Asafo Aumua’s turbulent year
Asafo Aumua puffs his cheeks out and smiles.
‘‘It’s been a year,’’ he said. Sure has, one in which the Wellington, Hurricanes and All Blacks hooker hasn’t always excelled himself.
Aumua turned 21 only in May and not many of us are the finished article at that age. It’s what happens from here that counts. He’ll never get the chance to start 2018 over, but he can still finish it in a way that sets him up for a long and illustrious All Blacks career.
‘‘I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder,’’ Aumua said yesterday.
This time last year, he was the talk of the domestic rugby scene. Having scored three tries, as New Zealand beat England 64-17 in the final of the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, Aumua then tore up the Mitre 10 Cup to the extent that he was named on the All Blacks’ end-ofseason tour.
He had been aware of the selectors’ interest during Wellington’s campaign, but it wasn’t until being named on the bench for the first match of the tour, against the Barbarians at Twickenham, that Aumua accepted this was really happening.
‘‘It didn’t really click in. Like I got all the gears but it still didn’t click then. I got on the plane, and that wasn’t too bad, and then they named the team [to play the Barbarians] and I was on the bench,’’ said Aumua.
‘‘When I was named in the squad I was grateful to be there, even though I felt like I was there for the numbers.’’
Selection in the 23 still didn’t quite register with Aumua. It wasn’t until the Barbarians game started that things hit home.
‘‘Straight from the kickoff I was fizzing and like, ‘get me out there please’.’’
Things haven’t been quite so good since. ‘‘Pre-season wasn’t the best. I didn’t really come back how I wanted to. I had too much of a holiday,’’ Aumua said.
The Hurricanes didn’t take him on the road for their opening games against the Bulls and Jaguares, before he fractured his right wrist in the 38-37 win over the Sharks on April 6. ‘‘I felt like I was going all downhill from pre-season. But I got a few good people around me. Old Arden [Hurricanes personal development manager Arden David-Perrot] and my missus [Elodie] were a big help for me, because I tried to stay away from rugby for a while.
‘‘I tried to get my session done in the gym and stuff and then just gap it home.’’
‘Team First’ and ‘Good to Great’ were the Hurricanes’ 2018 themes and Aumua knew he wasn’t really contributing to either.
He was injured and hurting a bit emotionally, and struggling to accept his season was over before it had really started.
After surgery and rehab, he chipped away at his building apprenticeship and tried to get ready for Wellington’s season. He was meant to come back in week two, but was deemed OK to come off the bench in the 34-16 round-one win over Otago on Sunday.
‘‘My lungs were hissing. I needed a new pair,’’ he joked.
Aumua is still short of a gallop and will again be on the bench, when Wellington meet Canterbury in Christchurch tomorrow. He’s not the sharpest he’s ever been and doesn’t want people to expect the long range tries that marked his 2017 campaign.
‘‘Especially the way I am now, but it’s something I’m trying to push for again and to put on a show. [Your fitness] sort of effects the mental side of things. Especially when you’re playing, if you don’t feel in shape it kind of pulls you down a bit.’’
Wellington look in good nick. Prop Jeff To’omaga-Allen has been released by the All Blacks, while wing Ben Lam is back from getting game one off.
The major absentee is lock Sam Lousi, who has undergone minor knee surgery. He’s expected back this season, but it’s understood prop Alex Fidow won’t be. He suffered a toeligament injury during the Super season and indications are he’s been shut down for the year.
Captain Matt Proctor replaces younger brother Billy at centre, with Thomas Umaga-Jensen coming in for twin Peter at second five-eighth.