'Little bit of stick’: The All Black who once crossed enemy lines

The last week of international rugby has been a bit bizarre. With just two weeks to go until the opening match of the World Cup, there’s been an unusual amount of talk about nationalism.

Earlier this week, a stunning report from The Sydney Morning Herald sent shockwaves throughout the rugby community. Former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen had crossed enemy lines.

Veteran Dane Coles was visibly shocked when a reporter told him about the bombshell coaching news, and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins joked about revoking Hansen’s citizenship.

There was plenty of chatter online about the two-time World Cup winners’ decision to link up with Eddie Jones at the Wallabies, but in truth, it was blown out of proportion.

Hansen, who was knighted in August 2020 after a decorated coaching career with the All Blacks, explained to Newstalk ZB that he’d only be in Wallabies camp “for about three to four days.”

The former All Blacks Head Coach is a mate of Wallabies boss Eddie Jones, and was called into camp as a favour. It was nothing more than that – far from the full-time position that many All Blacks fans feared.

But in the wake of these reports, a couple of All Blacks with Australian ties have flown under the radar. Props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax were both eligible to play for Australia before donning the black jersey.

De Groot was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, and Lomax spent the first four years of his life in Canberra. But both are All Blacks, and they’re genuinely world-class.

But if things had gone a little bit differently, as they almost did for Lomax, then they could’ve been pulling on Wallaby gold at the upcoming World Cup.

“I don’t know about a Wallaby-in-waiting but it’s been thrown around a little bit,” Lomax told reporters after being asked about Steve Hansen’s update.

“(Ethan de) Groot is another one who was born in Australia and we get a little bit of stick for it but not too much.”

Lomax’s father played professional rugby league in Australia, but the family ended up moving across the ditch. The future All Black had a childhood dream of playing international league for the Kiwis.

But the Lomax family moved back to Australia when Tyrel was a teenager. Tyrel’s brother had signed on to play rugby league across the ditch.

Lomax played a bit of league too, but ended up finding his feet in the 15-player game. The front rower missed out on Australian Schoolboys selection, but later starred for the Junior Wallabies.

The future All Black was even named the Australian U20s Player of the Year.

After bursting onto the Super Rugby scene with the Melbourne Rebels, Lomax was called into Wallabies camp by coach Michael Cheika.

Lomax didn’t play a Test for Australia, but did pose for photos in Wallaby gold.

“There was sort of that little bit of pressure,” Lomax told RugbyPass earlier this year.

“I’d been called into that Wallabies camp and it sort of made me have to make my decision a little bit quicker, I couldn’t keep saying, ‘Oh, I’m not too sure who I want to play for.’

“I had to make a decision and it was about where I wanted to play my career for the next 10 or so years and I just felt that was in New Zealand, closer to my family.

“I was just looking at the bigger picture. My Dad played for the Kiwis and that was my dream as a kid.

“I always like I was a Kiwi in Australia, I always just felt like New Zealand was my home.

“Had an opportunity to go into a Wallabies camp where I took that photo in a Wallabies jersey which was a bit strange but it was my first real crack at Super Rugby over there and it just happened pretty quickly.

“That photo got taken and it felt a bit strange wearing that jersey because I always thought of myself as a Kiwi that wanted to play for New Zealand.”