Hoskins Sotutu follows in father’s footsteps with All Blacks selection snub - Opinion

THREE KEY FACTS:

Winston Aldworth is NZME’s Head of Sport and has been a journalist since 1999.

OPINION

Out Wesley College way, there’s a (probably) apocryphal legend about Hoskins Sotutu’s father, the trailblazing Waisake.

The story goes: when All Blacks coach Laurie Mains was pulling together his squad for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, he wanted to have a big beast in his squad as a high-impact winger.

The grouch-faced Southerner was equally determined that his side would bring revolutionary levels of fitness to the tournament. The training ground echoed with the demands of incessant beep-tests, the gasping of Brookes, the scoldings of Fitzy.

Into this highly anaerobic environment came two graduates of Wesley College: Waisake Sotutu and a bloke a couple of years younger called Jonah Lomu.

After days of testing and trialling, the final Rugby World Cup squad places were decided and Lomu got the nod ahead of Sotutu.

Just like that, Mike Catt’s fate was sealed.

Today, it’s easy to imagine the Sotutu lineage is condemned to an existence in the shade of the black jersey.

Blues No 8 Hoskins did all that could be asked of a Super Rugby Pacific player chasing an All Blacks spot. And more. He was the best player in the competition, his team won the title.

He would be within reason to feel a sense of injustice at non-selection. What’s the point of being the best in Super Rugby, if it doesn’t get you a seat at the big table?

It’s worth remembering that this bloke’s mum is English and his dad Fijian. If Razor doesn’t want him, then one of these nations might fancy seeing Hoskins in their white jerseys. He could do three lucrative years in French club rugby, then pop up in Les Bleus colours at the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

Scott Robertson’s first major selection call could be one that comes back to bite him when it matters most.