So, I’ve been keeping tabs on this fella, Shaun Stevenson, you know? Been watching him play for the Chiefs.
Last year, 2023, man, he was just on fire. Playing fullback, seemed like every time he touched the ball, something good happened. You watched the Super Rugby games, and he was easily one of the standout guys, maybe the form fullback right then.
Naturally, you start thinking, right? All Blacks time. World Cup coming up later that year. Seemed like a no-brainer, really. I figured, yeah, he’s gotta be in the plans. He was playing that well.
Then things got kinda weird
Selection time comes around, and… nothing. He got passed over. I remember seeing the squads and thinking, “Wait, where’s Stevenson?”. Honestly, it felt odd, considering how he’d been playing.
- He was tearing it up in Super Rugby.
- Everyone seemed to rate him highly.
- Then just… overlooked for the big tournament.
Sure, he eventually got a run out, I think it was in one of those Bledisloe Cup games after the main stuff was decided. Just the one Test cap. Felt a bit like too little, too late, you know?
Then, just recently, I saw the news. He’s heading off to Japan for a bit. Got himself a short deal over there with the Kubota Spears. It’s only for a part of their season, apparently. He’ll still be back for the Chiefs later on, missing just the first few Super Rugby games.
It just got me thinking. Here’s a guy who looked set for a big All Blacks year, ends up getting sidelined a bit, and now he’s taking this quick trip to Japan. It’s definitely a different path than maybe I, or others, expected for him after that 2023 season. Good on him for getting that Japan gig, though. A change of scene, maybe? Still feels like a bit of a curveball in his story after last year.
