Israel Dagg

Israel Dagg
Israel Dagg at the RWC parade in Wellington.
Full name Israel Jamahl Akuhata Dagg
Date of birth (1988-06-06) 6 June 1988
Place of birth Marton, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 96 kg (15 st 2 lb)[1]
School Lindisfarne College
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Fullback / Wing
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
Napier Pirate Rugby[2]
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006– Hawke's Bay 50 (86)
correct as of 16 October 2016.
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2009–10
2011–
Highlanders
Crusaders
25
74
(133)
(125)
correct as of 23 July 2016.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2010– New Zealand 61 (128)
correct as of 26 November 2016.

Israel Dagg (born 6 June 1988[3]) is a New Zealand Rugby union player who plays for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and New Zealand internationally. He has also played for the New Zealand Sevens team, and represents Hawkes Bay in the ITM Cup.

Early life

Israel Dagg was born in Marton, New Zealand and attended Lindisfarne College in Hastings, Hawke's Bay.[4] Dagg is of Māori descent.[5]

Early career

While in high school, Dagg represented Hawke's Bay at Under 16 and Under 19 level.[3] Dagg attended the Advanced Course at the International Rugby Academy (IRANZ) in April 2006. His course facilitator was current Chiefs coach, Dave Rennie, and former Otago, Otago Highlanders and New Zealand player Jeff Wilson.[6] That year, he became the first secondary school player to be selected for Hawke's Bay since Danny Lee. The 2006 New Zealand Rugby Almanack named him one of its five promising players for 2006.[3]

International career

2010

Dagg made his All Blacks debut against Ireland in New Plymouth on 12 June 2010.[7] He was again capped against Wales the following week but was injured at half time.

Coach Graham Henry decided to rest him for the second test against Wales, giving veteran Mils Muliaina an opportunity. Muliaina was awarded the 15 jersey for the opening Tri Nations test against South Africa. A strong performance by the veteran, in the 32–12 result for the All Blacks, led to his being selected again for the rematch against the Springboks. Dagg was awarded a bench spot from which he emerged to score his first international try for the All Blacks. Dagg swerved between Schalk Burger and Pierre Spies before dancing his way to the try line. This try gave New Zealand the try bonus-point in the Investic Tri Nations as the All Blacks won 31–17.

Dagg's second test try came in dramatic circumstances against South Africa on 21 August 2010 at FNB Stadium near Soweto, Johannesburg. With the scores level at 22-all, in the last minute of play, Dagg backed up a break by Ma'a Nonu to score the game-winning try for a 29–22 result.[8]

2011

In the pool rounds of the 2011 Rugby World Cup Dagg became one of the tournament's top try scorers. He scored the tournament's first try in the first half of the opening game against Tonga before adding another try before half time in the same game. His next try came in the 22nd minute of the All Blacks pool match against France.[9] In total, he scored five tries in the tournament.[10] That was the second most at the tournament.

Dagg's inclusion saw Mils Muliaina displaced from the All Blacks starting XV,[11] with Muliaina only two caps away from his 100th test. Dagg played in the final against France, which the All blacks won.

Following the completion of the Rugby World Cup, the IRB's Rugby News Service listed Dagg as one of the Top 5 players of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[12]

2012

Dagg was named in the 30 man test squad to play Ireland in New Zealand. He started all three games at fullback. In the second match he received a yellow card for shoulder charging a kicker late. In the third match, he scored a try off a Sonny Bill Williams grubber kick. He also kicked a conversion while Aaron Cruden was injured. The All Blacks won the test series.

Dagg started in all of the 2012 Rugby Championship matches for the All Blacks. He scored in the first match of the Rugby Championship against the Wallabies. It came from a set piece move involving Dan Carter. He scored in the second match of the rugby championship against the Wallabies off a pass from Sonny Bill Williams. He scored his third try of the championship against South Africa from offloads by Sam Whitelock then Kieran Read. The All Blacks won the Bledisloe Cup and the Rugby Championship trophy.

'2013-

Dagg played in every single match of 2013, but had injury trouble in 2014 and 2015, limiting his number of test appearances.

Dagg narrowly missed out on being picked for New Zealand's 2015 Rugby World Cup squad.[13] Dagg was dismissed for Waisake Naholo, who had recently recovered from a broken leg, while Ben Smith was temporarily shifted to fullback for the tournament. Dagg subsequently returned to the Magpies, but was injured playing his 50th cap.

Dagg made a recovery from his shoulder injury, returning to the Crusaders for the 2016 Super Rugby season, and was re-selected for New Zealand, being named in the 32-man squad for the All Blacks' Steinlager series against Wales, where he played at fullback for two games, scoring tries in each. Ben Smith was shifted back to fullback for the 2016 Rugby Championship, with Dagg moved out to wing for the series. Dagg scored 2 tries and kicked 47-meter penalty against Australia in Wellington, allowing New Zealand to once again win the Bledisloe Cup. Dagg cemented his place as the All Blacks' first choice right wing, completing his comeback and finishing the competition as the joint highest try scorer with Ben Smith, having scored another 2 tries in the final match against South Africa, where New Zealand won 57–15. The two players scored 5 tries each across the 6 matches played.

References

  1. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=1101
  2. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10742888
  3. 1 2 3 ESPN
  4. "Rugby: Refreshed Dagg back in black". New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  5. Israel, Dagg (4 July 2010). "I was this Maori boy coming out of Wavell Place [south Hastings]". NZ news Website. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  6. http://internationalrugbyacademy.com/new-zealand/
  7. Johnstone, Duncan (12 June 2010). "Nervous Dagg thrives in All Blacks debut". Rugby Heaven. Faifax. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
  8. Long, David (22 August 2010). "All Blacks claim Tri-Nations with win in Soweto". Rugby Heaven. Faifax. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  9. Murray, Scot (25 November 2011). "New Zealand v France". Guardian. UK: Guardian News. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  10. "Rugby World Cup 2011 Leading Try Scorers". Total Sports Madness. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  11. Rugby News Service (24 October 2011). "Top five players of RWC 2011" (Press release). International Rugby Board. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  12. http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2060306.html#top+five+players+rwc+2011
  13. "Rugby World Cup 2015: Waisake Naholo in New Zealand squad". BBC Sport. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
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