Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Moana Pasifika back cohesion in battle of the Pacific

Moana Pasifika celebrate the try. Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Moana Pasifika have trusted their winning formula for the battle of the Pacific in Fiji this week, naming an identical starting XV as the team that beat the Reds two weeks ago.

ADVERTISEMENT

In addition to the established cohesion within the starting XV, Moana head coach Tana Umaga welcomes back Jonathan Taumateine and Neria Fomai for their first games of the season, set for their respective returns off the bench.

Moana won the last game between the two teams in one of the games of the season in Melbourne’s Super Round. Now, the fixture has additional consequences as the team battle to maintain their place in the top eight.

“It’s a big game, the pride of the Pacific all coming together in Fiji and we know that they’ll be well supported. It’s a big task for us to go over there and get the result we’re looking for but it’s something that we’re excited about,” said Umaga.

“We haven’t finished yet. We want more. That’s the kind of attitude we want, we want to always improve ourselves. We want to get better both individually and as a team, but also as a club.”

Related

Moana Pasifika team to play the Fijian Drua

  1. Abraham Pole
  2. Samiuela Moli
  3. Sione Mafileo
  4. Tom Savage
  5. Allan Craig
  6. Irie Papuni
  7. Jacob Norris
  8. Sione Havili Talitui (c)
  9. Ereatara Enari
  10. William Havili
  11. Fine Inisi
  12. Julian Savea
  13. Henry Taefu
  14. Viliami Fine
  15. Danny Toala

Reserves

16. Sama Malolo
17. Sateki Latu
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Ola Tauelangi
20. Lotu Inisi
21. Jonathan Taumateine
22. Christian Lealiifano
23. Neria Fomai

Unavailable due to injury: Anzelo Tuitavuki, James Lay, Kyren Taumoefolau, Ofa Tauatevalu, Samuel Slade

ADVERTISEMENT

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 5 | Making Waves

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

W
WI 19 minutes ago
How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

It isn’t just the running rugby, but everything else as well. The Boks have a sense of desperation that sets in when they are matched physically, that cannot at times be offset by their skillset. One of the reasons, as far as i understand it, for Tony Brown’s introduction to the set up was to increase the Boks strike plays along with among many things. Is this not Rassie’s assessment of the Pool loss to Ireland? If you watch that game, so many opportunities, yet an unconverted try and a lone penalty to show for all those scrum penalties, stolen lineouts and 5 m maul attempts?


Fast Forward to Durban, the Boks could not score a single try? Led 24-19 with 65 minutes to go, led 24-22 with 40 seconds to go with a scrum, of all things in Ireland’s 22, yet end up losing the game. At the end of that series they had won 3 out of the 4 halves of rugby, yet drew the series.


Who could forget the infamous quarterfinal loss to the Wallabies in the 2011 WC Quarterfinal? Desperation as the time ticked on, in came the small things and the skillset failed.


The Boks have almost got it all, this one thing, as Eddie Jones said back in 2007, if the Boks get it, they might become unplayable. I think Rassie have realized as much by the failures of previous Bok teams. Boks Vs Robbie Deans, Heyneke Meyer VS All Blacks, 4 Straight Defeat to Wales? All i am saying, is that it isn’t readily apparent to me, that the Boks have it yet, and if they do, maybe it should ascend pass other nations? However, what would the school, domestic rugby philosophies not do to hinder it?


Gone are the extreme ends of the spectrum represented by Heyneke Meyer’s Bash Ball and Alister Coetzee’s flying with the fairies, as neither work for the Boks. It is obvious, that the gold lies in the combination of Mallet and to an extend Rassie. Not sure one coach would be able to change the mindset of a Rugby Nation, and to help me not hear my Bulls Fanatic neighbor shout “ Vok hul op!”

156 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'No one in the world has seen': Black Ferns foreshadow World Cup strategy Black Ferns foreshadow new World Cup strategy
Search