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All Black Ardie Savea close to joining Moana Pasifika – report
By Finn Morton
Moana Pasifika are close to completing what would be the biggest signing in the club’s history with All Blacks vice-captain Ardie Savea reportedly on the brink of joining the team.
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As reported by The New Zealand Herald’s Liam Napier on Friday, Savea is “at the pointy end” of negotiations with New Zealand Rugby over a new deal that includes conversations about committing through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Savea, 30, is also looking to finalise his playing future in Super Rugby Pacific after returning to New Zealand following a sabbatical with Kobe Steelers in Japan. The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year was expected to return to the Hurricanes but that might not be the case.
As the New Zealand-based journalist explained, there have been rumours about Savea signing with Moana Pasifika but an official announcement is expected next week once the All Blacks return home after playing Fiji in San Diego.
The Herald has reported that Savea is “likely” to sign with the team based out of Auckland, which could see the All Black take the field with brother Julian, who played 54-Tests for New Zealand
The move would also see Savea fulfil what seems to be a long-held dream of representing Samoa, albeit in Super Rugby Pacific as opposed to the international arena at this stage.
“If you were to ask me four years ago, I would have loved to play for Samoa and put the jersey on,” Savea told Jim Hamilton on Walk the Talk earlier this year.
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“But right now, I’m getting older and I think I’d be doing a disservice to the jersey if I was to just go there when I’m older.
“We’ll see, but with the rules of stand-down being three years, it’s just a long time.
For me, I want to give back to Samoa in different ways,” he added.
“It might be going back home and helping out the kids there or doing something like that in my village.
“It might not be representing them on an international stage but just doing something to give back.”
In their third season in Super Rugby, Moana Pasifika showed genuine signs of promise as they finished the 14-game regular season with four wins. They may have finished second-last, but this isn’t a side that wasn’t that far off the mark.
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Moana Pasifika beat Fijian Drua 39-36 in early March, and later recorded wins over the Western Force in Perth, the Queensland Reds in New Zealand and the NSW Waratahs at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium.
As for the Hurricanes, the decision for Savea to potentially not return to Wellington will come as a big blow. They have quality depth in the backrow with options including Braydon Iose, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Peter Lakai and more, but Ardie Savea is Ardie Savea after all.
With the Hurricanes looking to build on their semi-final finish in 2024, the addition or return of Savea for the next year’s campaign would’ve come as a major boost but other opportunities are there for the taking.
Would be a great move by Ardie, respect.
Fiji team to play New Zealand:
- Eroni Nawa 28-year-old 1.89 m 131 kg - Rugby World Cup starter - 350minutes for Saracens back up to Mako Vunipola but has much better carry stats this year\n\n
- Tevita Ikanivere 24 y/o 1.82 m 114 kg - RWC impact to Northampton Saints starter Sam Matavasi but won the starting spot for knockout qf match - Drua rake and much more lively stats on the carry that Matavasi but maybe more raw than the Saints veteran. Behind Asafo Aumua still in all stats (still very impressive). Got the starting spot over Asafo Aumua in Alun Wyn Jones testimonial\n\n
- Mesake Doge 31 y/o 1.80 m 122 kg - RWC impact to Bayonnes starter Luke Tagi\n\n
- Isoa Nasilasila 24 y/o 1.97 m117 kg - RWC and Drua starter\n\n
- Temo Mayanavanua 26 y/o 1.97 m 120 kg - RWC impact to Drua Kiwi Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta - more dominant tackler and impact player for Northampton Saints behind Top 14 bound Alex Moon\n\n
- Lekima Tagitagivalu 28 y/o 1.95 m 110 kg - RWC starter at both openside and blindside but has spent half his career locking - Pau everywhere man, started in their euro knockout loss\n\n
- Kitione Salawa 23 y/o 1.92 m 95 kg - Drua’s new boy tearaway, one of the leading, if not the best per 80minutes turnover mechants in Super Rugby\n\n
- Viliame Mata 32 y/o 1.96 m 116 kg - Fiji and European star\n\n
- Frank Lomani 28 y/o 1.80 m 81 kg - RWC test 9 - Best try involvements 9 in SR for the Drua behind Ratima and TJP\n\n
- Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 20 y/o 1.75 m 86 kg - Test rookie comes in in place of Test and Drua star Ilaisa Droasese who might have had flight or visa issues I suppose.* *\n\n
- Semi Radradra - enough said\n\n
- Inia Tabuavou 21 y/o 1.85 m 101 kg - Youngster has had some good minutes and stats filling in at Racing 92\n\n
- Waisea Nayacalevu 34 y/o 1.93 m 105 kg - RWC starter and captain - Dominant carrier for Toulon when asked to return early after the WC but injured for the season shortly after which saw Leicester .\n\n
- Jiuta Wainiqolo 25 y/o 1.87 m 97 kg - Has some crunching numbers for Toulon on the wing along side his captain\n\n
- Vilimoni Botitu - Promoted to flyhalf for the RWC quarter finals after injuries - Has mostly had minutes for castres as inside center
Reserves- Zuriel Togiatama - Drua impact
- Haereiti Hetet - Drua #1
- Samu Tawake - Drua impact
- Albert Tuisue - Fiji and Gloucester impact player
- Elia Canakaivata - Late 20s in his second pro year (Drua) by the looks must have come through Fiji pathways or 7s
- Simione Kuruvoli - Test backup and a player many though was best impact at RWC
- Caleb Muntz - Seen as leader at 10 but regularly injured after coming from English Championship
- Sireli Maqala - RWC player and Bayonne center
Missing playersIsefo Masi - Star center of Super Rugby for the Drua at the Olympics playing 7’s I think
Josua Tuisova - Fiji’s inside center at RWC got little minutes this Top 14 season so suspect injured still only 30 - Reports about managing his minutes and his body, looks like Toulon have put the hard word on him not to play until November window (back from injury around June)
Levani Botia - RWC star but getting on in years and injured toward back of Top14, hopefully not the same as above
Vinaya Habosi - Another RWC star winger who finished his Top 14 season recently after having a 3 month (injury?) layoff in the middle. Not scoring any tries. Hopefully partaking in 7VNS and not blocked by Racing 92 as he’s just gone missing to my sluthing
Mesake Vocevoce - Breakdown beast of a lock for a young fella in 2024 Drua
Selestino Ravutaumada - Probably Drua’s best attacking back and one who I also confuse for his older captain, their RWC wing and at the Olympics as well
Meli Derenalagi - Block buster 8 for the Drua
Please add a reply if you know better about any of these players (and there wereabouts if not playing)
Fake news according to “reliable sources”.
Gutted to see him go from the Canes, but good on him for supporting his home island. As long as he’s still an All Black, I’m happy