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James Gavet keen to impress at Auckland Nines
Dan Talintyre
Thursday 13 February 2014 4:55 PM
James Gavet keen to impress at Auckland Nines
Of all the Wests Tigers players making the trip across the Tasman for the 2014 Auckland Nines, few know the journey and the cost more than James Gavet.
Gavet was born and raised in Auckland, the host city of the two-day tournament, and made his name as a footballer by working through the ranks with both the New Zealand Warriors NYC team and the Vulcan Warriors. He eventually moved to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs for the 2012 season and the Wests Tigers the season after that, but not without leaving several memories and loved ones behind in Auckland.
“I’ve got a son [James Junior or JJ] and a fiancé [Christie] back there, so it’s going to be good to play in front of your home crowd and family,” said Gavet. “It’s half a dream come true at the moment. We’re still in a season of trial games but to be picked in the Nines in its debut year and it just happens to be in my hometown, it’s all happening for me at the right time.”
With just one first-grade match to his name in the past two seasons, Gavet’s inclusion into the Nines squad could be seen as a bold decision from Mick Potter. But with one glance at the towering forward’s frame and one look at his ball-playing skills, the decision to pick the 24-year-old is self-explanatory.
Checking in 186cm and 108kg of sheer muscle, the man from Roskill South looms as a man-mountain on the field, and a potential star of the Auckland Nines.
Particularly given his past experiences with rugby-sevens in New Zealand.
“I come from a union background so I’ve played quite a bit of sevens growing up,” said Gavet after training during the week. “It’s pretty similar. We’ve been going through it at training and trying to string a few plays together but it comes down to more of a flamboyant style of playing and not as many set plays.”
Which should suit the former Auckland local more than most.
“Yeah, front-rowers aren’t supposed to do that type of thing,” laughed Gavet as he recalled a shock grubber-kick and re-gather he executed during training. “But Mick [Potter] cheered me on after I did that.
“It was unfamiliar territory just to break the line!
“Everyone’s looking to the speedsters, the guys that can really step, but there’s a lot of guys in the forwards that can do offloads and are really special. Adam Blair has good footwork and he can ball-play and so can Aaron Woods with his overhanging offloads, so you’ve almost got to expect the unexpected.
“Not many people have been counting us in this year but they don’t really see what we’ve been doing behind closed doors,” he said. “This is our chance to show them.”
The Wests Tigers kick off their Auckland Nines tournament when they take on the Gold Coast Titans at 11:00am AEDT on Saturday, February 15, before following that up later in the afternoon when they take on the Cronulla Sharks at 2:20pm.
Dan Talintyre
Thursday 13 February 2014 4:55 PM
James Gavet keen to impress at Auckland Nines
Of all the Wests Tigers players making the trip across the Tasman for the 2014 Auckland Nines, few know the journey and the cost more than James Gavet.
Gavet was born and raised in Auckland, the host city of the two-day tournament, and made his name as a footballer by working through the ranks with both the New Zealand Warriors NYC team and the Vulcan Warriors. He eventually moved to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs for the 2012 season and the Wests Tigers the season after that, but not without leaving several memories and loved ones behind in Auckland.
“I’ve got a son [James Junior or JJ] and a fiancé [Christie] back there, so it’s going to be good to play in front of your home crowd and family,” said Gavet. “It’s half a dream come true at the moment. We’re still in a season of trial games but to be picked in the Nines in its debut year and it just happens to be in my hometown, it’s all happening for me at the right time.”
With just one first-grade match to his name in the past two seasons, Gavet’s inclusion into the Nines squad could be seen as a bold decision from Mick Potter. But with one glance at the towering forward’s frame and one look at his ball-playing skills, the decision to pick the 24-year-old is self-explanatory.
Checking in 186cm and 108kg of sheer muscle, the man from Roskill South looms as a man-mountain on the field, and a potential star of the Auckland Nines.
Particularly given his past experiences with rugby-sevens in New Zealand.
“I come from a union background so I’ve played quite a bit of sevens growing up,” said Gavet after training during the week. “It’s pretty similar. We’ve been going through it at training and trying to string a few plays together but it comes down to more of a flamboyant style of playing and not as many set plays.”
Which should suit the former Auckland local more than most.
“Yeah, front-rowers aren’t supposed to do that type of thing,” laughed Gavet as he recalled a shock grubber-kick and re-gather he executed during training. “But Mick [Potter] cheered me on after I did that.
“It was unfamiliar territory just to break the line!
“Everyone’s looking to the speedsters, the guys that can really step, but there’s a lot of guys in the forwards that can do offloads and are really special. Adam Blair has good footwork and he can ball-play and so can Aaron Woods with his overhanging offloads, so you’ve almost got to expect the unexpected.
“Not many people have been counting us in this year but they don’t really see what we’ve been doing behind closed doors,” he said. “This is our chance to show them.”
The Wests Tigers kick off their Auckland Nines tournament when they take on the Gold Coast Titans at 11:00am AEDT on Saturday, February 15, before following that up later in the afternoon when they take on the Cronulla Sharks at 2:20pm.
