Julian Savea talks about playing against his borther Ardie.
You get the sense Julian Savea would rather do his talking on the field. And to be fair, he has done exactly that since being dropped by the All Blacks.
Savea isn't about to say he is out to prove a point this weekend. But in some ways he already has.
With a strike-rate of 46 tries from 54 tests, it is remarkable a player of Savea's ability is, for now at least, unwanted in the test arena.
After the plethora of injuries in the outside back this year, the All Blacks selected Matt Duffie and Seta Tamanivalu over the 27-year-old for this northern tour, opening the door for his selection in the Barbarians at Twickenham.
No doubt it will be an odd dynamic for Savea facing the All Blacks, especially with brother and Hurricanes team-mate Ardie potentially in the team.
"The last time I played him would've been at home along the carpet," Savea said. "I'm not expecting any sort of leniency. We'll see how it goes.
"It's going to be weird; strange coming up against Ardie. He beat me to play with the Barbarians as well. He was part of this team two years ago so this will be pretty cool."
Savea has done everything asked of him by the All Blacks; attempting to evolve his game on the right wing, where he started his career, and helping Wellington earn promotion to the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership along the way.
"I'd love him to make a really big point. He has been, really," All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said. "Through Mitre 10 Cup he's really progressed. We know he has done a great job within that Wellington camp and taken the challenge on.
"He's fit, and in the final looked sharp. The fact that he's playing well and trending upwards is great news. It's going to create a little bit of an edge isn't it? He's been a big part of us for a long time. I know he'd love to get back, and we'd love to have him back in the form that we know he can be in."
From the outside, it seems as though provincial success has rejuvenated Savea's passion for the game. And what better way to show how far he has come in a short space of time than terrorising the All Blacks?
Ardie Savea sits with his brother Julian during a press conference in June. Photo / Greg Bowker
"I believe the door is always going to be there as long as I can play the best I can," Savea said. "I'm just focused on this week.
"I feel a little bit more confident having a step and fend so I can do a little bit more.
"As of now I'm loving being home and I'm enjoying my rugby. The offseason is important to me this year and looking to come in fully prepared in terms of my physical shape and my mentality.
"The last two times the Barbarians have played they've won. We know it's a possibility and we're going out there with the mindset that we can."
For the next two weeks, with a match to follow against Tonga, Baabaas coach Robbie Deans is clearly welcoming the chance to unleash a highly motivated Savea.
The All Blacks loss may, indeed, be the Baabaas gain.
"In the professional game people analyse and find ways to break you down. You've got to keep going. We're expecting to see a good performance out of Julian at the weekend he's certainly excited for it," Deans said. "The great thing is he's still up for it. A lesser man would've said it's all too hard but he's still hungry and still wants to be back."
