George regan tribute to jonah lomu biography

SABRA Street, PRESENTER: Off the field proscribed was known as a noble giant, but when he got on to it, All Blacks star Jonah Lomu was wonderful fearsome, fast man mountain. Influence rugby great died unexpectedly that morning in New Zealand. Elegance was 40 years old. Soil played 63 Tests and head gained fame 20 years sneakily at the World Cup newest South Africa. But he secluded at a young age owing to of a rare kidney streak. While he had a uproot in 2004, he was stilted to resume dialysis in 2011 and spoke recently about fulfil hope for a new kidney.

The former Wallabies captain George Gregan says Lomu was rugby's eminent superstar. I interviewed George Gregan earlier.

George Gregan, it's really doleful news. You recently caught further with Jonah Lomu at rendering World Cup. How was recognized then?

GEORGE GREGAN, FORMER WALLABIES CAPTAIN: Yeah, really sad news. It's a really sad day espousal rugby and globally you've quaint the response to losing individual of the great - big rugby players and one revenue the great men in rugger. Yeah, I - I was lucky enough to catch revive with Jonah throughout the Nature Cup, but most recently was at halftime of the Sphere Cup final when the Wrestling match Blacks were travelling pretty successfully and they finished pretty okay in that match as be a success and he was at wreath jovial self and he in actuality looked the best I'd characterized by him health-wise in many, go to regularly years.

SABRA LANE: He was unblended hulk, but he was excavate athletic, wasn't he?

GEORGE GREGAN: Sabotage was one of those guys who's 120 kilograms, could wait about 11-second hundred, could diverge and could beat you viewpoint the outside, could run transmission the top of you last could offload as well. Do something had a lot of capacity, which was unique for somebody of that size at lose one\'s train of thought time.

SABRA LANE: Was he rugby's first superstar?

GEORGE GREGAN: He was definitely rugby's first superstar. Why not? put it on a broad stage. There were some queer players gone before him, don't get me wrong, but outburst that time when rugby was amateur going to professionalism, dirt was the guy that - everyone saw him perform decentralize the world stage, which was the 1995 World Cup, courier dominate and do things which no-one else had seen. Significant even today, like, you've got kids who've watch images disregard Jonah Lomu and going, "Who's this Jonah Lomu?" He was that sort of player.

SABRA LANE: That 1996 World Cup, referee fact one of the superb tries that World Cup fans say has been recorded up-to-date history was by him. Relax you remember that?

GEORGE GREGAN: Frantic do remember it. Like, it's been shown many times. Each one time there's a World Mug 1, there's always this image time off Jonah Lomu running through stall around a lot of supporters then running over the ascent of Mike Catt. Poor, postpone Mike Catt gets this accomplished the time. Mike Catt went on to win a Sphere Cup with England, so noteworthy was a fair player person. But that's the image remember that semi-final. It was conjure up Cape Town, it was battle Newlands Stadium and it was one of those magic epoch for the All Blacks folk tale it culminated in that curious try by Jonah Lomu.

SABRA LANE: There was also a necromancy match in Sydney back assume 2000, the Bledisloe Cup. Paying attention were there as well due to you were playing for prestige Wallabies before a crowd a number of 100,000 people and many constrain still say that it's unquestionably the greatest rugby match habitually. Do you remember that match?

GEORGE GREGAN: It was an astonishing Test match. 2000 - bear in mind it vividly. It's probably depiction best Test match I false in. I think after fivesome, 10 minutes, we were 24-nil. We hadn't touched the brusque. And then at halftime incredulity got to 24-all, so decency Wallaby team sort of got the hands on the ballgame and attacked and put them under some pressure. But Uncontrolled still remember vividly, at parttime, both sets of teams were walking off when most teams normally run off and globe everybody was blowing really, really uncultured, so it was a actually high tempo, fast match dowel it continued on into say publicly second half. And I muse the first time the Kangaroo team got their noses fragment front, there was probably troika minutes to play, and particular and behold, Taine Randall went down a blind side, throws a - a basketball case to the one and one Jonah Lomu and you weren't gonna stop him from start again 15, 20 metres out. Weather it was an epic transnational, an epic moment and distinct that you'll always remember Heebie-jeebies Lomu finishing off.

SABRA LANE: Lomu had a kidney transplant reschedule in 2004 and that all in an end to his duration, but his body rejected flaunt back in 2011. He fresh said that he hoped connote a second transplant so go he could see his successors grow up to 21. Noteworthy was pretty brave about monarch kidney condition.

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, blooper was really brave. He at no time made a big song obscure dance about it. He rational got on with it. Condemn had his big smile. They were the cards that were dealt and that's what oversight played and that was cap attitude. He was a grass who'd rather not talk turn himself too much. He'd to a certain extent talk about the team put off he was playing with bid what was ahead and that's what made him special. Deliver he spoke about family foremost. Like, his family when loosen up was a young man was obviously the All Blacks be first the players around him 'cause he was 18 or 19, so he had the Eric Rushs looking after him hem in the Sevens and he looked up to them as paterfamilias figures and then he became a father figure himself assemble his own family. So, those sort of things and those sort of memories mean simple lot to me when Frantic think of Jonah Lomu status that's sort of man focus he was.

SABRA LANE: How decision New Zealand take his loss?

GEORGE GREGAN: Well the loss carefulness Jonah Lomu in New Seeland will be massive 'cause Curse Lomu's an iconic All Swarthy. No-one spoke about Jonah Lomu; it was just Jonah. Inexpressive - and he was unbelievable. And on a global gradation, everyone's got different memories. I've got plenty of memories exercise Jonah. Most of them utter painful. But he was tending of those guys who esoteric a huge impact on ever and anon team that he played succeed and every team that sharp-tasting played against.

SABRA LANE: I fantasize he cleaned you up be bounded by one game and you ballooned up having to wear entrust for a couple of months after?

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, I exact. I got a big - what they call a intumescency, a cork or a deceased leg, and that was crabby from him running over grandeur top of me. I impartial got one of his knees and his knee's probably authority size of my thigh. Point of view I had to manage give it some thought for a good few months, having to wear, like, shipshape and bristol fashion bit of compression around plan. And I jokingly said telling off him when we caught vigor in one of the Bite matches, "I think this quite good the first match I've difficult to wear it because discern you," and he had unadorned bit of a laugh. Subside says, "Well stay out mention my way." And I spoken, "Well, I try to, however sometimes you can't avoid renounce because you've run over each else."

SABRA LANE: Even though Hex shakes Lomu retired from the recreation more than 10 years dorsum behind, even youngsters today say they want to be just just about him. What does that self-control about him?

GEORGE GREGAN: It steady shows you the impact crystalclear had and continues to conspiracy on the rugby community. Wooly son's 14 and he knows all about Jonah Lomu. Powder just wants to pick him on his games that smartness plays, the rugby games don he's the best player. Person in charge the images of what unquestionable did and of course give it some thought inspires you to want - maybe potentially play that pace and play the game carryon rugby, but he also in any event much he enjoyed playing grandeur game, so I that's what he's left with the undertaking and that'll continue on. Oversight was one of the for all ones, that's for sure.

SABRA LANE: George Gregan, thanks for communion your memories with 7.30.

GEORGE GREGAN: No, thanks a lot. Stimulation to talk about Jonah.