Dropped AB on quest to win the jersey back
After his axing from the All Blacks, Ethan de Groot went back to his beloved club to begin his journey back to the silver fern. Logan Savory reports.
Ethan de Groot began his quest for a return to the All Blacks via a Southland club rugby game on Saturday.
The Highlanders loosehead prop was one of the surprising omissions from the All Blacks squad announced on Monday for three tests against Ireland.
The 23-year-old has now accepted the challenge to work his way back into the All Blacks.
He started that ball rolling by playing 80 minutes for his beloved Invercargill Blues club in the humble setting of Oreti Park on the outskirts of Invercargill.
‘‘There was a couple of days of feeling a bit sorry for myself,’’ de Groot said about the All Blacks disappointment.
‘‘But you’ve just got to look at it as an opportunity to prove a few people wrong and put my hand up again.
‘‘I’ve got to keep the cogs turning, so it was good to have a run around today,’’ de Groot said soon after the club outing.
‘‘There is a bit of pressure on me now, which is all good. It’s a shame I haven’t been able to make a lot of Southland and Highlanders fans proud of me again. So I’ve got a bit of pressure to keep working hard and get back in there.’’
De Groot’s axing has been one of the key talking points from the All Blacks squad naming, particularly given the strength he brings at the set piece and his physicality.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster indicated de Groot’s fitness and work rate were behind the decision to omit him from the squad.
‘‘We think Ethan can get fitter, and we think there is more to him around getting up off the ground and getting involved. We’ve got a high regard for him and now we’ll put a plan in place to give him an opportunity to come back,’’ Foster said.
For the record, Woodlands scored a last-play try to snatch a 34-34 draw with de Groot’s Invercargill Blues team on Saturday.
It was de Groot’s first game for his club team since 2019 when he helped it win the Galbraith Shield, Southland club rugby’s symbol of supremacy.
‘‘It was a good run around today,’’ de Groot said.
‘‘It was a shame we couldn’t get the win, but I love wearing this [club’s] jersey. It’s sort of all where it began.
‘‘Any chance I get I’ll throw this jersey on.’’
‘‘It was a shame we couldn’t get the win, but I love wearing this [club’s] jersey.’’
Ethan de Groot