Photo: Julian Savea in action on the Polo Ground in August 2012

www.hurricanes.co.nz bio December 2012: Julian Savea’s immense talent was realised in June 2012 when he made his All Blacks debut on the wing against Ireland at Eden Park. It wasn’t just any debut either, Savea joined a selected group of players to score a hat trick of tries on Test debut and he became the first All Black to score three tries in a Test against Ireland.

Savea kept his international try-scoring radar switched on - he went on to play 12 Tests in 2012 and score nine Test tries.

All Blacks selection came in the midst of some hot form for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and his nine competition tries were second only to teammate Andre Taylor’s and the Bulls’ Bjorn Basson’s 10. As well as his try scoring, Savea’s ability to break the line and put teammates into gaps and his big defence were also standouts in his game in 2012.

All Blacks selection came two years after he was on top of the rugby world in June 2010 when he won the 2010 IRB Junior Player of the Year.? Savea was the star of the IRB World U20 tournament, scoring eight memorable tries in three games en route to the final and then helping New Zealand run through Australia 62-17.

He marked his first-class debut in July 2010 with a length of the field runaway try that clinched an ITM Cup pre-season win for the Wellington Lions over Canterbury. He started on the right wing in 12 of 14 ITM Cup games, scoring a further eight tries including a try on championship debut against Tasman and two more the following week against Otago.

Powerfully built and with speed to burn, the 103 kg, 1.92m Savea featured on the right wing for New Zealand in the 2010 World U20 tournament. He scored four tries in one match against Samoa and two each against Wales and South Africa, the latter as part of a 36-7 semi-final win.

Miramar born and bred, Savea was a star of the Rongotai first XV and first made the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ side as a year 12 student in 2007 and scored his first international try in the international against Australia in Sydney. This led to him being selected in the 2008 Hurricanes academy squad in 2008 while still at school.

As a Hurricanes academy member in 2008, he continued his terrific promise for the Hurricanes Schools side and again for the New Zealand Secondary Schools in internationals against Samoa and Australia, captaining this side.

He made his Wellington club rugby Premier debut for Ories in 2009 and immediately stamped his mark on the Swindale Shield when he crossed for five tries as a left winger in his second Premier start to help Ories to a 78-17 win over Old Boys-University.

Savea debuted for the New Zealand Sevens team at the 2009 Dubai Sevens and went on to play in the Sevens tournaments at Hong Kong, Adelaide, London and Scotland.His younger brother, Ardie, an openside flanker or wing, captained the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in 2011 and went on to play for the New Zealand Sevens side and the Wellington Lions in 2012. Ardie joined Julian in the Hurricanes for the 2013 Super Rugby season.