From being a player many saw as a bench man to cover injury to senior, more experienced players, Fekitoa has emerged as as strong candidate to fill a starting jersey.
The selectors have been clear they have unbending faith in him, but even they would be a little surprised, pleasantly that is, just how much he's improved in such a short period of time.
When the All Blacks left for Argentina, it is probably the selectors had pencilled him for 60 minutes against the Pumas and probably not much more. They had no choice but to rethink that when Fekitoa was so good in La Plata. As good as he was, he was better again at Ellis Park.
His power was obvious when he scooted through only a half gap to score his first test try. He clobbered Jan Serfontein in a big tackle a wee while after and for 80 minutes, he was in the right place doing the right things.
His play of the day, though, came towards the end of the first half when he was the first All Black to turn and chase after a fly-hacked ball.
It was imperative Fekitoa made it to the ball first as there was no one else. But Fekitoa versus Cornal Hendricks wasn't necessarily a fair contest – a wing against a second-five.
Something deep inside Fekitoa enabled him to scramble the ball over the line and in that one play, there was compelling evidence he is a player with supreme commitment and courage.
How he found the legs to run down Hendricks is incredible and the suspicion is he was propelled by pure desire.
"I was going back to the fall as fast as I could and then I saw the green jersey go past me and I thought I was never going to get him," says Fekitoa. "But I didn't want to give up. Just before I got to the ball...I was gone. But I was lucky and I was able to manage to grab the ball and got over the line. It was lucky.
"It was tough. The lungs were burning and I thought I wouldn't make it through to half-time. I was struggling a bit but I managed to get through it."
Fekitoa has given the All Blacks an unexpected bonus that they have another option at second-five – someone they can trust and someone who has given the selectors a headache on who to pick for the remaining tests of the year.
"I think Malakai played really, really well," says All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. "he scored a great try. He defended well all day long. He's only a young man and his game is growing. He is going to be a good if not great All Black going into the future."
- By Gregor Paul
