Profile: Aaron Cruden

By Sean Farrell

Graham Henry has long endured criticism for, supposedly, devaluing the All Black jersey by the way he has spread caps around the islands in an attempt to give his squad a greater depth of options.

Thanks in part to injury, and a need for rest after the hard-hitting Super Rugby season, that policy will continue unabated and there will be plenty of unfamiliar faces sticking out their tongue at the end of the Haka when Ireland are the opposition at Yarrow Stadium on Saturday.

With Luke McAlister demoted to the New Zealand Maoris, part of the 22-man war dance in New Plymouth will be Aaron Cruden. The Wellington Hurricanes out-half will be hoping to make his Test debut in New Plymouth and, having been born and bred just down the west coast in Palmerstown North, expect a raucous reception if the starlet is called into action from the bench.

But while his international team-mates are worried about tears, strains, dislocations and breaks keeping them out of contention, Cruden will hold no fear where injuries are concerned, having recovered from a much more serious affliction.

In 2008 at the age of 19, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Feeling discomfort and a lump after training sessions, he got it checked out and the result was just as he feared. The news was kept within his family and he went on to play for his club, Manawatu, the next weekend.

It was a huge mental hurdle for a man barely out of school and the short-term consequences were disheartening. The Number 10 had long been marked as having huge potential, but after surgery to remove the cancerous testicle, nine weeks of chemotherapy and continued rehabilitation, he missed out on a Super 14 contract for the 2009 season.

Stu Cruden gave an inset into his son’s mindset: “First of all he thought ‘why me’, and there was anger. But he got rid of that very quickly and concentrated on his health.”

Cruden Jnr is not one to look backwards, it’s all about short-term goals for the 21-year-old. This season, the aim was to earn a call up to the Maori squad but when the senior call came, he couldn’t help but reflect.

“Two years ago when I was sick in hospital I didn’t think I’d be where I am today,” he told New Zealand newspaper The Dominion Post. “It’s been a roller-coaster the last couple of years, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and hopefully it will just keep going up from here.”

His ability to bounce back is creditable, but cancer was just the latest complication in his rise to prominence.

Like any other Kiwi lad, he dreamt of playing with a silver fern on his chest. His first memory of rugby is playing barefoot, disregarding frosty ground. The cold that day numbed the pain as he kicked the pill downfield and it was not until he returned home and thawed out that his parents discovered that he had broken his toe. His parents separated, prompting a move of house, while he also contracted tuberculosis as a young child.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a contract with the Hurricanes, 2009 was to be a landmark year; Cruden was made captain of the New Zealand under-20s and led them to a World Championship crown, earning himself the IRB Young Player of the Year gong along the way. With natural flair and talent those feats must have been easy in comparison to the prospect of life changing surgery.

“Welcome to Super Rugby”

An overdue Super 14 contract finally arrived for 2010 when he signed on with the Wellington franchise. In January, with his side trailing to the Blues in Auckland he was introduced to the big time, playing in the cockpit as the Hurricanes ran out comfortable winners over their north island rivals.

But this was no fairytale; on his very first play Cruden was well and truly smashed by the brutish centre Benson Stanley (who starts against Ireland on Saturday – ROG beware) a real ‘Welcome to Super Rugby mate!’ tackle. The debutant was left crumpled on the opposition 10-metre line as the game continued without him.

The team doctors arrived to their winded starlet, but once he got his breath back the situation was dealt with the same way as all of his previous bone-shaking setbacks. He got on with the game, though took a back seat on kicking duties as experienced scrum-half Piri Weepu pulled rank and edged the ‘Canes clear.

Cruden remains his own harshest critic, however. After a 33-31 victory over the Highlanders, in which he landed three conversions, scored a try and was instrumental in two others, his analysis was less than glowing after he was wayward with three penalties: “The game wasn’t too bad, apart from me not knowing how to goal kick.”

Graham Henry and the New Zealand selectors are less harsh on the youngster, and when Cruden crosses the white line, nobody will be calling it a ‘cheap cap’.

So broken toes, tuberculosis, marital break-up and cancer are all behind him, next challenge: Brian O’Driscoll, David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip. You think he’s daunted?

“It’s always been my goal to become an All Black … and I can’t wait to rip into it.”

Nah, didn’t think so.