Ardie the All Black wows Wellington

New Zealand's Ardie Savea celebrates scoring a try against England during their final match at the IRB Glasgow Sevens rugby tournament at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland May 6, 2012. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - It did not take long for All Blacks' rookie openside flanker Ardie Savea to attain cult status in Wellington, with his hometown crowd launching into a raucous chant as soon as he took the field against Wales on Saturday.

"Ardie! Ardie! Ardie!" a crowd of almost 36,000 bellowed as soon as the 22-year-old stepped onto the field at Wellington Regional Stadium for his second test, with the chants swelling to a crescendo when he scored a brilliant 40-metre try.