Broadhurst earns reward for loyalty

SIX years ago James Broadhurst flew to Sydney to inspect the Waratahs’ organisation and scrutinise a contract.

Broadhurst, whose grandfather was born across the Tasman, was on the Australian Rugby Union’s radar and the fact former Crusader coach Robbie Deans was coaching the Wallabies was no coincidence.

Deans knew plenty about Broadhurst, now 27, and had tipped him for a bright future. Maybe he thought that lay in Australia.

The 2.01m lock had been in the Crusaders’ wider training group when Deans was in charge of the Christchurch-based side, and it became clear that if Broadhurst signed with the Waratahs that their paths could cross again.

The only issue was Broadhurst couldn’t bring himself to cross the creek. The way he figured it was that the money wasn’t exactly jawdropping, and he felt he was a Kiwi to the core.

‘‘It was not that hard to sign that contract. It was not exactly substantial – my New Zealand one was about the same – and I would rather be playing in New Zealand anyway,’’ Broadhurst said afterwards.

Broadhurst left Canterbury and the Crusaders to join Taranaki in 2010 and was later picked up by the Hurricanes,

When he spurned the Waratahs deal he said he had a burning desire to be an All Black.

It was a good thing he was patient because Broadhurst appeared destined to be considered a reliable Super Rugby player who lacked the consistency to crack the big time.

Then he decided to take things seriously; he concentrated less on his social life and more on getting prepared for work at the weekend and rehabilitating his body.

‘‘None of that matters,’’ Broadhurst said this week, when discussing why he did not go to Australia.

‘‘All of the decisions I have made and the work I have done had led to this [being in the All Blacks]. I am totally comfortable with the decision I made.’’

Of course Broadhurst must have felt frustrated when he sensed he wasn’t making progress.

Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Jeremy Thrush, Patrick Tuipulotu and Dominic Bird had been blooded by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, but not him.

To keep motivated, he used Hurricanes team-mate Dane Coles, who had been in age-group rep teams with him, as a beacon of

James Broadhurst hope.

‘‘There were definitely times when I had that thought [that he wouldn’t make the All Blacks] and happened to doubt.

‘‘But I made that [New Zealand] colts team with Colesy, and the way he had worked hard to get to where he was was probably a good example to me, and to show it wasn’t too late.’’

So, finally, Broadhurst gets his chance. And what a place to make a test debut, against the Springboks at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park.

He has received some advice from forwards coach Mike Cron and team psychologist Gilbert Enoka and recalled the advice Hansen gave the newcomers ahead of the test against Argentina last week.

‘‘That is one thing Shag said to the debutants last week; just look around, look to the guy next to you and the quality in the huddle. If you get nervous just do that and that should help get you through.’’

Hansen liked the way Broadhurst had stacked on some extra body armour over the last couple of seasons, bulking up to weigh 123kg.

That, in turn, increased Broadhurst’s confidence: ‘‘I think it is just getting comfortable at that weight and really realising how big I am and what I can do with that size.’’

Broadhurst might have been streamed into the Canterbury rugby set-up early in his career, but he was born in Kaitaia and moved to Gisborne when he was 15.

His parents, who have since moved back to the Far North, grow avocados and James has his own business; he owns an eighthectare orchard next to his parents’ land and they manage it for him.

‘‘That is obviously my fallback plan but most of my time these days is spent getting my body right on my days off.’’