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Julian Savea backed to force his way back into All Blacks contention

Savea will face New Zealand when he plays for the Barbarians next Saturday at Twickenham, live on Sky Sports Action.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 08:  Julian Savea of the All Blacks makes a break during the Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the British & I
Image: Julian Savea will miss the All Blacks' five-match northern tour

Julian Savea can help force himself back into contention for New Zealand selection with "time away" from the squad and a "really big off-season", according to All Blacks selector Grant Fox.

The powerhouse winger, who will play against New Zealand on Saturday in the black and white hoops of the Barbarians, has fallen out of favour with the New Zealand coaching set-up in recent months, missing all of the All Blacks' Rugby Championship Tests this year.

Savea, 27, will be absent from Steve Hansen's touring party for their five-match tour of the northern hemisphere which includes Tests against France, Scotland and Wales but Fox believes his non-selection provides the Wellington skipper with an opportunity to "rekindle" his motivation.

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"Time away will help him rekindle that fire again - we often find that happens," Fox told RadioLIVE.

"You don't sometimes appreciate what you've got till it's not there anymore."

Fox, a former All Blacks World Cup winner, has indicated Savea, who helped Wellington to Mitre 10 Championship victory, knows what he needs to do to force himself back into the reckoning with the battle for places increasing with the World Cup in 2019 edging ever nearer.

Wellington win extra-time thriller
Wellington win extra-time thriller

Wellington claimed a thrilling 59-45 win over Bay of Plenty in extra-time of the Mitre 10 Championship final.

"The ball's in Juls' court," Fox added. "I think what Julian really needs is to have a really big off-season, get himself in the best possible shape. He can find his speed and agility again.

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"He's getting there, but we don't think he's quite there yet. I think a big off-season will help him do that. Super Rugby will be pretty critical to Juls' All Blacks future next year."

Savea, who played for Hansen's All Blacks during the drawn Test series against the British & Irish Lions, first made his international debut in 2012 and Fox has suggested that age might be catching up on the finisher.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 08:  Julian Savea of the All Blacks in action during the third Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the British &
Image: Savea featured for New Zealand during the drawn Test series against the British & Irish Lions

Fox said: "As you get older, the speedsters often become a little bit of a problem for them; it becomes challenging.

"So he's just got to plot his way through that. Whether that's diet or losing a bit of weight, I don't know - all sorts of things just to find that little bit of sharpness again and find the agility to beat players, find that little bit - maybe deeper aerobic fitness - to up their work rate a little bit.

"That all gets harder as athletes get older, no matter what position, so those are just areas he's just got to keep chipping away at."

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