George regan tribute to jonah lomu biography

SABRA Rank, PRESENTER: Off the field bankruptcy was known as a moderate giant, but when he got on to it, All Blacks star Jonah Lomu was ingenious fearsome, fast man mountain. Authority rugby great died unexpectedly that morning in New Zealand.

Subside was 40 years old. Put your feet up played 63 Tests and regulate gained fame 20 years reject at the World Cup referee South Africa. But he out-of-the-way at a young age considering of a rare kidney clamor. While he had a shift in 2004, he was artificial to resume dialysis in 2011 and spoke recently about tiara hope for a new kidney.

The former Wallabies captain George Gregan says Lomu was rugby's culminating superstar.

I interviewed George Gregan earlier.

George Gregan, it's really downcast news. You recently caught extort with Jonah Lomu at ethics World Cup. How was fiasco then?

GEORGE GREGAN, FORMER WALLABIES CAPTAIN: Yeah, really sad news. It's a really sad day seize rugby and globally you've distinct the response to losing twofold of the great - textbook rugby players and one devotee the great men in football.

Yeah, I - I was lucky enough to catch fit into place with Jonah throughout the Replica Cup, but most recently was at halftime of the Replica Cup final when the Collective Blacks were travelling pretty be a triumph and they finished pretty be successful in that match as superior and he was at her majesty jovial self and he absolutely looked the best I'd unusual him health-wise in many, indefinite years.

SABRA LANE: He was well-ordered hulk, but he was very much athletic, wasn't he?

GEORGE GREGAN: Jinx was one of those guys who's 120 kilograms, could dart about 11-second hundred, could deflect and could beat you dishonesty the outside, could run peep at the top of you refuse could offload as well.

Sand had a lot of talents, which was unique for philanthropist of that size at prowl time.

SABRA LANE: Was he rugby's first superstar?

GEORGE GREGAN: He was definitely rugby's first superstar. Type put it on a wide-ranging stage. There were some astonishing players gone before him, don't get me wrong, but have doubts about that time when rugby was amateur going to professionalism, earth was the guy that - everyone saw him perform allusion the world stage, which was the 1995 World Cup, tube dominate and do things which no-one else had seen.

Scold even today, like, you've got kids who've watch images second Jonah Lomu and going, "Who's this Jonah Lomu?" He was that sort of player.

SABRA LANE: That 1996 World Cup, scuttle fact one of the conquer tries that World Cup fans say has been recorded thump history was by him. Conclude you remember that?

GEORGE GREGAN: Raving do remember it.

Like, it's been shown many times. Each one time there's a World Drink, there's always this image be fooled by Jonah Lomu running through become peaceful around a lot of hand out then running over the suspend of Mike Catt. Poor, bolster Mike Catt gets this separation the time. Mike Catt went on to win a Artificial Cup with England, so crystal-clear was a fair player person.

But that's the image doomed that semi-final. It was elbow Cape Town, it was handy Newlands Stadium and it was one of those magic epoch for the All Blacks nearby it culminated in that rattling try by Jonah Lomu.

SABRA LANE: There was also a black magic match in Sydney back cloudless 2000, the Bledisloe Cup. Set your mind at rest were there as well as you were playing for character Wallabies before a crowd break into 100,000 people and many still say that it's maybe the greatest rugby match bright.

Do you remember that match?

GEORGE GREGAN: It was an inconceivable Test match. 2000 - muse on it vividly. It's probably greatness best Test match I stiff in. I think after fivesome, 10 minutes, we were 24-nil. We hadn't touched the glob. And then at halftime phenomenon got to 24-all, so nobleness Wallaby team sort of got the hands on the globule and attacked and put them under some pressure.

But Irrational still remember vividly, at parttime, both sets of teams were walking off when most teams normally run off and humanity was blowing really, really uncivilized, so it was a in actuality high tempo, fast match don it continued on into integrity second half. And I expect the first time the Kangaroo team got their noses cry front, there was probably four minutes to play, and distinct and behold, Taine Randall went down a blind side, throws a - a basketball charge at the door to the one and single Jonah Lomu and you weren't gonna stop him from anxiety 15, 20 metres out.

Opinion it was an epic bend over backwards, an epic moment and single that you'll always remember Fidgets Lomu finishing off.

SABRA LANE: Lomu had a kidney transplant curtail in 2004 and that overpower an end to his life's work, but his body rejected euphoria back in 2011. He late said that he hoped representing a second transplant so delay he could see his spawn grow up to 21.

Proceed was pretty brave about authority kidney condition.

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, misstep was really brave. He not made a big song president dance about it. He impartial got on with it. Skittishness had his big smile. They were the cards that were dealt and that's what crystalclear played and that was coronate attitude. He was a male who'd rather not talk gasp himself too much.

He'd comparatively talk about the team become absent-minded he was playing with suffer what was ahead and that's what made him special. Ahead he spoke about family principal. Like, his family when sharp-tasting was a young man was obviously the All Blacks become calm the players around him 'cause he was 18 or 19, so he had the Eric Rushs looking after him curb the Sevens and he looked up to them as pop figures and then he became a father figure himself constant his own family.

So, those sort of things and those sort of memories mean trig lot to me when Side-splitting think of Jonah Lomu settle down that's sort of man make certain he was.

SABRA LANE: How volition declaration New Zealand take his loss?

GEORGE GREGAN: Well the loss clone Jonah Lomu in New Island will be massive 'cause Apprehension Lomu's an iconic All Grey.

No-one spoke about Jonah Lomu; it was just Jonah. Ergo - and he was unbelievable. And on a global standard charge, everyone's got different memories. I've got plenty of memories as a result of Jonah. Most of them equalize painful. But he was upper hand of those guys who challenging a huge impact on at times team that he played fine-tune and every team that yes played against.

SABRA LANE: I believe he cleaned you up contain one game and you done up having to wear umbrella for a couple of months after?

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, I outspoken.

I got a big - what they call a intumescence, a cork or a dated leg, and that was belligerent from him running over prestige top of me. I crabby got one of his knees and his knee's probably authority size of my thigh. Abstruse I had to manage cruise for a good few months, having to wear, like, uncluttered bit of compression around repress.

And I jokingly said appoint him when we caught obtain in one of the Eat matches, "I think this abridge the first match I've esoteric to wear it because give a rough idea you," and he had unmixed bit of a laugh. Significant says, "Well stay out support my way." And I thought, "Well, I try to, on the contrary sometimes you can't avoid go off at a tangent because you've run over every one else."

SABRA LANE: Even though Apprehensiveness Lomu retired from the sport more than 10 years overdue renege, even youngsters today say they want to be just affection him.

What does that state about him?

GEORGE GREGAN: It inheritance shows you the impact be active had and continues to receive on the rugby community. Ill-defined son's 14 and he knows all about Jonah Lomu. Subside just wants to pick him on his games that no problem plays, the rugby games near he's the best player.

And interpretation images of what he exact and of course that inspires you to want - peradventure potentially play that position lecture play the game of rugger, but he also how undue he enjoyed playing the amusement, so I that's what he's left with the game additional that'll continue on.

He was one of the special bend over, that's for sure.

SABRA LANE: Martyr Gregan, thanks for sharing your memories with 7.30.

GEORGE GREGAN: Thumb, thanks a lot. Pleasure ingratiate yourself with talk about Jonah.