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Generational talent Ardie Savea revealed how he almost left New Zealand and quit rugby altogether in 2017.
Ardie Savea, one of this generation's best players, has revealed the struggles he went through to get to where he is today, which included almost quitting the sport altogether.
The All Blacks great, who was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2023, made his international debut in 2016 and has been a fixture in the squad since then.
Savea was initially seen as an impact player off the bench, doing that in both 2016 and 2017, but it was in the second of those years where he struggled with that role.
The back-rower was only given limited game time and the 31-year-old has admitted that he contemplated leaving New Zealand, and potentially quitting the sport, as a result.
"In 2016, I made the All Blacks and in the media I was like this superstar, I was the guy coming through," the All Black told American YouTuber Donald De La Haye, who is also known online as Deestroying.
"Being young, you kind of believe that stuff and let it get to you. I didn't show it on the outside but, yeah...
"The following year, things went downhill. I made the team but I wasn't getting picked to play and it just wasn't something I was used to. It was my own fault, I was just stubborn.
"In the off-season, I told my wife I wanted to leave New Zealand, and I almost got to the point where I wanted to quit rugby because I wasn't enjoying it anymore."
Savea would of course decide to give it another go and by the end of 2018, the back-rower cemented his place in the starting All Blacks line-up.
"What brought me back was a conversation with my wife. She just said: 'Who cares about selection, coaches, players. Just go out there and have fun'," he said.
"The following season, I just said: 'I'm going to train hard and just love the work I do', and I did that."
Savea has remained committed to the All Blacks with his current New Zealand Rugby deal taking him through until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
It could well be his last global tournament, however, with the flanker and number eight suggesting that he has passed his physical peak.
Nevertheless, in a fascinating insight into this mindset, Savea revealed his killer instinct as he looks to maintain his position as one of the sport's best players.
"Probably in the last year or two, I've noticed little things in training, like power and speed. I used to be the quickest but now there are guys that are freakish coming through," he added.
"I try not to think like that because the moment you start thinking you're old and slow, it will be in your mind. Obviously, being experienced, I rely on my mental game a lot.
"We talk about being calm, cold-blooded killers. Red head represents fire, the blue head is when you're under pressure and you freeze, so they talk about being in the purple state, which is the middle."
