Colin Slade: 'No one gives up the All Blacks easily'

Fans and rugby media in New Zealand should respect Aaron Cruden and Steven Luatua’s decisions head overseas despite the lure of the All Blacks jersey, says a player who knows what it’s like to make that choice.

Colin Slade joined Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith in heading to France after the 2015 World Cup. But while the veterans were seeing out their playing years with New Zealand’s good wishes after calling time on hugely successful international careers, Slade – then just 27 and already a double World Cup winner – was heading into self-imposed exile at newly-promoted Top 14 side Pau, in the shadow of the Pyrenees in the southwest of the country.

Many fans expressed surprise at his decision. Similar shock resurfaced after news broke of 28-year-old Cruden’s move to Top 14 side Montpellier, and 25-year-old Luatua’s decision to join Bristol in September. Both were likely to have been in All Blacks coach Steve Hansen’s provisional thinking for a seat on the flight to Japan in 2019.

Hansen had strongly urged Cruden to re-sign with New Zealand – and talked about his “disappointment” that future Bristol coach Pat Lam had “tapped on [Luatua’s] shoulder.” He said of Lam: “If you’re an ex-New Zealander you should be a bit mindful about players’ careers. But when they decide to go you’ve got to support them.”

Slade, however, says he understood the thinking that goes into making a big move north and abandoning the prospect of playing for the All Blacks.

“There is no perfect answer,” he says. “Every player has to make their decision. I know some players cop some flak for ‘turning their back on the jersey’, but the reality is we’re the ones who have to live with our decision.

“It’s your career and your life. Your New Zealand career is one part of your life. Your rugby career is another. But there’s a bigger picture, too. If you play 10 years of professional rugby, you’ve done well. Then you’ve just got to worry about the next 50 or 60 years.

“You’re obviously concerned about the perception that you may be leaving for the wrong reasons. Ultimately, people just need to respect that decision.

“Critics may say ‘he’s just taking the money’ – but whoever has this decision to make has to weigh up a lot of factors. It’s not a simple choice. There are so many things to consider; ultimately only an individual player can come to a decision that works for them and their situation.

“It’s hard for people to understand that. You have to ask yourself if you want to leave New Zealand and give up the All Blacks – and that’s a really hard decision. But you have to put things in perspective and weigh up all the factors in your life at that stage.

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“I was lucky enough to go to two World Cups. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and happy with what I’ve achieved. Sure, I would have liked more, but the reality is that the window of professional rugby is only so big – and we’ve got the rest of our lives to live.

“We’re rugby players; we’re in the public eye and everyone has an opinion. That comes with the territory. I think fans would love players to stay in New Zealand, but I hope they respect that, sometimes, a player needs something different and makes a decision like I did.”

Slade said that he had spoken to Ben Smith while the fullback was mulling his options, which included an offer from Slade’s current club. “I talked to Ben. Looking in from the outside, it’s easy to understand his situation. Ben worked through his process. He talked to a lot of people and made his decision. I would have loved him to come, but I respect his decision.”

He said that he, too, had sought advice before deciding to accept Pau’s offer. “I called quite a few people who had come over [to France]. They were great – no one tried to force me into a decision. Everyone who comes here respects the process and respects that it was my decision to make. I phoned a few guys: Corey Flynn was here at the time, Ali Williams, as well.

“I talked to other players, too, and coaches at Crusaders. No one person convinced me either way. It was a cumulative thing: to make a decision, to make a change and take a gamble on something new and different. But the more questions you ask the less risk there is.

“If things were more guaranteed, I may have made a different decision – but nothing’s guaranteed in rugby. You’re always just an injury away from somebody taking your spot. That’s the reality. I’ve had my fair share of injuries – and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity when it came along.

“Speaking to other guys who have moved over, everyone loves coming over and trying something different, especially in France. It’s something fresh, a new challenge. It’s hard to compare because it is so different, but it’s not just the rugby, there’s a lifestyle component, too. It’s an awesome opportunity.”

Despite all the advice and support, he admitted he was initially nervous: “I lost a lot of sleep over it, asking if I was coming over too young. But, the more we thought about it, it seemed the more we were ready for it. It became easier the longer I thought about it.

“It’s a scary thing to sign a contract to play overseas – you don’t know how things will work out. You have moments where you wonder whether you should have stayed in New Zealand, but it’s a fantastic part of the world here.

Slade’s Pau is an ambitious club on the up. They currently occupy one of the Top 14 play-off places, which comes with automatic entry into next season’s European Champions Cup. And they face Grenoble at the weekend as they look to build on a six-match winning run during which they have claimed some notable scalps, including Toulouse, Montpellier, and Clermont. Their last defeat in the French top flight was in November.

Slade said: “A lot of hard work has gone in and it is starting to pay off. We’ve talked about how we can improve and we’re starting to see results.”

But he refused to get carried away. “It’s all pretty tight. There are a few teams in a similar position. But we’ve got a few more winnable games coming up, so we’re looking to continue this run. There’s still a lot of rugby to play – and we’re aware things can change fast.”

His contract is up at the end of the 2017/18 season, and he said that early talks were under way on a new deal. “We’ve had a few discussions here and there. At the moment, I’m happy at Pau. There’s a pretty good culture here, and a few Kiwis, too, which makes it easier.

“It was the decision I made and it’s one that I haven’t regretted. It was something that we committed to – and once we’d made that decision, we started looking forward to it. Nothing’s changed. We’re still very happy here.”