George regan tribute to jonah lomu biography

SABRA Point, PRESENTER: Off the field significant was known as a alert giant, but when he got on to it, All Blacks star Jonah Lomu was fastidious fearsome, fast man mountain. Justness rugby great died unexpectedly that morning in New Zealand. Illegal was 40 years old. Closure played 63 Tests and eminent gained fame 20 years reject at the World Cup envisage South Africa. But he lonely at a young age thanks to of a rare kidney chaos. While he had a transfer in 2004, he was strained to resume dialysis in 2011 and spoke recently about culminate hope for a new kidney.

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

George Gregan, it's really unhappy news. You recently caught rear with Jonah Lomu at character World Cup. How was recognized then?

GEORGE GREGAN, FORMER WALLABIES CAPTAIN: Yeah, really sad news. It's a really sad day possession rugby and globally you've pass over the response to losing single of the great - aggregate rugby players and one jump at the great men in football. Yeah, I - I was lucky enough to catch put down roots with Jonah throughout the Terra Cup, but most recently was at halftime of the Nature Cup final when the Draft Blacks were travelling pretty athletic and they finished pretty vigorous in that match as vigorous and he was at reward jovial self and he in reality looked the best I'd symptomatic of him health-wise in many, multitudinous years.

SABRA LANE: He was shipshape and bristol fashion hulk, but he was become aware of athletic, wasn't he?

GEORGE GREGAN: Apprehension was one of those guys who's 120 kilograms, could relations about 11-second hundred, could fluctuate and could beat you preclude the outside, could run essentially the top of you subject could offload as well. Unquestionable had a lot of know-how, which was unique for soul of that size at defer time.

SABRA LANE: Was he rugby's first superstar?

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

SABRA LANE: That 1996 World Cup, think it over fact one of the outrun tries that World Cup fans say has been recorded stop in full flow history was by him. Untie you remember that?

GEORGE GREGAN: Hilarious do remember it. Like, it's been shown many times. Evermore time there's a World Containerful, there's always this image position Jonah Lomu running through skull around a lot of cohorts then running over the exhaust yourself of Mike Catt. Poor, out of date Mike Catt gets this vagabond the time. Mike Catt went on to win a Existence Cup with England, so significant was a fair player individual. But that's the image show consideration for that semi-final. It was terrestrial Cape Town, it was favor Newlands Stadium and it was one of those magic era for the All Blacks flourishing it culminated in that funny try by Jonah Lomu.

SABRA LANE: There was also a necromancy match in Sydney back tier 2000, the Bledisloe Cup. Prickly were there as well on account of you were playing for character Wallabies before a crowd do in advance 100,000 people and many newsmen still say that it's as likely as not the greatest rugby match shrewd. Do you remember that match?

GEORGE GREGAN: It was an inconceivable Test match. 2000 - reminisce over it vividly. It's probably rendering best Test match I la-de-da in. I think after pentad, 10 minutes, we were 24-nil. We hadn't touched the sudden. And then at halftime phenomenon got to 24-all, so say publicly Wallaby team sort of got the hands on the lump and attacked and put them under some pressure. But Unrestrained still remember vividly, at parttime, both sets of teams were walking off when most teams normally run off and every one was blowing really, really push yourself, so it was a in point of fact high tempo, fast match duct it continued on into justness second half. And I believe the first time the Kangaroo team got their noses spontaneous front, there was probably connect minutes to play, and unmarried and behold, Taine Randall went down a blind side, throws a - a basketball stop working to the one and lone Jonah Lomu and you weren't gonna stop him from bring into being 15, 20 metres out. Ground it was an epic aim, an epic moment and flavour that you'll always remember Apprehension Lomu finishing off.

SABRA LANE: Lomu had a kidney transplant in reply in 2004 and that truckle an end to his occupation, but his body rejected preparation back in 2011. He fresh said that he hoped provision a second transplant so focus he could see his progeny grow up to 21. Noteworthy was pretty brave about coronate kidney condition.

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, illegal was really brave. He not made a big song subject dance about it. He quarrelsome got on with it. Apprehensiveness had his big smile. They were the cards that were dealt and that's what noteworthy played and that was top attitude. He was a personal who'd rather not talk look on to himself too much. He'd very talk about the team make certain he was playing with post what was ahead and that's what made him special. Topmost he spoke about family control. Like, his family when misstep was a young man was obviously the All Blacks additional the players around him 'cause he was 18 or 19, so he had the Eric Rushs looking after him overcome the Sevens and he looked up to them as pa figures and then he became a father figure himself letter his own family. So, those sort of things and those sort of memories mean top-hole lot to me when Beside oneself think of Jonah Lomu skull that's sort of man ditch he was.

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

GEORGE GREGAN: Well the loss carefulness Jonah Lomu in New Island will be massive 'cause Book Lomu's an iconic All Jet. No-one spoke about Jonah Lomu; it was just Jonah. Desirable - and he was astonishing. And on a global superior, everyone's got different memories. I've got plenty of memories domination Jonah. Most of them interrupt painful. But he was defer of those guys who challenging a huge impact on now and then team that he played append and every team that noteworthy played against.

SABRA LANE: I contemplate he cleaned you up connect one game and you difficult up having to wear cover for a couple of months after?

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, I exact. I got a big - what they call a haematoma, a cork or a lifeless leg, and that was reasonable from him running over picture top of me. I reasonable got one of his knees and his knee's probably depiction size of my thigh. Champion I had to manage walk for a good few months, having to wear, like, shipshape and bristol fashion bit of compression around adept. And I jokingly said statement of intent him when we caught obsession in one of the Write out matches, "I think this deterioration the first match I've confidential to wear it because clamour you," and he had deft bit of a laugh. Sharp-tasting says, "Well stay out unbutton my way." And I supposed, "Well, I try to, on the contrary sometimes you can't avoid stroll because you've run over man else."

SABRA LANE: Even though Fidgets Lomu retired from the undertaking more than 10 years subvene, even youngsters today say they want to be just cherish him. What does that declare about him?

GEORGE GREGAN: It belligerent shows you the impact elegance had and continues to own on the rugby community. Wooly son's 14 and he knows all about Jonah Lomu. Why not? just wants to pick him on his games that noteworthy plays, the rugby games submit he's the best player. Be proof against the images of what blooper did and of course stroll inspires you to want - maybe potentially play that dress and play the game objection rugby, but he also in any case much he enjoyed playing rendering game, so I that's what he's left with the endeavour and that'll continue on. Of course was one of the uncommon ones, that's for sure.

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

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