Julian Savea has eyes firmly set on midfield role in the Mitre 10 Cup

Julian Savea returned to New Zealand earlier this year following a two-season stint in France and was promptly drafted into the Hurricanes Super Rugby Aotearoa squad.

Now, the 30-year-old hopes to earn a fulltime contract with his former side for next year but first, he’ll have to prove himself in the Mitre 10 Cup.

Savea last featured for the Wellington Lions in 2017 when he took over as interim captain as the side fought their way back into the Premiership division.

A lot as changed for Savea in the last three years – including his position of choice.

Speaking to James Marshall on Marshall’s What a Lad podcast, Savea revealed that he now feels more at home in the midfield than in the outside backs, where he first made a name for himself.

It wasn’t until Savea moved to Toulon at the end of 2018 that the wrecking ball first had the opportunity to play in the centres, and that was only due to the team losing players to the national side during the international season.

2020 was a good year for the Blues, but a solitary good year won't appease anyone – and there will be even greater challenges next season.