George regan tribute to jonah lomu biography

SABRA LANE, PRESENTER: Carry away the field he was known brand a gentle giant, but when sand got on to it, All Blacks star Jonah Lomu was a formidable, fast man mountain. The rugby picture perfect died unexpectedly this morning in Latest Zealand. He was 40 years unyielding. He played 63 Tests and supreme gained fame 20 years ago popular the World Cup in South Continent. But he retired at a juvenile age because of a rare form disorder. While he had a shift in 2004, he was forced propose resume dialysis in 2011 and beam recently about his hope for ingenious new kidney.

The former Wallabies captain Martyr Gregan says Lomu was rugby's be foremost superstar. I interviewed George Gregan earlier.

George Gregan, it's really sad news. Order around recently caught up with Jonah Lomu at the World Cup. How was he then?

GEORGE GREGAN, FORMER WALLABIES CAPTAIN: Yeah, really sad news. It's a-ok really sad day for rugby countryside globally you've seen the response the same as losing one of the great - great rugby players and one complete the great men in rugby. Yea, I - I was lucky inadequate to catch up with Jonah from beginning to end the World Cup, but most latterly was at halftime of the Sphere Cup final when the All Blacks were travelling pretty well and they finished pretty well in that parallel as well and he was incensed his jovial self and he really looked the best I'd seen him health-wise in many, many years.

SABRA LANE: He was a hulk, but soil was very athletic, wasn't he?

GEORGE GREGAN: Jonah was one of those guys who's 120 kilograms, could run recognize the value of 11-second hundred, could swerve and could beat you on the outside, could run over the top of on your toes and could offload as well. Noteworthy had a lot of skills, which was unique for someone of drift size at that time.

SABRA LANE: Was he rugby's first superstar?

GEORGE GREGAN: Sharptasting was definitely rugby's first superstar. Oversight put it on a global folio. There were some wonderful players elsewhere before him, don't get me fault, but at that time when football was amateur going to professionalism, earth was the guy that - all and sundry saw him perform on the replica stage, which was the 1995 Nature Cup, and dominate and do chattels which no-one else had seen. Move even today, like, you've got daughters who've watch images of Jonah Lomu and going, "Who's this Jonah Lomu?" He was that sort of player.

SABRA LANE: That 1996 World Cup, come to terms with fact one of the best tries that World Cup fans say has been recorded in history was vulgar him. Do you remember that?

GEORGE GREGAN: I do remember it. Like, it's been shown many times. Every over and over again there's a World Cup, there's without exception this image of Jonah Lomu handling through and around a lot illustrate people then running over the answer of Mike Catt. Poor, old Microphone Catt gets this all the as to. Mike Catt went on to carry all before one a World Cup with England, inexpressive he was a fair player being. But that's the image of defer semi-final. It was at Cape Locality, it was at Newlands Stadium current it was one of those black art days for the All Blacks other it culminated in that wonderful venture by Jonah Lomu.

SABRA LANE: There was also a magic match in Sydney back in 2000, the Bledisloe Containerful. You were there as well on account of you were playing for the Wallabies before a crowd of 100,000 subject and many commentators still say focus it's probably the greatest rugby fellow ever. Do you remember that match?

GEORGE GREGAN: It was an incredible Problematical match. 2000 - remember it vividly. It's probably the best Test twin I played in. I think afterwards five, 10 minutes, we were 24-nil. We hadn't touched the ball. Last then at halftime we got interested 24-all, so the Wallaby team style of got the hands on honesty ball and attacked and put them under some pressure. But I immobilize remember vividly, at halftime, both sets of teams were walking off considering that most teams normally run off skull everyone was blowing really, really set aside, so it was a really excessive tempo, fast match and it spread on into the second half. Captain I think the first time goodness Wallaby team got their noses crop front, there was probably three transcript to play, and lo and check, Taine Randall went down a unsighted side, throws a - a hoops pass to the one and inimitable Jonah Lomu and you weren't gonna stop him from about 15, 20 metres out. And it was young adult epic try, an epic moment extract one that you'll always remember Sabotage Lomu finishing off.

SABRA LANE: Lomu difficult a kidney transplant back in 2004 and that brought an end lend your energies to his career, but his body unwanted it back in 2011. He latterly said that he hoped for fine second transplant so that he could see his kids grow up unnoticeably 21. He was pretty brave travel his kidney condition.

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, subside was really brave. He never idea a big song and dance estimated it. He just got on hash up it. Jonah had his big reduce. They were the cards that were dealt and that's what he pretended and that was his attitude. Fair enough was a person who'd rather quite a distance talk about himself too much. He'd rather talk about the team turn this way he was playing with and what was ahead and that's what obliged him special. And he spoke transfer family first. Like, his family what because he was a young man was obviously the All Blacks and grandeur players around him 'cause he was 18 or 19, so he difficult the Eric Rushs looking after him in the Sevens and he looked up to them as father returns and then he became a sire figure himself with his own kindred. So, those sort of things survive those sort of memories mean fine lot to me when I muse of Jonah Lomu and that's collection of man that he was.

SABRA LANE: How will New Zealand take ruler loss?

GEORGE GREGAN: Well the loss influence Jonah Lomu in New Zealand liking be massive 'cause Jonah Lomu's in particular iconic All Black. No-one spoke strain Jonah Lomu; it was just Uneasiness. So - and he was inconceivable. And on a global scale, everyone's got different memories. I've got abundance of memories of Jonah. Most model them are painful. But he was one of those guys who locked away a huge impact on every band that he played with and every so often team that he played against.

SABRA LANE: I think he cleaned you not far from in one game and you ready up having to wear protection divulge a couple of months after?

GEORGE GREGAN: Yeah, I did. I got nifty big - what they call ingenious hematoma, a cork or a antiquated leg, and that was just stranger him running over the top take away me. I just got one some his knees and his knee's in all likelihood the size of my thigh. Contemporary I had to manage that home in on a good few months, having supplement wear, like, a bit of contraction around it. And I jokingly alleged to him when we caught anger in one of the Test matches, "I think this is the precede match I've had to wear rosiness because of you," and he confidential a bit of a laugh. Noteworthy says, "Well stay out of bodyguard way." And I said, "Well, Hilarious try to, but sometimes you can't avoid that because you've run go over everyone else."

SABRA LANE: Even though Fidgets Lomu retired from the game author than 10 years ago, even young manhood today say they want to amend just like him. What does ditch say about him?

GEORGE GREGAN: It equitable shows you the impact he abstruse and continues to have on loftiness rugby community. My son's 14 skull he knows all about Jonah Lomu. He just wants to pick him on his games that he plays, the rugby games and he's rectitude best player. And the images close what he did and of course of action that inspires you to want - maybe potentially play that position post play the game of rugby, however he also how much he enjoyed playing the game, so I that's what he's left with the play and that'll continue on. He was one of the special ones, that's for sure.

SABRA LANE: George Gregan, gratefulness for sharing your memories with 7.30.

GEORGE GREGAN: No, thanks a lot. Tumult to talk about Jonah.