The Newest All Black
It is not often that a former volleyball player becomes a member of the New Zealand rugby team. But this is exactly what happened to Jarrad Hoeata after his impressive performances for the Highlanders in this year's Super Rugby competition led to his international debut.
The 27-year-old lock played alongside veteran Ali Williams in New Zealand's comprehensive 60-14 win over Fiji last week. Hoeata has also been included in the All Blacks Tri-Nations squad after his notable performance against the Fijians.
However, maintaining a place in the New Zealand side is one of the toughest asks in world rugby, which begs the question, is Hoeata the man to fulfil the lock position?
Well, if his early days as a schoolboy were anything to go by then you would think definitely not. Described as the 'skinny white fella' Hoeata never really thought about rugby as his talents were focused on volleyball. He played regularly for the New Zealand secondary schools and would often compete in a series against Australia.
But in his latter years at school, Hoeata started to show some rugby talent and was selected for the Tauranga Boys' High School first XV, followed by the Bay of Plenty secondary schools side. Although he didn't have the build that many others of his age possessed, he did have tremendous skills and a desire to never backdown from anyone.
Even with this exciting talent that he had the Tauranga-born player opted for teachers' college instead of playing rugby. It wasn't long though before Canterbury officials spotted him and he went on to play for the Canterbury and Crusaders development team.
In 2006 Hoeata finally realised that he had a special talent and he joined Taranaki to gain more playing time. This took his rugby to a whole new level and each year saw an improvement to his game.
Now, the dynamic powerhouse is a major part of the Highlanders side and he has certainly impressed so far. Hoeata has started in all nine games in 2011, eight of them at lock and one in the No6 jersey.
"I managed to start a lot of games for the Highlanders and I am just aiming to repay the coach for the faith he has showed in me, said Hoeata.
Repaying his coach is a relevant point as Jamie Joseph has played a huge part in his career. Hoeata stated that Joseph was one of the main reasons behind his move to the Highlanders and that his guidance has helped him progress as a player.
After winning his first cap for the All Blacks there is a sense from many fans that he could now go on the become a key figure in the side. His debut showed all the right signs, as he was dynamic, aggressive and strong.
He looks like a player that enjoys being at the heart of the battle by continuously knocking people down. This aggression has been questioned at times for maybe being too much, but New Zealand coach Graham Henry was pleased with his style of play.
He said: " I like his aggression as long as it is disciplined. I like his edge. He's a good scrummaging lock and he's also good in the lineout and he has got some athleticism around the park."
It's a sign that things are changing in the New Zealand camp, as locks have never really had much impact in the squad. The emphasis was more on ball-handling and mobility which meant loose forwards could handle the duties.
Hoeata is a straightforward lock who doesn't make it complicated and his fearless approach certainly helps. Whether or not he will continue to claim a place in the All Blacks starting line-up will be down to the coaches, but he has to be considered as one of the top four locks in New Zealand.
Obviously it will be tough to guarantee a position in the side with forwards such as Adam Thomson, Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino all looking strong. But if Hoeata continues to play as he has been doing, then he will always have a chance.
The All Blacks coaches have already hinted that he has shades of a 'classic New Zealand lock' about him and that can only be a good thing.
