Patience pays off for recalled All Black George Bower
Photo:
PhotoSport / Martin Hunter
All Blacks v France
Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 19 July
FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Live blog updates on RNZ
It's been three years since George Bower last played for the All Blacks and he concedes there were times he thought he may never make it back to the national side.
The prop initially missed out on selection in the All Blacks squad to play France, but was called in after his Crusaders teammate Tamaiti Williams was ruled out of the three match series with injury.
Bower is on the bench for Saturday's third and final test in Hamilton and is likely to get on the field for his 23rd test.
"I'm very excited. It's my first time in 2025 pulling on the black jersey, but also my first time in a long time," Bower said.
"My last test was in 2022 against England over there. It's been three years of grind and hard work to get back into the team. I'm super grateful to be back here and hopefully getting an opportunity on Saturday."
George Bower last played for the All Blacks in 2022.
Photo:
Christiaan Kotze / www.photosport.nz
Bower describes himself as an optimist, but he concedes he had the odd negative thought about his prospects of earning an All Blacks recall.
"Every now and then, like everyone else, it does creep in," Bower said.
"Every time you're in this environment, you're never certain when you're going to wear the jersey again. So I cherish that (being in the All Blacks) a lot more now. I'm definitely going to cherish that moment if I do get that opportunity to play.
"Those moments (of doubt) did creep in, but it was important just to keep ticking away, to keep having faith and trust in my skills and strengths."
Bower did entertain going offshore, but said his desire to play for the All Blacks again kept him in Aotearoa.
"There was always a focus for me to try and get back into the squad," he said.
"There was opportunities where I could've gone overseas, but there was a stronger pull here in New Zealand to stay home and contribute what I can here in New Zealand rugby."
Bower's next ambition is to be named in the All Blacks Rugby Championship squad. The annual four-nation tournament kicks off on 17 August, with New Zealand's opening match in Argentina.
"That is another goal, to get named in that next squad. First things first I've got to put on that jersey and do what I can to help the team perform. Then the rest will take care of itself."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad back for NZ Warriors against Gold Coast Titans
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has recovered from a knee injury suffered four weeks ago. Photo: Brett Phibbs / Photosport Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will return from injury, when NZ Warriors take on Gold Coast Titans at Go Media Stadium on Saturday. Nicoll-Klokstad, 29, suffered the knee against Brisbane Broncos four weeks ago, but has made a timely recovery to reclaim his No.1 jersey from Taine Tuaupiki for the encounter against the NRL cellar dwellers. His inclusion is the only change to the squad that barely overcame Newcastle Knights last weekend, with a last-ditch try to second-rower Leka Halasima. Veteran Kurt Capewell has been named to start at centre, despite leaving the field 20 minutes before the end of that encounter, while second-rower Marata Niukore will bring up 150 NRL games - 96 for Parramatta Eels and 54 for the Warriors, after beginning his career in the junior programme at Mt Smart. Former Titans Tanah Boyd and Erin Clark will line up against their old team, which they helped to two wins over the Warriors last season - the first an Anzac Day fixture in Auckland and the second a 60-point drubbing across the Tasman. In his 500th first-grade game in charge, under-siege Titans coach Des Hasler won't have the services of star forward Tino Fa'asuamaleaui with a knee injury and David Fifita, who has re-aggravated an ankle injury. Former Warrior Kieran Foran will start at five-eighth for Gold Coast. Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Kurt Capewell, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Tavita-Harris, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith Reserves: 18 Taine Tuaupiki, 20 Sam Healey, 21 Bunty Afoa, 22 Ali Leiataua, 23 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava Titans: 1 AJ Brimson, 2 Jaylan de Groot, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Jojo Fifita, 5 Phillip Sami, 6 Kieran Foran, 7 Jayden Campbell, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika, 9 Sam Verrills, 10 Jaimin Jolliffe, 11 Chris Randall, 12 Beau Fermor, 13 Klese Haas Interchange: 14 Jacob Alick-Wiencke, 15 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 16 Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui, 17 Josh Patston Reserves: 18 Arama Hau, 19 Sean Mullany, 20 Tom Weaver, 21 Ryan Foran, 22 Alofiana Khan-Pereira Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors rookie Maarire Puketapu choses league career over softball
Maarire Puketapu enjoys family support at her Warriors NRLW debut against Sydney Roosters. Photo: Mark Kolbe/ Maarire Puketapu can probably thank the Covid pandemic for diverting her sporting career towards the NZ Warriors NRLW programme. As a teenager, she represented New Zealand as a softball centrefielder and even had a US college scholarship lined up at Division II Florida Tech. "I played softball my entire life and was supposed to head over to America on a two-year scholarship, but unfortunately, because of Covid, I wasn't too keen on heading over there. "I didn't think softball was going to be the sport for me." Ironically, the very phenomenon that forced the Warriors women's team into a five-year hiatus was also the thing that steered Puketapu down that sporting pathway. In 2021, while visiting relatives in Queensland, she played a game for the local Kawana Dolphins, whose coach invited her to move back for the entire season. The following year, she chalked up air miles back and forth across the Tasman, sharing time between her Te Aroha Eels club and Wellington reps, and Kawana in Queensland. Last year, Puketapu secured a fulltime spot at Sunshine Coast Falcons in the second-tier Queensland BMD Premiership, where she popped up on the radar of new Warriors coach Ron Griffiths. "After some time, I got the big phone call and I was in shock," she said. "I hung up and screamed, 'F**k, I'm going to be a Warrior!', but I was at work, so I had to tone it down real quick." While the nuggety second-rower began this season with zero NRLW experience, her efforts at the next level down at least put her ahead of those arriving from local clubs or other codes. "Coming from BMD, I was only in that competition for one year, so I only got a small taste of how the competition can be," Puketapu said. "Taking that next step up to NRLW was pretty massive. "I knew it was going to be hard, so before I came here, I just trained as hard as I could to the standard I thought would be similar to NRLW. I was training with our local boys team in Australia, hoping to up my skills and fitness. "Obviously, I still died in pre-season, because that's what it's all about, but if I hadn't had that training prior, I wouldn't have been as good or I would have had injuries." During her stay with the Warriors, she has been housed with sevens superstar Michaela Brake and former Black Fern Shakira Baker, who are both still feeling their way into rugby league and admit to picking their flatmate's brain. That education cuts both ways. "Honestly, it's been a big learning curve for me and I've added so much to my basket since being here," Puketapu said. "I'm learning so much from our Black Fern girls and grateful to be living with two of them, so every day, I'm learning and growing as a player and a person." "The biggest thing I've learnt is coming across the professional girls and seeing them on TV all my life... we're all on the same level. They didn't give off this energy that they're too cool or too good for us - you really do feel like you're part of the whānau here." Puketapu doesn't lack for whānau of her own, many of whom made the trip across the ditch to witness her NRLW debut against Sydney Roosters. "Running out of the tunnel and seeing my family there is a feeling you can't really describe." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- RNZ News
Silver Ferns head into international season without caption
The Silver Ferns are heading into the next international season without their captain. Ameliaranne Ekenasio is taking a break, which makes yesterday's eligibility announcement by Netball New Zealand even more important. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
