Yes, it has been a while between Interview posts, but fret no more, as we are at that time again!

We now begin the third section in this interviewing series with All Black, Neemia Tialata, which is on the subject of the third “F”… Football… or as we know and love it… Ra-Ra-ra-ra-Rugby!

This section will probably take two, maybe three posts, as Neemia and I, some weeks ago, the very night before he was to head up for the first All Black camp, had a reasonably long chat about some subjects in a Rugby context, and without further bloviating from myself… let’s do it to it!

That’s not true…

Before we get to this, I must get to that… with that being the previous posts in this interviewing series.  There are quite a number, and while you should be able to work this out, I realise there may be a few forwards reading this, so I will lend a hand to those who have undergone repeated abuse.  Therefore, once you have read The Introduction, you will want to read The First Take, followed by The Second Cut, which will prepare you for this post, The Third Hit!

Capice?

Now, it is over to me and over to him…

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NEEMIA TIALATA: On the Record, Off the Hook!

JK: Can you describe how you first started with Rugby, describing your earliest memories of the game.

NT: I first started playing League when I was young, and that’s where I came across Piri Weepu, and guys like David Faiumu, Paul Whatuira, so we all played together when we were young.  Then when we got to College that was when I made my transition to Rugby, and played 1st 15 for Parkway College, the same College that Tana [Umaga] went to.  JK: Leo Bertos… did you got to School with him?  NT: Leo, he went to Wellington College.  I only met him in 6th Form, when I had to switch schools.

A Hurricane of a Commitment

JK: I remember when we talked last time, you missed out on Schools and I think 19′s [National teams], and next year, I think you mentioned you made the Lions squad [Wellington Provinical team]. NT: Yip, yip. JK: So how old were you when you made the Lions squad for the first time?

NT: I was 21, not 20.  I missed out on the Under 21′s, the Colts [NZ], and in that same year I made the Lions.

JK: Can you still remember the time surrounding that.  Obviously for a young bloke it would have been a huge game for you, and a huge context, as it is stepping up to the big time.  What are your memories of the game?  Did you start?  Were you on the reserves bench?

NT: I came off the bench versus Southland as reserve Loosehead Prop for Kas Lealamanua.  So I came on, my first game for Wellington, at the WestpacTrust Stadium, and basically had a shocker… and the rest is history. JK: [Laughs].

JK: I guess the first peak was debuting for the All Blacks in 05.  You would have made Super 14 before then.  Was that a big step up for you, maybe we should go to there.  Did you make the All Blacks from the Lions?

NT: I made the Lions in 2003, then the following year got picked for the Hurricanes, at the start of the year.  At this time, was when I had my operation on my calves.  JK: Was it they were growing too big? NT: I had Compartment Syndrome.  When I had my operation, I missed the International season, I wasn’t considered for any teams, and in the following year, 2005, I made it!

JK: So the jump up from NPC to Super 12, was it a big jump up for you?  Did you find it to be a big transition?

NT: Yeah, the speed of game, it was.

You Get the Picture!

JK: In 05, if my research is correct, you made your debut vs the Welsh, where we spanked the Leeks 41- 5 in Cardiff. NT: [Jumping in] Probably a game and the build up to it will be something that I will never forget.  JK: Yeah, yeah, I was gonna ask you about that.  Talk to us about what that was like… the build-up… even making the squad, you meet the Three Wise Men… you’re brought into a squad, you’re a younger guy, you go over there, you’re on Tour, and then you get named in the side, you make your debut. Encapsulate that, in the parts you can remember in your answer.

