Otago winger Jae Broomfield has made a soaring start to the season

NPC The teams Otago: Sam Nemec-Vial, Jae Broomfield, Josh Timu, Jake Te Hiwi, Jona Nareki, Cameron Millar, Joel Lam, Christian Lio-Willie (captain), Lucas Casey, Charles Elton, Joseva Tamani, Will Stodart, Saula Ma’u, Nic Souchon, Marley Pearce. Reserves: Henry Bell, Benjamin Lopas, Rohan Wingham, Harry Irving, Slade McDowall, Kieran McClea, Patrick Pellegrini, Riley Lucas. Manawatū: Reece MacDonald, Taniela Filimone, Kyle Brown, James Tofa, John Tapueluelu, George Worboys, Jordi Viljoen, Mosese Bason, Rory Woods, Te Kamaka Howden, Rob Harley, Reuben Allen, Flyn Yates, Alani Fakava, Joe Gavigan. Reserves: Chris Finua, Malakai Hala-Ngatai, Feleti Sae-Ta’ufo’ou, Angus Prouting, Taine Roiri, Doug Philipson, Drew Wild, Ngani Laumape. Jae Broomfield laughed off suggestions he is the second most famous person to come out of Morrinsville. But he has met No 1. The Otago winger, who was born and raised in Morrinsville, met then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when she came to speak at his school. “Ha. I wouldn't go that far,’’ he said, chuckling at the idea he was among the Morrinsville glitterati. “We've definitely got a few Otago supporters up there now, which is pretty cool. “But she [Ardern] came to the school when I would have been in year 10. It was when she was prime minister, so that was pretty cool.” Broomfield grew up in Morrinsville but boarded at St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton from year 11 onwards. He was a talented centre and made the Chiefs under-18 teams. But he got an opportunity to join the Crusaders academy and moved south three years ago. The 23-year-old was named in the Crusaders' wider training squad for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign. But it was Otago who gave him his first opportunity at provincial level. He made his debut last season. That was against Southland in Invercargill. "I told my parents that they might want to come down because this might be the only one I get for the season,’’ he said. He was very wrong about that. Broomfield ended up playing in all 13 games that season, including the epic 38-36 successful Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury. He even scored a try. Broomfield was one of the quiet success stories in a wonderful season for Otago. The spotlight fell on the likes of Dylan Pledger and Lucas Casey. But he toiled away on the right wing with some solid performances. Broomfield has taken a big step up in the first two games this year. He scored in the 41-14 win against Southland on Stag Day, and he impressed during the 19-15 loss to Canterbury in Dunedin last weekend. Canterbury took the Ranfurly Shield back home, but Otago showed some enterprise. And Broomfield was excellent in the air. He teamed up with halfback Joel Lam, who put up a series of pinpoint box kicks which Broomfield either got under or hooked back. They spent a couple of years together at the Crusaders academy, so that connection was already well tuned. "Obviously, it is something that you always try to keep getting better at, but no, it's definitely been something I've always been trying to work hard at and trying to make that a bit of a point of difference. “Going forward, it's a lot easier because all your momentum's going forward through the contact in the air as well, so it's a lot easier to dominate there. “Whereas when you're probably catching, you're a little bit more stationary and you've got to generate your own momentum.” Otago play Manawatū in Palmerston North on Saturday night and the box kick down that right flank will see more action. Broomfield, who has played for the New Zealand Universities side, is on the right wing again and Lam is starting at halfback. One area which will have got a lot of attention this week is the lineout. Otago lost too much of their own ball in the loss to Canterbury. It got so bad the crowd of 7162 burst into ironic applause when Otago won their own ball. The decision to promote hooker Nic Souchon to the starting XV and drop Henry Bell to the bench in his 50th game was a pre-arranged decision. However, Otago did need to do something differently. Lineouts have many moving parts. The hooker often cops the blame, but a throw that is on target can sail long if the jumpers and lifters have not got their timing right. And Canterbury did a good job of putting pressure on and disrupting the lineout as well. But it is most certainly an area Otago will need to improve on if they are going to get back to the final this season. adrian.seconi@odt.co.nz