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Newest All Black sends message to selectors after dominating Highlanders
By Kim Ekin
Recently capped All Black winger Mark Telea started his 2023 campaign in emphatic fashion producing a starring performance in the Blues 60-20 demolition over the Highlanders.
After receiving a call-up last November on the All Blacks end of year tour with Will Jordan out injured, Telea scored two tries on debut at Murrayfield against Scotland.
In his first outing of Super Rugby Pacific he continued that hot streak, the Blues winger ran riot over the hapless Highlanders clocking up 202 running metres on 13 carries whilst beating 13 defenders.
Telea made four clean breaks, scoring two tries whilst assisting on two more for the Blues in the eight try rout. Statiscally, it was one of the all time Super Rugby performances.
Praise for Telea flowed in from media and fans alike with claims he is 'the best winger in New Zealand' and is sure pick for the World Cup squad later this year.
Comparisons were made to the playstation game Jonah Lomu Rugby after looking unstoppable in Dunedin.
The Blues No 14 had the first try of the night when he finished a one-on-one with Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava, reaching out to place the ball down after a low tackle.
Telea nearly had his second after the Blues launched a counter-attack from an errant Highlanders' pass following a long break by Finlay Christie. Beauden Barrett finished the movement after Telea managed to find an offload.
The Blues right edge combination then combined to produce a scintillating piece of play, with All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane linking with Telea before receiving the return ball to coast away untouched.
Deep into the second half Telea snatched a long-range intercept when he perfectly read a Highlanders scrum play which broke the 50 point barrier, and then produced another break to set up Ioane's second try.
Telea's competition for a place in the All Blacks World Cup squad includes Crusaders right wing Sevu Reece, who has 15 test tries in 23 caps since his debut in 2019, and fullback Will Jordan who is also used on the right wing.
Also competing for a spot is uncapped Chief Shaun Stevenson who was a standout for the All Blacks XV in their tour matches.
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Not true. I'm a South African and I absolutely loved seeing the Wallabies beating England. And miss the Wallabies of old who were a devastating force with some of the greatest players of all time.
I hear quite regularly that Australians prefer Aussie rules, league, and cricket over rugby.
So again, seems like Australians are to blame for the state of the game in Australia?
Go to commentsI find Ben Smith to be an emotionally driven hysteric. So I question everything he writes.
He launched into the year about the ABs being back this year. For a "journalist" his opinions are based on the flavour of the month.
He's at least gone quiet about how sh1t the boks actually are. Although I suspect he's working on an outrageous article to that effect as we speak, to drive engagement after the end of the Autumn series, as we'll all be taking a break until the 6N.
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