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'He was worthy of the jersey' - Steve Hansen thrilled with Karl Tu'inukuafe's All Blacks debut

June 9, 2018

The rookie prop showed class in his side's 52-11 victory at Eden Park.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was full of praise for the performance of debutant prop Karl Tu'inukuafe, after his heroics in the 52-11 victory over France at Eden Park.

Tu'inukuafe, 25, made his first appearance for the All Blacks in the win over France, capping a remarkable rise only making his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs earlier this year.

Speaking to media after the match, Hansen spoke highly of the performance that Tu'inukuafe gave against France, that saw him win a penalty from his very first scrum in Test rugby.

"He proved tonight that he's of All Black standard - he was worthy of the jersey," he said.

"There's no better way to get the respect of your teammates and the opposition, well done to him."

Hansen went on to reveal his admiration for Tu'inukuafe, having experienced an unusual road to the All Blacks, including a stint working as an Auckland bouncer.

"He's a pretty humble big fella."

"I never met Keith Murdoch, but he's got a mustache like him, and he scrums like him.

"There's a lot of top end in Karl, he's just starting. We've got to make sure that we don't blow him up by pushing him too fast too early."

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