Tuesday 24 November 2015

Jonah Lomu – First World Rugby Superstar

Despite his sheer size and power a humble and respectful man.

A video dedicated to his memory,

The sudden and unexpected death of Jonah Lomu I am sure saddened everyone who loves sport and indeed beyond across the globe. The loss to his wife, two sons and family will be way beyond anything we will feel.  Recently he had said that his wish was to live long enough to see his two children grow up to the age of 21. Well, sadly it wasn’t to be and as with so much in life the unexpected happened - as it does far too often and always when we least expect it.

The youngest ever All Black and the highest try scorer in World Cup history.
Jonah emerged as a 20 year old at the World Cup of 1995 with only having won two caps.  Listening to Shaun Fitzpatrick the New Zealand captain at the time if it hadn’t been for an injury to some other winger Lomu would not have been in the squad!
He had been capped twice for his country and had played sevens as well for New Zealand and had been recognised as a talent and a phenomenon from the age of 16 or so.

He left the ’95 World Cup a world-wide superstar. A youngster with searing pace able to run the 100 metres in just over 10 seconds, but at 6’ 5’ and almost 19st’ he had raw strength and power. Sevens had also developed his ball handling skills and it was a joy to see him run with the ball – which he made to look the size of a coconut!

Of all his performances it was one of the tries against England in the semi-final of that World Cup that has been played and replayed endlessly on social media and the like. A bit like the famous Gareth Edwards, Barbarians try against the All Blacks of 1973 I think it was. It wasn’t his most exciting or long distance try ever of which there were many but for sheer power it was certainly the most devastating. His tries in that game amounted to the most destructive performance by a rugby individual ever seen.

He sailed passed Andrews and Carling, brushed little Underwood aside and just trampled and walked over Mike Catt. After the game Wil Carling described Lomu as a ‘freak of nature‘, I’m sure he meant it as a compliment.

By the end of that year Jonah was diagnosed with a serious kidney disorder and he kept it a secret for as long as he could, indeed to the point, when he often found it a struggle to train, he was considered lazy by the coaches. A remarkable feat of endurance, strength of character and sheer will power enabled him to carry on.

In the 1999 World Cup he scored 8 tries and continued to remain a devastating weapon as his tries against England again and also France testified. In the game against France he scored a try with seven or eight players trying to stop him crossing the line.

Towards the end of his playing days when his power had visibly waned he played 15 times for Cardiff Blues in 2005 and just as we mourn his passing we also reflect on the loss of Jerry Collins another giant of All Blacks rugby who spent some years with the Ospreys. The manner of Collins’s passing was extraordinarily brave – in a car crash he could see what was happening so he placed his big frame over his daughter and she survived. What is the verse from the Good Book now – ‘greater love hath no man that he should lay down his life for another’.

So Lomu is a member of a club of rare sporting superstars – Pele, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Usain Bolt.

Thirty seven tries in 63 appearances for the All Blacks what would he have achieved had it not been for ill health? 

One final point, it is said that in the changing room before going on to the field of play Jonah Lomu would pray to God not to let him hurt any player during the game. Not sure God listened every time!