Julian Savea considering rugby league switch after losing his place in Steve Hansen's All Blacks squad

All Blacks wing Julian Savea could turn his back on rugby union and the chance to break Doug Howlett’s try-scoring record in order to secure a move to rugby league after enduring one of the toughest years on the pitch in his career.

The 27-year-old Savea is contracted to the New Zealand Rugby union until after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but after dropping out of Steve Hansen’s plans, he is now questioning his future in the 15-man game.

“It's always been in the back of my mind,” Savea told New Zealand media outlet Newshub when asked about the possibility of a move to rugby league.

“I haven't had any reason to leave rugby [union], [but] I'd definitely think about it. You can't not think about it and not say no straight away, weigh up the pros and cons and what's best for my family.”

Nicknamed ‘The Bus’, Savea made an explosive start to his All Blacks career and has scored 46 tries in 54 Test matches, with all but six of those ending in victory for the world’s No 1 team. But a drop in form, combined with the emergence of World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in Rieko Ioane, led to Hansen leaving Savea out of his squad for the Rugby Championship and European tour after a mistake-laden third Test appearance against the British and Irish Lions in the summer.

He remains the most lethal finisher in All Blacks history, with his tries per game ratio at an unrivalled 0.852, and sits alongside rugby legends in Christian Cullen and Joe Rokocoko in joint-second on the country’s all-time try scorers list, just three off Howlett’s record.

An appearance for the Barbarians against Hansen’s second-string side at the start of last month failed to persuade Hansen to change his mind and recall him, and having also been dropped from the Hurricanes’ first XV at times this season, a move to the Premiership and Harlequins soon stole the headlines – only to be shot down by Savea himself.

However, the experience of being dropped in 2017 has taken its toll on the Wellington native, and he could look to flourish in pastures new in the form of rugby league, where a move to the NRL would likely materialise if he made himself available.

“I guess [being dropped] can play a lot on your mind,” Savea added. “Especially with the confidence – do you start believing you're not good enough or say ‘stuff it’ and work harder and work your butt off?

“For me, I like the challenges. I've had adversity before, I just can't wait to get the season started.”

Savea’s fall from the top has seen him drop behind 20-year-old Ioane – who already has 11 tries in his first 13 Test appearances – as well as Israel Dagg, with the veteran back re-establishing himself on the wing after seeing Ben Smith take his place at full-back.