All Black eyes opportunity after re-signing

By Christopher Reive

Emoni Narawa’s ascension to the highest stage in rugby was swift, but his time there was fleeting.

One of the surprise selections in Ian Foster’s All Blacks team for last year’s Rugby Championship, the young Chiefs winger was rewarded for an impressive campaign as the team’s first-choice right wing.

His debut season with the Chiefs in 2022 saw him show his potential as he spent time on the wing and at fullback, but he was constantly in and out of the matchday squad.

He impressed on his test debut in the All Blacks’ 41-12 win over Argentina in Mendoza, starting on the wing and bagging his first international try, before a back injury robbed him of his spot in the World Cup squad and ended his season.

It was a tough pill to swallow for the fleet-footed flyer, but it has been an issue he has bounced back from superbly.

Eased back into competition off the bench by the Chiefs in round five of the competition, Narawa has done plenty to ensure the new-look All Blacks management doesn’t forget about him - including scoring eight tries in seven appearances.

Now, the 24-year-old has signed on with the Chiefs and New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2026 as he hopes to earn the opportunity to make up for lost time at test level.

“It’s something I can’t control, but I can control is how I perform every week. Hopefully, I can do that each week and put my hand up at the end of the season,” Narawa said.

Narawa said he didn’t field any other offers for his services and was happy to be extending his time with the Chiefs – in the thick of a wider competition that will be giving All Blacks selectors the best kind of headaches.

Narawa has firmly asserted himself among the likes of Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a and Caleb Clarke as the best wingers currently in the country, while the performances of Hurricanes duo Kini Naholo and Josh Moorby and Narawa’s Chiefs teammate Etene Nanai-Seturo could have them entering the perennial conversation around who might be the bolter in the next All Blacks squad.

“It’s a massive comp around the outside backs,” Narawa said.

“I can’t control who the coaches pick and, for me, it’s just about being able to perform week-in, week-out for my team and leave it in their hands.”

There could be plenty of interest in the head-to-head match-up of the outside backs when the Chiefs host the Hurricanes on Friday night in Hamilton, with the potential of Narawa and Nanai-Seturo going up against Naholo and Moorby.

It’s one of several smaller battles that could be presented once team lists are revealed on Wednesday afternoon, with both teams possessing quality around the park and looking to press their title credentials with the playoffs fast approaching.

“It’ll be massive,” Narawa said of the test the Hurricanes present.

“It’ll be physical, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission