Julian Savea - try scoring machine

Thu 8th Jun

The Bus by the numbers

They say good things take time.

Four games into the 2012 Super Rugby season a then 21-year-old wing by the name of Julian Savea broke a drought that five years later seems a little hard to believe.

The venue was New Plymouth's Yarrow Stadium and the opponent was the Sharks. The Hurricanes left wing that April night was playing his second season of Super Rugby and sixteenth match and starting to wonder if he'd lost his try-scoring knack.

The Bus needn't have worried.

The Hurricanes went on to win 42-18 that night and so began a scoring run for Savea that's seen him score 45 tries in 100 matches.

CAPTION: Julian Savea in action against the Sharks in 2012. PHOTO: Getty Sport

Even with his first season drought Savea has averaged 6.5 tries a season, a figure that he's only half a try short of from 12 appearances in 2017.

Hurricanes fans were hoping for more of the same from a local favourite ahead of his 100th match for the Hurricanes against the Chiefs in Wellington. Although The Bus couldn't get a try in his 100th against the Chiefs he was a force in defence during a tight 17-14 loss.

Savea joins a 100 Club that includes fellow Rongotai College and Oriental Rongotai Rugby Club alumni Ma'a Nonu, along with Tana Umaga, Rodney So'oialo, Andrew Hore, Conrad Smith, Jeremy Thrush, Neemia Tialata, Victor Vito, and current teammate Cory Jane.

Savea has started in all but eight of his 100 matches since he made his Hurricanes debut against the Highlanders in 2011.

He is third on the Hurricanes all-time try scoring list, just two tries shy of Umaga who scored 47 tries in 122 matches, but still a way off Christian Cullen, who scored 56.

CAPTION: Julian Savea [right] with teammates Cory Jane [centre] and TJ Perenara after winning the Investec Super Rugby title in 2016. PHOTO: Getty Sport

Savea's career try scoring record is as follows:

Match	Date	Versus	City	Result				Position	Tries

1	18/02/11	Highlanders	Wellington	L	9	-	14	W
2	12/03/11	Chiefs	Wellington	W	29	-	26	W
3	19/03/11	Blues	Auckland	L	17	-	41	W
4	25/03/11	Rebels	Melbourne	L	25	-	42	W
5	02/04/11	Bulls	Napier	L	14	-	26	W
6	30/04/11	Reds	Wellington	W	28	-	26	substitute
7	06/05/11	Blues	Wellington	L	11	-	17	substitute
8	13/05/11	Highlanders	Invercargill	L	6	-	13	substitute
9	27/05/11	Force	Palmerston North	W	34	-	28	substitute
10	04/06/11	Lions	Wellington	W	38	-	27	substitute
11	10/06/11	Chiefs	Hamilton	D	18	-	18	W
12	18/06/11	Crusaders	Wellington	L	9	-	16	W
13	09/03/12	Force	Perth	W	46	-	19	W
14	17/03/12	Highlanders	Wellington	L	17	-	19	W
15	23/03/12	Blues	Auckland	W	26	-	25	W
16	31/03/12	Cheetahs	Wellington	L	38	-	47	W
17	06/04/12	Sharks	New Plymouth	W	42	-	18	W	1
18	28/04/12	Chiefs	Hamilton	L	14	-	33	W
19	04/05/12	Blues	Wellington	W	35	-	19	W	1
20	12/05/12	Highlanders	Dunedin	W	26	-	20	W	1
21	18/05/12	Brumbies	Wellington	L	25	-	37	W
22	26/05/12	Rebels	Wellington	W	66	-	24	W	3
23	02/06/12	Waratahs	Sydney	W	33	-	12	W	1
24	30/06/12	Crusaders	Christchurch	W	23	-	22	W
25	13/07/12	Chiefs	Wellington	W	28	-	25	W	2
26	23/02/13	Blues	Wellington	L	20	-	34	W	2
27	01/03/13	Reds	Brisbane	L	12	-	18	W
28	08/03/13	Crusaders	Wellington	W	29	-	28	W	1
29	15/03/13	Highlanders	Dunedin	W	23	-	19	W
30	30/03/13	Kings	Wellington	W	46	-	30	W
31	06/04/13	Waratahs	Wellington	W	41	-	29	W	2
32	13/04/13	Blues	Auckland	L	6	-	28	W
33	19/04/13	Force	Wellington	W	22	-	16	W
34	04/05/13	Bulls	Pretoria	L	14	-	48	W
35	10/05/13	Cheetahs	Bloemfontein	W	39	-	34	W	1
36	17/05/13	Chiefs	Wellington	L	12	-	17	W
37	31/05/13	Brumbies	Canberra	L	23	-	30	W
38	28/06/13	Chiefs	Hamilton	L	22	-	34	W
39	06/07/13	Highlanders	Wellington	L	44	-	49	W	1
40	12/07/13	Crusaders	Christchurch	L	17	-	25	W	1
41	22/02/14	Sharks	Durban	L	9	-	27	W
42	28/02/14	Stormers	Cape Town	L	18	-	19	W	1
43	07/03/14	Brumbies	Wellington	L	21	-	29	W
44	15/03/14	Cheetahs	Wellington	W	60	-	27	W
45	21/03/14	Highlanders	Dunedin	L	31	-	35	W
46	28/03/14	Crusaders	Christchurch	W	29	-	26	W	1
47	05/04/14	Bulls	Napier	W	25	-	20	W
48	18/04/14	Blues	Wellington	W	39	-	20	W	1
49	26/04/14	Reds	Wellington	W	35	-	21	W
50	03/05/14	Waratahs	Sydney	L	30	-	39	W	1
51	09/05/14	Rebels	Melbourne	W	25	-	15	W
52	16/05/14	Highlanders	Wellington	L	16	-	18	W
53	24/05/14	Chiefs	Wellington	W	45	-	8	W	2
54	31/05/14	Blues	Auckland	L	24	-	37	W	1
55	28/06/14	Crusaders	Wellington	W	16	-	9	W
56	04/07/14	Chiefs	Hamilton	L	16	-	24	W
57	13/02/15	Lions	Johannesburg	W	22	-	8	W
58	20/02/15	Bulls	Pretoria	W	17	-	13	W	1
59	27/02/15	Force	Perth	W	42	-	13	W	1
60	13/03/15	Blues	Palmerston North	W	30	-	23	W	2
61	20/03/15	Highlanders	Dunedin	W	20	-	13	W
62	03/04/15	Stormers	Wellington	W	25	-	20	W	1
63	18/04/15	Waratahs	Wellington	L	24	-	29	W
64	26/04/15	Reds	Brisbane	W	35	-	19	W	1
65	02/05/15	Crusaders	Wellington	W	29	-	23	W
66	16/05/15	Chiefs	Wellington	W	22	-	18	W
67	23/05/15	Blues	Auckland	W	29	-	5	W
68	29/05/15	Crusaders	Nelson	L	18	-	35	W
69	05/06/15	Highlanders	Napier	W	56	-	20	W	1
70	13/06/15	Chiefs	New Plymouth	W	21	-	13	W	1
71	27/06/15	Brumbies (SF)	Wellington	W	29	-	9	W	1
72	04/07/15	Highlanders (F)	Wellington	L	14	-	21	W
73	26/02/16	Brumbies	Canberra	L	10	-	52	W
74	05/03/16	Highlanders	Dunedin	L	16	-	17	W
75	11/03/16	Blues	Auckland	W	23	-	19	W
76	18/03/16	Force	Palmerston North	W	41	-	6	W
77	09/04/16	Jaguares	Wellington	W	40	-	22	W	3
78	15/04/16	Rebels	Melbourne	W	38	-	13	W
79	23/04/16	Chiefs	Wellington	L	27	-	28	W
80	30/04/16	Lions	Johannesburg	W	50	-	17	W	2
81	07/05/16	Sharks	Durban	L	15	-	32	W
82	27/05/16	Highlanders	Wellington	W	27	-	20	W
83	02/07/16	Blues	Wellington	W	37	-	27	W
84	09/07/16	Waratahs	Sydney	W	28	-	17	W	1
85	16/07/16	Crusaders	Christchurch	W	35	-	10	W
86	23/07/16	Sharks (QF)	Wellington	W	41	-	0	substitute
87	30/07/16	Chiefs (SF)	Wellington	W	25	-	9	substitute
88	06/08/16	Lions (F)	Wellington	W	20	-	3	substitute
89	25/02/17	Sunwolves	Tokyo	W	83	-	17	W	1
90	04/03/17	Rebels	Wellington	W	71	-	6	W	1
91	10/03/17	Chiefs	Hamilton	L	18	-	26	W	1
92	18/03/17	Highlanders	Wellington	W	41	-	15	W	1
93	01/04/17	Reds	Brisbane	W	34	-	15	W	1
94	15/04/17	Blues	Auckland	W	28	-	24	W
95	21/04/17	Brumbies	Napier	W	56	-	21	W
96	05/05/17	Stormers	Wellington	W	41	-	22	W	1
97	13/05/17	Crusaders	Christchurch	L	12	-	20	W
98	20/05/17	Cheetahs	Wellington	W	61	-	7	W
99	27/05/17	Bulls	Pretoria	W	34	-	20	W

CAPTION: Julian Savea has started in 91 of his 99 matches for the Hurricanes, mostly in the No.11 jersey. PHOTO: Getty Sport

YEAR BY YEAR

Year	P	W	L	D	Tries

2011	12	4	7	1	-
2012	13	9	4	-	9
2013	15	6	9	-	8
2014	16	8	8	-	7
2015	16	13	3	-	9
2016	16	12	4	-	6
2017	11	9	2	-	6

Totals	99	61	37	1	45

CAPTION: Julian Savea in full flight as he beats a Bulls defender. PHOTO: Getty Sport

AGAINST EACH CLUB

Versus	P	W	L	D	Tries

Blues	13	8	5	-	7
Brumbies	6	2	4	-	1
Bulls	5	3	2	-	1
Cheetahs	4	3	1	-	1
Chiefs	13	6	6	1	6
Crusaders	10	6	4	-	3
Force	5	5	-	-	1
Highlanders	14	6	8	-	4
Jaguares	1	1	-	-	3
Kings	1	1	-	-	-
Lions	4	4	-	-	2
Rebels	5	4	1	-	4
Reds	5	4	1	-	2
Sharks	4	2	2	-	1
Stormers	3	2	1	-	3
Sunwolves	1	1	-	-	1
Waratahs	5	3	2	-	5

Totals	99	61	37	1	45