Highlanders halfback Adam Lennox realised at a young age that he was unlikely to be a behemoth so he had better learn how to scamper quickly around the rugby field.
That certainly served the 178cm, 82kg scrambler well at Eden Park last week when, in just his second Super Rugby start, he scored two stunning tries in the 47-40 loss to the Blues.
‘‘It was good fun,’’ Lennox told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
‘‘The result wasn’t ideal but I thought we showed a lot of fight at the end and some good signs for what we can do. We let it slip a bit earlier but there were definitely a lot of positives out of that game.’’
Lennox, 23, shrugged when asked to talk more about his two tries, highlighting a bit of luck involved.
It was a rare piece of instinctive brilliance that led to his first when, after just three minutes, he picked up a messy lineout claim and scooted through the broken Blues setup to flee 40m to the line.
‘‘The move was supposed to go out wide but their guy got in the way, so I just looked up and it split open for me. Perfect.
‘‘I’m definitely someone more on the instinctive side of things. That’s probably not the best sometimes when you go off the cuff, but it’s nice when it works.
‘‘I think playing on instinct is still important. We’ve got guys like Tangi [Caleb Tangitau] who are really instinctive and can rip the game open out of nowhere.
‘‘You need your set plays, obviously, but you need those individuals with just a bit of brilliance. We’re given a bit of free licence, and our coaches have got faith in everyone to back themselves.’’
Lennox, who starts again for the Highlanders against Moana Pasifika on Sunday, is lightning fast.
However, he is quick to point out the likes of Tangitau and fellow winger Xavier Tito-Harris would leave him in the dust. His Aaron Smith-like size meant he had to be nippy if he was to survive at the top level. ‘‘You sort of have to be quick when you’re a bit little,’’ Lennox said. ‘‘You learn that you need to run away from the big blokes or they grab on to you and you’re in trouble. ‘‘I guess from a young age, you learn to just run as fast as you can.’’ Lennox is from a sheep and beef farming family at Waverley in southern Taranaki.
He dabbled in hockey as a youngster before excelling in rugby at Whanganui Collegiate, where his remarkable versatility started to shine.
He played virtually every position in the backline as a youngster, earned New Zealand under-20 selection in 2022, and after making his debut for the Highlanders as injury cover last year, he had an excellent season for Taranaki during which he made six starts on the wing, four at halfback and two at fullback.
‘‘We just had a few too many injuries for Taranaki, and I was happy to fill a gap for the team.
‘‘It’s not bad to change it up but I don’t want to be away from halfback for too long.
‘‘Ideally, I’d start at halfback but then I don’t mind finishing a game on the wing or wherever. ‘‘At least you can stay involved and you don’t have to just be watching how it ends.
‘‘It’s definitely easier going from halfback then to wing. The other way is a lot harder.’’
The Highlanders now have a highly competitive halfback room with Folau Fakatava the senior hand, Lennox and Nic Shearer impressing in their first starts of the season, and wonder boy Dylan Pledger to return from injury next year.
Lennox is flatting in Dunedin with fellow Taranaki refugees Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Meihana Grindlay.
