WILLIS HAS HIS FAMILY TO THANK FOR DISCOVERING THE RIGHT PATH
Wales stardom is a long way from Auckland’s gang culture
FAMILY means everything Willis Halaholo. It comes as no surprise, then, to hear him repeat the sentiment that the responsibilities of fatherhood saw him pull up the handbrake and reverse away from a road that led nowhere good.
His formative years are now well documented. As a teenager, he roamed the streets of Auckland, having fallen into an alcohol and gang culture that would have almost certainly robbed him of a career in professional sport.
At the age of 18, his first daughter was born – he was out on the town when his partner went into labour – and it took him a few years to get his priorities in order.
But, eventually, it proved to be the wake-up call he needed when, one day, he felt like a stranger to the one to person in the world he had a responsibility to nurture.
“I was just involved in a lot of heavy drinking. In my last year of high school I ended up having a daughter,” says the Wales centre, who made his debut against Scotland earlier in the Six Nations.
“I was quite young at that age and it messed with my head a bit and I ended up going down a different path with drinking and getting into a gang culture.
“It was the usual hanging around with the boys on the block. That happened for a couple of years, but I’m just happy I turned things around.
“It was my daughter at the time (who helped him turn things around). When she was only a few months old I didn’t know much about being a father.
“I didn’t know much until she was about two or three and started to talk. Up until then I felt like a stranger to her and it was then I started to change things. I got there just in time.”
He stepped away from his old life and decided to use rugby as the vehicle to get himself back on track.
There were setbacks along the way and he was knocked back by current Wales boss Wayne Pivac, who was in charge of Auckland’s Mitre 10 Cup side at the time and opted not to include Halaholo in his squad.
But he would go on to get himself noticed and won Super Rugby with the Hurricanes – where he formed a close bond with All Black icon Ma’a Nonu – before signing for Cardiff
Blues in 2016.
Since arriving in Wales, two more girls have arrived and the family are settled in Cardiff.
“We’ve really been loving it here in Cardiff. We’ve settled well,” he said.
“Throughout my career I’ve had to move up and down New Zealand because I’ve been playing for different teams.
“Playing for Cardiff Blues has probably been the one team I’ve played for a long period of time.
“We’re really comfortable here and call it home.
“My daughters come home from school saying a few words in Welsh here and there.
“I try to understand what they say to me, but they’re testing me on that!”
In 2019, the hot-stepping centre qualified to play for Wales on residency and was named in Pivac’s first squad to face the Barbarians after the Rugby World Cup.
His selection was met by criticism in some quarters from those who oppose World Rugby’s residency rule and Halaholo revealed that he received racist abuse in the days that followed his selection.
He never arrived in camp, suffering a knee ligament injury after the call-up that would keep him on the sidelines for 11 months.
The Blues centre then hit those who had abused him, them they had ‘got their wish’.
Looking back, he insists it never deterred him from wanting to represent Wales.
“Not at all,” he says without a moment’s hesitation. “Not one bit. If anything, it drove me more.
“My whole career and my whole life I’ve always been looked down on and I’ve always had to prove myself. It drove me more just to prove them wrong.
“So thanks to those guys for helping me push through my rehab and get here!”
After Halaholo’s debut at Murrayfield, his wife Sandra published a video blog on YouTube, giving a beout at telling
DEAN Ryan was delighted after the Dragons brought an end to their eight-game losing streak at Bridgend.
The game came alive after the break with the visitors running in four second-half tries to clinch a much-needed win.
“We talked a lot this week about trying to be a bit freer in what we are doing, less worried about the consequences and more enjoying the processes we are going through,” director of rugby Ryan told the Dragons website. “That shone through. “Full credit to the lads to get the result that the performance warranted, because that doesn’t always happen.
“I was delighted that our pack put them on the back foot with the drive, our strike plays were much better, we were good in the kicking contest and we looked sharp all round. If we knew how to play like that every week then we would be doing it more regularly. “The balance was pleasing.” The hosts almost hit the front inside the first minute when Josh Lewis’ kick was charged down almost immediately after the kickoff. Keelan Giles almost pounced but Sam Davies and Lewis combined to snuff out the danger.
Toby Booth’s side set up camp in the Dragons 22.
But the Ospreys were wasteful on a number of occasions and it was Ryan’s side who took the lead when Aaron Wainwright – released by Wales for game-time – surged over for a score against the run of play in the 23rd minute. Davies converted.
Almost immediately, the Ospreys got themselves on the board with a Stephen Myler penalty – and they hit the front before half-time.
Bulldozing centre Keiran Williams finally got his timing right coming on a familiar hard line close to a breakdown. He showed good footwork to dance beyond the initial defence before being shunted over the line by centre partner Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler.
Myler converted and the Ospreys took a three-point lead in at the break.
It was the Dragons who started the second half fastest and retook the lead courtesy of a lovely team try. Wainwright provided the initial burst into the Ospreys 22 but showed good awareness to offload out of the tackle to scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou, who sent Wales wing Jonah Holmes clear to score.
Davies couldn’t convert and the Ospreys hit back immediately again. Nice hands from Will Griffiths sent Dan Evans through on the far side and some interplay saw centre Williams burst away to score his second try of the night. Myler converted to stretch the lead to five points.
Then it was the turn of the visitors to set up camp in the opposition 22 and the Ospreys’ discipline began to fall apart.
Lock Rhys Davies was penalised for pulling a maul down after a series of infringements and Ashton Hewitt – on his 100th appearance for the Dragons – crossed a minute later.
Davies missed the conversion and the scores were level at 17-17 heading into the final quarter.
Myler knocked over a penalty 13 minutes from time but it was all Dragons from then on.
Two minutes later, visiting flyhalf Davies threw a clever delayed short pass to Lewis, who cut a sumptuous line to break through. Holmes was again on hand to receive the scoring pass to run in his second score.
The game was sealed four minutes from time when replacement No. 9 Rhodri Williams caught the Ospreys napping with an inside pass to Hewitt, who steamed onto the ball and raced away from the cover defence to score from 40 metres.
Davies converted to wrap up what turned into a resounding victory for his side.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said: “You need to convert territory and possession on the scoreboard and that was frustrating.
“The game got away from us and they were allowed to do what they needed to do and we couldn’t control things.”