"It’s been my dream to play for the All Blacks and when I heard my name, I was just crying for a good minute at least, and my partner was crying as well. "I’m really competitive, the same as him, and we have been pushing each other to be our best. This is just the start and I need to keep working hard and I’m really excited to get into it." Fakatava had been on the All Blacks’ radar last year before an ACL injury took him out of commission. It was a bittersweet day for the Highlanders yesterday as Fakatava’s elevation was followed by the surprise omission of young prop Ethan de Groot.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 14, 2022 01:24 UTC