Caleb Clarke: 'I know there's more in me'

Caleb Clarke is giving himself every opportunity to find career form in 2024 and from the glimpses we've seen of the powerful youngster in pre-season contests, the hard work is paying off.

Clarke returned from his extended summer break in late January, along with his fellow Kiwi Rugby World Cup participants, and revealed he had dropped some weight through a revised regimen over the summer.

An eight-kilogram drop to be precise, a change Clarke decided he was ready for while biding his time as a secondary option for the All Blacks at the World Cup.

The 24-year-old was rewarded for his form in 2023 with a World Cup squad selection, but couldn't crack the starting unit ahead of Mark Tele'a and Will Jordan.

"I spent time in France in my reflection times - I call them quiet times," Clarke told Newshub.

"I just knew there's more, I know there's more in me."

During that World Cup campaign, Clarke says his relationship with his weight felt unhealthy, and now he's at a weight he hasn't been since his high school days, feeling much more comfortable in his eating routine.

"For me, seeing a number on a scale was a big thing," he said.

"I remember on my day off I'd eat maybe one meal, then go sauna at night and then just pray I was at the right weight they wanted me to be at."

Last month Clarke said that he was grateful for his friends and teammates helping him get his diet right and stay off the chocolates while reassessing his outlook on diet and exercise.

"If I wanted to stay away from that, I just needed to get food right, get nutrition right.

"It's not about the number on the scales, it's about how I'm performing and how I'm feeling each day."

A hat-trick within 45 minutes against the Yokohama Canon Eagles certainly gave the impression Clarke was feeling good, and the effort hasn't gone unnoticed by new Blues head coach Vern Cotter.

"He's actually asked a few questions of himself, and where he needs to go to become better," Cotter said.

"He's brought a competitive edge to himself."

Clarke will feature alongside a host of returning All Blacks in the second half of the Blues' final pre-season fixture against the Chiefs at 4pm NZT in Takapuna.