am enjoying it, getting some game time and grateful with the opportunity.’’

Li was always known for his blinding pace. Making his firstclass debut at such a young age obviously made him something special.

He scored five tries for North Harbour last year in a match against Taranaki, equalling a record for the most tries in a match in the domestic competition.

Li said as a winger there was nothing better than scoring a try and playing under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium was a real plus for him.

‘‘On Saturday I love waking up and not worrying about the weather or anything.’’

His family would all be at Eden Park if he is selected for the game on Friday night, and he hopes to put on a performance they can be proud of.

❛ Auckland is Auckland, big city, traffic every day. That is why I came down here