Ta’avao keen to grasp rare start against Springboks
For one reason or another, Angus Ta’avao’s five-year All Blacks journey has been a sporadic one, with just five starts in 22 test appearances.
Tomorrow morning (3am NZT) in Mbombela, in the heart of South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, the 32-year-old tighthead prop will require every ounce of that experience and nous to negotiate what shapes as the biggest test of his career.
Ta’avao has been thrust into the role of starting No 3 for the struggling
All Blacks (four defeats in their last five) in the Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks with the absence of senior tightheads Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tuungafasi.
He is joined up front by second-yearhave fledglings in hooker Samisoniout.’’ Taukei’aho and loosehead George Bower, and is well aware of the responsibility that goes with his seniority.
He is just coming off a fortnight’s suspension after he was sent off for an accidental head-clash with Ireland’s Gary Ringrose in Dunedin that left him bloodied and seeing even more red courtesy of referee Jaco Peyper.
Now he’s served his time, and recovered from the bout of concussion incurred, he is wrapping his head around the enormous responsibility of starting at tighthead against that renowned Boks pack.
‘‘After the journey I’ve been on, to be here now, named as starting tighthead against a massive foe we love to go against . . . we’ve talked about the great battles of the last few years, what an exciting place it is to play over here, and the challenge that it is. ‘‘As a rugby player, you want to play against the best on these big stages.’’
And, yes, with a test career stretching back to 2018 he gets that he’s long enough in the tooth to at least be forewarned about what lies ahead.
‘‘I’m probably one of the older ones, but in terms of All Blacks I’m still relatively green,’’ he says. ‘‘I’ve played with Samisoni a lot at Super Rugby level, and George has been one of our better players recently.
‘‘I’ll add in what I can, but I’ll be making sure I nail my stuff first and we can grow together. We’ve been doing little connection things this week because although me and Soni have played together, we haven’t played with George a lot. It’s been feeling good.’’
After coach Ian Foster conceded the whole team would have to ‘‘man up’’ to get through the challenge at Mbombela Stadium, you wondered about the ability of one of the nicer guys in the Kiwi game to flip the switch to angry mode.
‘‘It’s not so much angry mode, as being confident in the preparation I’ve done so I don’t second-guess myself come Saturday,’’ he added.
‘‘Once you cross the line you have to be [angry], otherwise you’ll get caught out. With the physical battle up front, you have to change, and I’ll be trying to get myself into that zone, get the contracts in, my tackles, that set it up for Saturday so I’ll be ready to go and loving it.’’
Fellow tight forward Scott Barrett, like Ta’avao the recipient of a test red card (in 2019 against the Wallabies), was not reading too much into the All Blacks’ recent dominance in South Africa. They have won their last four in the republic, stretching back to the last Boks victory in 2014 in Johannesburg.
‘‘That’s a long time ago’’ said the big second-rower. ‘‘The Springboks since then have won a World Cup, had a Lions tour victory and been playing some pretty dominant rugby. The Boks are physical, with a strong set piece.’’
Barrett also agreed with Foster about the requirement to be smart, as well as physical.
‘‘It’s discipline but still being physical and wanting to impose yourself,’’ he said. ‘‘We know where the Springboks are coming and that’s right at us up front. It’s a challenge we get excited by. [Who] else would you want to play, but South Africa in South Africa, in a full stadium?’’