Second five-eighth Francis Saili’s All Blacks debut against Argentina promises to be an emotional night for his family.
Saili, 22, says he could hear his father, Kave, shed a tear when he rang him with the news that he had been picked to face the Pumas in Hamilton on Saturday.
“It was nice to get a bit of a cry over the phone from my father,” he said.
“He’s not usually an emotional fella, just when special moments hit him.”
It was his father who got him into rugby as a youngster, coaching him for seven years at the Eden club.
Saili’s elevation to the Test ranks completes the hat-trick for a young Blues trio.
He will follow in the footsteps of Super rugby teammates Steven Luatua and Charles Piutau, who made their All Blacks debuts in June.
All three are in the 23-strong squad to face the Pumas, with Luatua, 22, as starting blindside flanker and Piutau, 21, on the bench covering the outside backs.
They’ve known each other since their mid-teens, first as schoolboy opponents in Auckland and then as provincial age-group teammates.
“We had aspirations to become All Blacks players but never thought that would be when we were 22,” Saili said.
Like Luatua and Piutau, Saili was a member of the New Zealand under-20 team that won the 2011 junior world championship.
He was included in the 32-man All Blacks squad for the France series in June after two impressive seasons with the Blues, where his teammates include brother and No.8 Peter Saili.
Against Argentina, he will have plenty of experience around him with Dan Carter at first five-eighth and Conrad Smith at centre.
Saili played with both during the All Blacks’ practice hit-outs against Wellington and Canterbury in August.
“I know they will do their role and all I need to do is mine,” he said.
“It’s a great time for me to play amongst two world class players.”
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