Newbies finally get to hear good news
Hurricanes teammates Jordie Barrett and Ngani Laumape avoided listening to the 33- man All Blacks squad naming for the Samoa test and Lions series, but the two uncapped players soon got the message.
Barrett, the 20- year old from Taranaki who travelled as an apprentice on last year’s Northern Hemisphere tour, was on his daily commute to training.
“I started getting a few text messages. I didn’t really want to watch it [ the naming], but it’s great news.”
Meanwhile, Laumape was already limbering up in the changing room.
“Colesy [ Dane Coles] was watching and he said I’d made it. I thought he was lying, so carried on stretching. Then I realised he was telling the truth and I had a moment to myself.
“I just turned off my phone and focused on the captain’s run. I thought someone was going to slap me to wake up.
Jordie, Beauden and Scott Barrett are the first sibling trio to be named in the same All Blacks squad and will be just the fourth set of three brothers to play rugby for New Zealand, after the Brownlies and Nicholls in the 1920s and the Whitelocks recently.
“It might have been in our wildest aspirations when we were little,” Barrett said.
“It was special going on tour last year and seeing the way they [ the All Blacks] prepare.
“Boydey [ Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd] said ‘ don’t worry about the talk, just be consistent each week’. I feel pressure and get nervous but just try to clear my head. I back my instincts because, if you think about it too much, you start worrying and get a lot of clutter.”
At 24- years- old, Laumape said his conversion from league to union is complete.
The former Warriors centre acknowledged not many make the cross- code switch successfully, like Sonny Bill Williams and Israel Folau.
Laumape made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in 2016, clocking 11 appearances to help the franchise to their inaugural title.
Strong performances this year saw him lead the competition early for line breaks and defenders beaten.
His selection was justified by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
“For a young man who has just come back to rugby after spending a bit of time in the wilderness playing league, to have him playing that well is great for New Zealand rugby and a credit to him and Boydey.”
The All Blacks included Coles and Ryan Crotty in their squad, despite both carrying injuries that could affect their full participation in the tests.