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Caleb Clarke. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung / Getty Images)
the All the black people may have unearthed the next Jonah Lomu after 21 years Caleb Clarke proved to be a one-man demolition squad in the All the black people’ 27-7 lashes of Australia in Auckland on Sunday.
Clarke, the son of former All Black Eroni Clarke, takes a simple approach to using his 1.84 meter, 107 kilogram frame.
“When you get the ball, just run. You don’t have to think about anything,” he said after his first test outing, after debuting from the bench last week in the first test of the Bledisloe Cup.
As the All Blacks lifted their aggression and precision in Auckland, much of that was due to Clarke’s racing bruises.
Preparation for Ardie Savea’s try was outstanding as Clarke worked her way through most of the Wallabies’ side before unloading in sight of the line.
“Michael Hooper grabbed my balls at that point,” Clarke later revealed.
“He was really sore. I was trying to get his hand off.”
Clarke also bounced off four tacklers as the All Blacks fought their way to Aaron Smith’s first attempt in the first half.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie kept counting the cost of 40 missed tackles, many of them on Clarke.
The comparisons between Clarke and Lomu, the former All Blacks wing who is regarded as the world’s first rugby superstar, are obvious with big, fast and straight running backs and playing in jersey number 11.
The unassuming Clarke is honored to be compared to his hero, who died in 2015 after battling a long-term kidney disorder.
“He was a big part of my childhood and I know he was a big part of my dad’s life. When he passed away it affected my dad. He wasn’t the same for a few weeks. I feel like I have a great responsibility to do the shirt justice. “he told Stuff on the eve of the Test.
His father, a 10-round All Black, played alongside Lomu in 1998.
Such was Clarke’s performance that he received a standing ovation from the crowd when he was replaced late in the game.
“I was caught in the moment. I wanted to jog and clap for everyone else, but then I started getting cramps and had to walk,” he said.
It was also an emotional moment for Clarke to have her family there to see, in particular her grandmother, who became a widower earlier this year.
“The most special thing was having my grandmother in the crowd … when I saw my grandmother it was when the hydraulic works began.”
