HERE’S A story about Ardie Savea which may seem insignificant but which is not. It is about a round of handshakes.
It sums up a man who is one of the best players in the world at the moment and one who continues to give rugby a good name. There is only one Ardie.
He has become a wonderful player; he is not a monster in the back row by modern standards but he has electric reactions, he is quick over the ground, ferociously competitive and also a ball player. He has become a standard bearer for his team and the whole nation.
In the shortlist for the World Rugby Player of the Year, there was no Ardie at all. Lukhanyo Am (South Africa), Antoine Dupont (France) and Johnny Sexton (Ireland) were nominated but the winner was Josh van der Flier. Great players all, although supporters of Savea might point out that Am missed most of the season, and Sexton, partly due to injury, did not have his finest year. Savea, in what wasn’t a vintage All Blacks team, was consistently magnificent in victory and defeat.
