Oliver Haig speaks with a distinctly South English accent, so distinctive that he might have confused the All Blacks lineout calls at Twickenham this weekend.
The 22-year-old was born in Perth however raised in Sussex (Southeast England). The son of medical doctors migrated to Dunedin aged 14 and has quickly risen within the New Zealand rugby system.
The Otago and Highlanders lock/free ahead was coaching with the All Blacks in Japan final week as harm cowl for the more and more fragile free ahead cohort.
This week he rejoined the All Blacks XV and can begin at blindside flanker of their conflict towards struggling Munster at Thomond Park, Limerick.
Haig was named within the authentic All Blacks XV squad on October 8 however stated he felt “included” and realized “heaps” in his temporary All Blacks sojourn. When requested what he affords a rugby crew, Haig responded, “Bit tall, bit robust, bit quick.”
These attributes, fairly than droll Invoice Wyman, Grizz Wyllie fashion quips, have endeared him to selectors.
His skilled rugby breakthrough was in 2022. He was summoned as harm cowl for Otago and ended up taking part in each NPC recreation (552 minutes, two tries, 5 wins).
“That began every thing off actually. Tom Donnelly gave me a shot and he was nice aiding my recreation,” Haig stated.
A 15-test All Black, Donnelly was concerned in teaching the 2022 New Zealand Beneath 20s that received the Oceania Rugby Beneath 20 Championship on the Gold Coast. Haig was on the identical crew that beat n their crushing victories Fiji (74-5), Argentina (32-9) and Australia (69-12).
It was at Otago Boys’ Excessive Faculty the place Haig initially flourished. Haig was unusually chosen within the First XV as a 12 months 11 scholar. From 2018 to 2020 Otago Boys’ received three consecutive Otago faculties championships.
In 2018 Ryan Martin was coach. Martin received 94 of 100 membership matches and 48 out of 55 interschools on the helm of Otago Boys.’ He has since labored with Otago, Northland, New England Freejacks, and the Melbourne Rebels. He described Haig as “clever,” “sturdy” and “nearly as good as any schoolboy ahead I’ve coached.”
Haig vindicated Martin’s judgment by breaking via with the Highlanders in Tremendous Rugby Pacific this season.
Haig performed a dozen matches (718 minutes) because the Highlanders largely underwhelmed once more however did rating their first win in 19 matches towards New Zealand opposition once they beat the Crusaders 32-29 in Dunedin. Cam Miller scored a document 28 factors towards the 14-time Tremendous Rugby champions.
“That was particular. There was an enormous crowd and the Crusaders are an excellent crew,” Haig stated.
“All through the season we had some good patches and a few unhealthy patches.”
Munster goes via a foul patch. On Tuesday “by mutual consent” and with “rapid impact” Graham Rowntree (32 wins in 57 matches) departed as head coach. The All Blacks XV opposition is twelfth out of 16 groups within the United Rugby Championship.
“We’re not taking them flippantly. They’ve acquired some high quality gamers. I count on it will likely be a tricky recreation,” Haig stated.
Diarmuid Barron captains Munster with Irish centurion Peter O’Mahony returning to the facet for his second look of the season after a hamstring harm.
Munster’s assets are stretched with the presence of six Academy gamers within the match-day squad, together with Evan O’Connell in line for his first Munster cap.
Nevertheless, Munster has an extended historical past of difficult touring New Zealand groups, together with the All Blacks who they famously beat 12-0 in 1978. It was the All Blacks solely loss on their well-known 18-match Grand Slam tour. So excellent was that win that books, performs and poems have been written about it.
The primary contact between New Zealand and Munster was in 1905 when Dave Gallaher’s Originals achieved a 33-0 whitewash. Winger H.L. ‘Bunny’ Abbott scored three tries.
In 2008, for the primary time within the skilled period, the All Blacks performed Munster throughout a Take a look at tour. It took a 77th-minute strive by winger Joe Rokocoko to raise the vacationers to a heart-stopping 18-16 win.
The bond between Munster and New Zealand was mirrored on this recreation when Kiwis, Rua Tipoki, Doug Howlett, Lifeimi Mafi, and Jeremy Manning carried out a haka in response to the All Blacks’ conventional problem.
In 2016 Munster beat the Maori All Blacks 27-16 in a stirring success the place O’Mahony scored a strive. Following the haka earlier than the beginning of the match, the Maori captain Ash Dixon introduced the sons of the late Anthony Foley with a jersey. Foley performed 201 video games for Munster, capting the facet on quite a few events and profitable the European Cup twice. The free ahead made 62 appearances (37 wins) for Eire and later coached Munster.
The All Blacks XV towards Munster at Thomond Park, Limerick kicks off on Sunday at 6:30 pm (NZT).