NT: Obviously for any player, the pinnacle is to be named in the All Blacks, and especially, you know, the first cap.  I still remember, I was pretty sound asleep on a Sunday morning at about Ten o’clock.  I had to get up and get ready for church, but I had slept in.  My Mother happened to bust through my room, basically in tears, and I actually didn’t know what was going on, and I totally forgot about selection that morning.  JK: That was probably a good thing.  NT: Yeah!  She busts in the room, and then I am awake, and I’m going, “What have I done,” cause I must have done something really bad.  So my Mum, followed by my Brothers and Sisters in the background, and my Cousins… everyone seems to be awake and heard the naming of the All Blacks apart from me, and they were like, “You made it, you made it.”  I was, “what’d ya mean?”  ”You’re an All Black!”  And I was, “Aww.”  I couldn’t believe it, and then, ahh, I can still remember, the first day I flew up to Auckland for camp, before we flew out for the UK Tour.  Met up with, that’s when I first bumped into Isaia Toeava, and at the time he was a new cap as well.  I can still remember going up to get my gears, and Toeava’s there, and he’s all shy… and he’s looking at me, going, “Sheeza, this is like Christmas.”  JK: [Cracks up laughing... which he has been doing a fair bit of up-to-now].  NT: A little moment like that, I will never forget.

NT: Leading up to the First Test Match, and my first Test Match for the All Blacks was unreal, it was crazy… exciting… I think I just couldn’t wait to play once I was named to start that week.  JK: You just want the game to happen. NT: Yeah, I can still remember Tana just having a word to me during the week, which was, “you were made to play for this team, and it’s moments like these that you need to hold with two hands, cherish it, and never forget it.  Probably the best advice that I have ever had!

NT: Throughout the week that I can remember, there was a lot of stuff that was going on, was just unreal.  I can still remember the media hype before the Captains run… when you come down and greet the media.  There were probably over 50 or 60 odd reporters, cameras, etc.  I can still remember facing the cameras, excited and didn’t know what to say.  But a part from that… ahhh

Scrum-time

JK: Do you remember the game much?  Did the game just fly by, and at the end of the game, you were like, “where did that go”… or, can you remember how it outworked itself over the 80 minutes?

NT: That’s the unreal part of it.  I can remember the build-up to the game, the warm-up, basically putting my boots on, and that was it, lights out.  JK: And then the final whistle.  NT: I can’t remember doing the Haka, or the Anthem, that’s how serious it was, I couldn’t remember anything, that’s how focused.  JK: Adrenalin to the brain.  NT: I couldn’t remember how the game went.  To this day, I’ve never seen or watched the game.  JK: Has that been planned or is that how it’s just worked out?  NT: Ah, I just thought, maybe in years to come, when I have kids, family, and that, i’ll probably sit down and have a good look then.  Right now, I don’t like looking in the past.

JK: So what were your first impressions of Henry, Hansen, and Smith?

NT: Ah, great men! They’re unreal!  JK: So, good communicators, made you feel welcome.  NT: Yeah, yeah, definitely made me feel like I was bullet-proof, going out there, before a massive Test Match, and just for them to be so welcoming first day of camp.  I can still remember ‘Ted,’ forgot my actual name, and was trying to call me by my nickname.  He was trying to call me ‘Ney,’ but he ended up calling me ‘Nee.’  JK: [laughing] He’s a good man.  It’s interesting the breakdown of the coaching power, you know, their different personality types, and their different strengths, but their egos don’t [seem] to get in the way of each other.  It’s makes them even stronger, cause there is three of them together.  NT: Yeah.  They are definitely coaches that you want to play for.  JK: Good, good, good.

JK: I am jumping ahead a little, but after the 07 World Cup, you were keen for them to stay?

Neemia: I Love Twitter. Graeme: I Love Carbonated Water

NT: Oh, definitely.  JK: Because it was the players, from what we heard, not that the media has the gospel, but it was the players who basically talked Henry to going for it again.  NT: Of course!  JK: It is interesting how in some other codes and other countries, while some do get the sack when things don’t turn out, they do take the longer term view [there are examples of both perspectives].  NT: People don’t realise that Ted, Smithy, and Steven Hansen, I think their record is probably one of the best as coaches of the All Blacks.  JK: Yeah, yeah, I would think it’d be in the high 80′s.  NT: People don’t realise it was that one off game we lost, it happened to be a very important game.  JK: Yeah, yeah, it was like worst timing, like a zit on Prom night, maybe, I don’t know.  NT: You can’t blame the coaches. They’re not the ones who are out there playing.

JK: When I was in Christchurch, I use to watch Steve Hansen play Club Rugby for Marist, Second-Five Eight.  It’s hard case, he was a big man then, and now he is coaching the forwards.  Does he ever get ribbed for that, being a back and coaching the forwards?

