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Anton Segner earned his first promotion All black people‘ starting XV in a test match, named in jersey number 6 against Wales four dramatic months after his debut.
While the 25-year-old wore the black number 7 jersey against Stormers and Bulls and came off the bench in four Tests, is yet to measure up against international opposition from the start. In Cardiff, he will face a Welsh loose forward led by Brit-Irish Lion Jac Morgan.
Segner’s new season with the All Blacks hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, with an ankle injury ending his Greatest Rivalry tour before the Test series began. It was thought to be a freak injury at the time, but following keyhole surgery, he managed to recover in time to feature in the Bledisloe Cup series a month later.
Reflecting on the failure, Segner told reporters in Cardiff: “I still can’t get my head around it.”
“It was an autoimmune reaction, so I caught some kind of bug there and then my immune system got confused and decided to send a bunch of fluid into my ankle, which was frustrating. But yeah, it’s fine now. Good.”
25-minute cameo from the bench against Scotland last week she added her impressive Nations Championship campaign, convincing head coach Dave Rennie to back him for the start at the Principality Stadium this week. The invitation was welcomed by the German-born flanker and his family.
“Yes, it will be my first Test start, which is quite exciting. Obviously, I’ve started two club games in South Africa, but to start in a Test is obviously a huge honor and a huge privilege that I’m very excited about. I’ve got a lot of family and friends coming over from Germany, so, yeah, I’m looking forward to playing in front of them.”
Being able to play in front of his family is “extremely special,” says Segner, who left Germany to chase his rugby dream at Nelson College during high school. He managed to spot them in the crowd as they sang the national anthem last week at Murrayfield.
With the presence of his family acting as “extra motivation”, Segner is preparing to experience a different side of Test rugby in Wales. He expects to start to differentiate himself coming off the bench in several key respects.
“I think physical education is definitely one of the main ones from the beginning,” he said. “Coming off the bench, obviously sometimes you’re playing against some bodies that are a little bit tired and stuff. So I think it’s going to be a different story because everybody’s starting from scratch. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to the intensity, especially in those collisions.”
Segner has been named in a starting trio of loose forwards that also includes Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi. The trio have an average age of 24, but youth hasn’t stopped Lakai and Sititi from showing “what they can do on the rugby field, especially with the ball in hand,” says Segner.
“They’re pretty good athletes, so yeah, I’ll try to get away from them a little bit, maybe catch an offload or two, and get a few extra yards. But yeah, I think the skill set that the three of us bring complements each other well, and I’m looking forward to putting that on the grass on Saturday.”
The rise Blues The star says he hopes to bring his versatility to the No.6 shirt, looking to test his strength on the line and at the breakdown, particularly against the Welsh pack.
He will also have some fans cheering him on from the stands.
“I was actually quite chuffed in Edinburgh. It was quite surreal to see how many Germans had jumped on a plane to watch me play. I remember on Friday, I went out for coffee with my family, and the amount of Germans who came up to me and asked me for photos and said: ‘We’re big fans of what you’re doing, putting German rugby on the All Black map’.
“Yeah, it’s pretty special for me to witness it and get messages on social media and stuff. So I definitely hear and feel their support and I’m very grateful for that.”