Watch: Ex-All Blacks Sevens star’s stunning try-scoring Highlanders debut

Former All Blacks Sevens and New Zealand U20 flyer Caleb Tangitau turned heads on debut for the Highlanders with a well-worked double during the team’s season-opening 37-36 loss to the NSW Waratahs at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.

Tangitau has long been considered a player for the future after impressing at World Rugby’s U20 Championship and for the All Blacks Sevens on what’s now called the HSBC SVNS Series. The New Zealander was also selected to represent the sevens side at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

But, even with an already impressive rugby CV at just 21 years of age, the opportunity to start at Super Rugby level remained out of reach for quite some time. Tangitau made five appearances for the Blues – all off the bench – over two seasons before moving down south.

Coach Jamie Joseph gave Tangitau that starting chance on Friday night with the winger among seven club debutants in the Highlanders’ 23 to take on the Tahs. Soane Mikaele Vikena, Lui Naeata, Taine Robinson and Michael Manson were the others in the run-on side.

It didn’t take long for the former sevens star to make an impact.

After Waratahs debutant Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Robinson both failed to reel in a high ball, the loose ball proved dangerous for the home side as scrum-half Nathan Hastie found an unmarked Tangitau with a pop pass towards the left touchline.

Tangitau showed an impressive burst of pace to beat established Wallaby Andrew Kellaway on the outside, before also busting through a tackle attempt from one-Test Australian playmaker Tane Edmed a couple of metres out from the try line.

As far as first tries of the season go, this was a pearler.

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The Highlanders took an early 5-nil lead, and they wouldn’t surrender their advantage until the 40-minute mark when Tangitau was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul. Edmed knocked over a penalty goal from in front to give the hosts a 13-12 half-time lead.

David Porecki scored the first try of the second term, with the teams trading another five-pointer each before Tangitau was called back into action. In the 64^th minute, the speedster made something special from almost nothing, with the Landers catching the Tahs napping.

Off a quick lineout, Tangitau bamboozled the Waratahs’ defence with a lethal left-foot step before running to the house to complete the double. That had the visitors in the box seat going into the business end of the contest, but what happened next was special.

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Replacement Siosifa Amone crossed for a double, including an effort in the 79^th minute, which set up a grandstand finish. With the Tahs down by one point and time up on the clock, Jack Bowen converted Amone’s second score to hand the Tahs a famous win.

After the match, coach Joseph spoke candidly about the match that was, which included a brief comment on Tangitau’s memorable debut for the Highlanders, which saw the winger make the most linebreaks (four) out of any player and run for a game-high 125 metres.

“It’s hard to single out one player straight after the game. I thought Caleb, a young guy, maximising his opportunities,” Joseph told reporters post-game.

“He played well in the pre-season. What I like about Caleb is he wants the ball so when players want the ball the key for the coaches is to get 15 wanting it and then you can make some magic.

“I thought at times we created something out of nothing just by being a little bit sharper and confident to have a crack.”