The Veteran Debutant

For the last six months, and despite the recent Anzac test loss, New Zealand rugby league fans have been buoyed by the achievements of the Kiwis in the 2005 Tri-Nations series. But amidst the euphoria and amazement of the 24-0 score line in the final, a number of seemingly less important individual achievements appear to have gone unnoticed, such as the number of players who had the honour of making their international debut.

For the Kiwis alone, half a dozen players represented the Land of the Long White Cloud for the first time at some point throughout the series: David Faiumu, the promising young hooker for the North Queensland Cowboys who showed his craftiness on more than one occasion, such as when he scored a clever dummy half try against the Kangaroos in Auckland during the second test; Jake Webster, a prolific try scoring winger from the Melbourne Storm who had amassed an impressive six tries in seven matches by the end of the tournament; Manu Vatuvei, the giant winger from the New Zealand Warriors who made both Great Britain vice captain Brian Carney and Kangaroo Brent Tate looking for respective rocks to hide under; Wests Tigers hooker Bronson Harrison; Iafeta Palea'asina, the barnstorming prop bound for the British Isles.

But nobody had to wait quite as long as Willie Poching. It wasn’t until November 6th, 2005, that the product of the Warriors' inaugural season in 1995, and now a regular in the starting lineup for the Leeds Rhinos in the English Super League made his international debut at the not-so-tender age of thirty-two. The part Samoan back-rower had previously represented and captained the Junior Kiwis, and the eleven season veteran had been so excited about being involved that when he received the news of his selection from Kiwis team manager Peter Leitch, and when asked how he would get to the team base, he had simply answered: “I’ll walk if you want me to”.

In the modern era of professionalism and large salaries, it is refreshing to see a player who so eagerly wants to play for his country. No amount of money could have persuaded Poching to back out on the chance of a lifetime, singing his national anthem with pride and performing the haka against an energetic and youthful England A side. And it was the evening beforehand that he got to share these feelings with his fellow players.

“We had the jersey presentation the night before the game,” he says in retrospect. “I had the opportunity to stand up in front of the boys, my best mate Joe (Vagana) and blokes like Nigel Vagana and especially Ruben (Wiki), to explain what it meant to me and how much I was looking forward to playing the next day.”

When many star players, it seems, are ‘in it for the money’, less recognised workhorses such as Willie Poching often take hold of each and every open door with both hands, refusing to let go of their own volition. It’s the sort of ‘if you want to take it from me, you’ll have to do so over my dead body’ attitude that a diehard fan of international rugby league such as myself has been craving for many years.

Poching didn’t embarrass the black jersey that day in November last year. He played well, though not to his usually high standard, similar to many of the Kiwi players in that match. His one opportunity to score international points came when Lance Hohaia, the first choice kicker for that match, was injured scoring a try in the final minute. Poching lined up the kick in his absence, and his nerves showed. His attempted conversion didn’t affect the scoreboard in any way whatsoever, and it was not long before his mobile phone was inundated with text messages from teammates ranging from the complimentary and encouraging to those exhibiting nothing more than jestful mockery.

Despite his less than exemplary goalkicking effort, however, Willie Poching had achieved his childhood dream of representing New Zealand as fellow 1973 baby Ruben Wiki became the most internationally capped player in the history of the sport. And that, more than anything, was what mattered to him the most.

And who better to assert that than the man himself?

“To play for the Kiwis was what I’d wanted since I started playing. I hadn’t really given up hope but I knew my chances were getting slimmer and slimmer with each year. Thankfully it came about.”

***Willie Poching's quotes sourced from "The Year The Kiwis Flew" by Peter C. Leitch and Richard Becht***

***Published in Issue Six of Super League Magazine, 2006***