As a kid, Alex Hodgman’s father raised his Australian passport, waved it in front of him, and told him one day it would come in handy.
He wasn’t wrong.
On Saturday afternoon, Hodgman joined one of rugby’s most exclusive clubs by becoming the fourth player – and first in half-a-century – to play for the Wallabies and All Blacks. He joined Ted Jessep, Des Connor and Owen Stephens.
Just as extraordinarily, it nearly never came to pass.
Fed by a string of rotten luck, Hodgman nearly hung up the boots as a 30-year-old – three years after winning four caps for the All Blacks in 2020.
“Plenty of tears, eh. I’m not an old-school guy. I’m [a] new [age] man,” said Hodgman, after being asked to reflect on his crazy past 12 months.
“To be honest, there were a lot of moments last year, especially being injured with the Blues, I actually considered retirement. My wife pretty much got me through it all. She’s my rock and everything. I wouldn’t be sitting in front of you today without her.”
Alex Hodgman became the fourth player ever to represent the Wallabies and All Blacks as he ran out for Australia against Georgia at Allianz Stadium on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Tough as an ox on the field, Hodgman’s strength is reflected in his story and glittering career.
As history shows, not many get to play for the All Blacks. Only three before him have played for the Wallabies, too.
“It’s amazing,” Hodgman said. “Obviously, it’s quite a small group.
“I’m just blessed with great players around me and a great coaching staff.”
Although you might think the four-Test All Black would have received some grief from his former teammates for changing allegiances, Hodgman said he’d received nothing but support.
“They’re happy for me,” Hodgman said. “As players, you kind of understand any opportunity you get to continue to do what you love.
“We’re just happy for each other. I got a lot of love from my old Blues mates and obviously some of the All Black boys.
“That’s probably all I can do is just be like, ‘Hey man, thanks,’ and then keep moving forward.”
While it’s been known for the best part of a year that Hodgman was eligible for the Wallabies, the loose-head prop has rarely dared to dream. At least not publicly.
But in a light-hearted moment, the former Blues prop did say his father always knew best.
“It’s funny because my dad, he actually got me and my brother Aussie passports back when we were newborns,” Hodgman said.
“He was like, ‘One day this is going to work for you.’
“So I guess my dad’s plan, it’s been since the start.
“But for myself, I don’t know, it was kind of just, ‘hey, I just want to play as well as I can at the Reds. And if something comes from it, it comes from it.’
“In the past, I’ve been a person to look too far ahead and then miss the moment right in front of me.
“I took a new approach to this this year and just being like, ‘hey, let’s live moment to moment. And from whatever happens, happens.’”
So how does the Wallabies cap compare to the All Blacks one?
“It feels the same, man,” he said.
“It’s still so hard to get. Nothing’s given in this world of footy. “Every moment is important. It’s tough, man.”
Alex Hodgman says he came close to retiring in 2023 before signing with the Queensland Reds. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Although Hodgman previously worked under Schmidt at the Blues, the experienced prop gave an interesting insight into the dynamic between him and the coach.
“Like anything, the relationship between play and coach, you shouldn’t be too close,” he said. “That’s kind of a good thing.
“These guys are here to stretch and extend us as players and so I feel like if I become too much buddy-buddy, I won’t be able to get enough from him, and he won’t.
“For me, it’s a professional level where it’s we can joke here and there, but ideally what Joe’s given me is, and all the coaching staff was like, ‘This is what you need to do, and this is the boundary we have in order to get better.’
“I’m just going to continue getting stretched and extended and learn and grow and then continue that process.”
Sitting next to Hodgman in the hours following the Test win and soaking up his every word was debutant Darby Lancaster.
The 21-year-old said he was “on top of the world” despite sporting a bruised cheekbone after some heavy contact with Georgian flyer Davit Niniashvili.
Starved of open space, Lancaster threatened to cut the Georgians up on a couple of occasions save for some last-ditched defence.
“It was fast, it was intense,” said Lancaster, who was pipped by Aka Tabutsadze to a loose ball early in the second half as Georgia turned it on front of 26,000 fans.
“I felt like I ran a lot.
“It was a really intense, intense game, and high speed, high speed, lots of balls moving, and I felt like I didn’t find myself in space too often, but for what I did, I was pretty happy.”
Darby Lancaster on the charge against Georgia at Allianz Stadium on July 20, 2024 in Sydney. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Lancaster had the chance to go to the Olympics with the Australian sevens team but chose instead to pursue his dream of playing for the Wallabies.
Would he change it at all?
“Oh, of course,” he said.
“I’ve got so much good to say about both programs. I wish them all the best in the Olympics.
“I’m absolutely devastated that I can’t be there to play. But at the same time, I’m so honoured to be here and be able to play here. It was a win-win.
“It was a tough decision to make, but to be here and to get a cap is really special.
“It’s so rare, these matches. It’s just very humbling and [I’m] very grateful to be here at such a young age.
“I really did my best to make the most of the game out there and I just wish with all my heart that I can get out there again.
“It’s very, very humbling.”
