A precocious talent, Tanerau Latimer set the tongues wagging before he’d even finished school, by earning a call up to the New Zealand Sevens side in 2004 prior to even making the national schoolboys XV. That accolade duly followed later in the year, by which time Latimer had already featured in eight international Sevens tournaments for his country, making a winning debut at the New Zealand International Sevens in Wellington. Latimer extended his Sevens record to 14 international appearances in 2005, before stepping onto a brighter stage when he joined the Crusaders on the draft the following year. The scorer of two tries during his run on debut against the Bulls at Pretoria, Latimer made five appearances during his first season in Christchurch and learned much on his way to earning a Super 14 winner’s medal.