NT:  Oh mate, he’s great!  Unbelievable what he comes up with.  The knowledge that he has, to coach what he does as a forwards coach is unbelievable.  JK: I can tell by how you are saying things, and not just the words you are saying of the impact of these guys.  NT: And the difference with them, is that they are not just good coaches, but they are bloody good men.  They are good role models, they are good father figures, and I think that is the difference.  Most people tend to forget that they are human beings, and they do their part!  JK: Absolutely, I am a little bit involved, I don’t know if you’ve heard of “Backing Black”? [I implore you with multiple gesticulations to visit this post... HERE...which will explain this concept more, where you will also be encouraged to join, then comment, and click "enjoyed"... Do as you are told!] NT: Ah, nah [I am sure Neemia will have now].  JK: It’s the fan movement that Telecom are getting behind with the All Blacks.  NT: Okay.  JK: One of the things with our All Blacks is that we need to contextualise you guys through your common humanity with us, than through the acquired status that people put the All Blacks up on a pedestal.  And, if we did that more, it would be so much healthier for all of us.  Cause you guys are real people, who have made it in a certain area.  It doesn’t mean, because of that, it has transformed you into robots in every other area of your life, and we can often have that perspective, and it is unhealthy and unreal.  I don’t think it’s positive for you guys and or for us as a [viewing] public.  NT: People don’t see that.  We are made up of, we come from different backgrounds, and we play for different provinces/ franchises, and at the end of the day, we are good mates.  If you’re a new Kat, or you’re an old guy, or you’ve been in the team for a while, everyone gets on with each other, not only on the field, but especially off the field.

JK: So, you’ve now played 41 Tests, I believe, for the AB’s, describe your best Test performance?  Or, can you describe it, do you remember it?  Or, is it, like you said, out of your philosophy of ‘keep moving on.’

NT: Yeah, I think my best performance would have to be the last Test that I started.  That’s how I like to see it!  JK: Now if I remember rightly, I am going off the cuff here [have you ever been on?], when we were down to 13 men versus England, I don’t know if that was in 05, we had 2 guys in the Sin Bin.  NT: [Jumping in] And I was one of them [Neemia giggles].  JK: I remember I noticed you, maybe when we were down to 14 men, and we had one less forward, they had Sheridan in the front-row, we were still able to keep the integrity of the scrum.  That stood out for me, that performance stood out for me! NT: That’s gotta be up there!  JK: That was a gutsy performance from you guys.  NT: I think that one that stands out would have to be the one where I scored my try for the All Blacks against South Africa in Loftus.  That game there was special, that was massive.  JK: [Getting excited] Yes, yes, the cross-kick.  NT: Yeeeah.  JK: The cross-kick, I remember exactly what you are talking about.  Who was beside you, there was a Lock beside you?   NT: I call him, ‘Dolph,” that’s his nick-name… Greg Rawlinson.  JK: Yeah, yeah, he’s got the jaw going old Rawlinson… Rocky 5.

JK: Describe and give yourself a rating of what you have achieved-to-date, in terms of impact, career, and fulfilling your potential?  Give yourself a score out of 10, in what you have fulfilled.  You’re what, only 27, you’re probably only coming into your prime as a prop forward… Would that be a fair statement?

NT: Yip, definitely.  JK: So in light of that, what would you give yourself?  NT: I would probably give myself, maybe an 8.5. JK: Okay.  NT: That’s pretty high.  JK: With 2011 coming, you have still got room to improve.

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We will leave it there for today!  But, there will be a tomorrow in this context, so please stay tuned to this frequency because the posting party is still on for young and old!

For all those who have been here before… YES, THE JERSEY COMPETITION IS STILL ON!  What do I mean, you ask?

Well, by following the instructions, you can win a signed by the squad 2010 Hurricanes Jersey… and YES, I WILL SEND IT ANYWHERE ON THIS POSTAL PLANET.  I will not repeat all the details here, but if you check out the FIRST and SECOND Posts in this series, it explains everything!

There is plenty more to come.  Our relationship has just begun…

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking