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All Black winger joining South Sydney Rabbitohs for new opportunity
By Ben Smith
Blues and All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke is taking an unusual path ahead of next season’s Super Rugby Pacific season by linking with the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL club.
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The 24-year-old will train with the Rabbitohs in January as he looks to reclaim the form that saw him break into the All Blacks in 2020.
His friendship with NRL superstar Latrell Mitchell is part of the motivation to learn from the other rugby code, with Clarke hopeful the experience will boost his game.
“I’ve always been a Rabbitohs fan and thought, in my time off before I join the Blues campaign, I can look to learn off the NRL boys,” Clarke told Newshub.
“After a year that didn’t go as well as I hoped for, I want to do something different in terms of preparation for 2024.
“Being around an environment with people I look up to and can learn from can bring the edge I want to get and take into this new season.”
Clarke started the first Test of the year for the All Blacks against Los Pumas in Argentina but found himself out of the starting side as Blues teammate Mark Telea cemented himself as a left wing.
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Telea’s blistering form was too much for the selectors to ignore and the slippery Blues’ winger was one of the All Blacks’ best.
Clarke did see action in the pool stages, starting against Namibia and featured off the bench against Uruguay.
Since his debut in 2020, Clarke has experimented with a Sevens switch for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but returned with the Blues to continue his career in 15s.
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The writer here ignores the fact that, following on from not taking the penalty kick, the All Blacks did manage to score a try a few minutes later. Not directly from the penalty awarded, but it is speculation to say that had they opted to take the koi they would have won. Even if they kicked it, which was no guarantee, they would still be trailing and would have had to start again at half-way.
Go to commentsI would be surprised if Sales Opoku Fordjour and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman are not in the team, Anthony Watson is also one that could go on the wing. One thing I must say is that the front 3 will get destroyed against a team like South Africa.
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