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'I've got to perform': Asafo Aumua discusses his RWC ambitions

(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

With this year’s Rugby World Cup just a matter of months away, there are a number of players in New Zealand with a genuine point to prove in Super Rugby Pacific.

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Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua is one of them.

Aumua, 25, re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through to the end of 2025 in August last year even though he missed out on international selection with the All Blacks.

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All Blacks Samisoni Taukei’aho, Codie Taylor and Dane Coles are all regulars for the national team, and appear to be the frontrunners for his year’s World Cup squad.

But just because it appears to be that way, doesn’t mean it will.

Aumua has been sensational off the bench for the Hurricanes so far this season, and has been promoted to the starting team for their round four clash against the Waratahs on Friday.

Speaking with radio host Martin Devlin ahead of the round four blockbuster at Sky Stadium, Aumua admitted that he thinks about the All Blacks “every week.”

“I just like to focus week-to-week… I just try to put my best foot forward for the team, always about the team,” Aumua said on The Platform.

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“It does get into my mind, I do think about it every week – not all day.

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“Mostly game day… ‘I’ve got to perform today if I want to get into that squad’.”

The Hurricanes and Waratahs have shown glimpses of greatness throughout the early stages of this year’s campaign, but both teams are coming off losses in round three.

After starting their season with wins over the Reds and Rebels, the Hurricanes in a thriller by rivals the Blues at Sky Stadium on Saturday.

As for the Waratahs, they risk falling to a one-and-three record if they fail to beat the Hurricanes across the ditch this week.

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Following on from last year’s tense encounter between the two teams – which the Hurricanes by four – Aumua said he’s been “thinking about this game” ever since.

“I’ve been thinking about this game since the last time we played (the Waratahs), especially around our set-piece,” he added.

“Our scrum last year didn’t go well, some of the boys were subbed off before half-time.

“This game, I’m really looking forward to this one.

“I was in that starting front row, it was me and the other props, we’ve been talking about this game for a while now.

“We’ve just put our energy this week into our training and a few extras here and there.”

Captain Ardie Savea has been named to return at No. 8 for the Hurricanes, after serving a one game suspension for a throat-slitting gesture in Super Round.

Savea’s inclusion is one of three changes to the Hurricanes’ starting XV, including Aumua who will run out in the No. 2 jersey.

Winger Kini Naholo will also make his Hurricanes debut when the match kicks off at 7:05pm NZT on Friday.

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M
Mzilikazi 1 hour ago
Western Force and ACT Brumbies looking for signs of progress in Super Rugby Pacific

It’s good to be at the start of the season, to be tipping the games again. Thanks for the article Brett. An interesting and, for me, informative read, as I have not kept up with all the news of all the teams, really only Qld.


Whatever happens in the search for a new coach for the WB’s, all of Les Kiss, Stephen Larkham and Dan McKellar will be coaching their respective teams this year. I believe Kiss to be the best of the three, and by a significant margin(the bad result against the Chiefs in the playoffs last season the one scar), and that gives Qld., in my view, an extra edge.


I agree, Brett, that Qld. on paper, and on squad strength and experience, look the best bet for Australia. If Tim Ryan builds on last year, he could be a WB starter against the Lions. The locking strength and depth is approaching that of teams like Leinster, Toulouse etc…not as strong ofc, but in Super Rugby circles, yes.


I like the type of game Kiss is building. Really carrying on from where he was rudely interrupted at London Irish, when they fell over. The one game on tour where they beat Ulster was a significant pointer to where they are at. While not a top Ulster unit, it was still a very good team, not easy to beat in Belfast. Sadly the Bristol game was a training run, but still valuable in a way, as the group were touring, building systems and understanding.


One player I will be watching with interest is Finn Hurley at the Highlanders. He was brought to my attention a year ago by the grandson of a friend, who knew him at Otago Boys High in Dunedin. Small, but resilient, with a good boot, from what I have seen on clips, he should have a useful first full year as a Highlander.


Hope the Force do well… have always had a “soft spot” for them. But good luck to all franchises, and pray for no serious injuries….as I have done forever, as aplayer, then coach, and now long retired rugby fanatic 😀

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J
Jfp123 3 hours ago
New twist sees Romain Ntamack's Six Nations ban extended

I’m still not convinced. I think everyone should be punished equally for similar actions, rather than differentiating punishment on the basis of speculative psychological analysis. I still think accusations are based more on the mindset of the accuser than the accused. As mentioned, I can’t possibly say why Ntamack committed foul play and you may be right, but that’s not the only possible explanation. Have you never lost concentration when work’s a walkover and your best efforts aren’t needed. We know very little about Ntamack, perhaps major upheavals off the pitch were on his mind, eg maybe worried about the baby. Or how about turning your speculation in the opposite direction? Some pundits mentioned there were afters to the tackle, which presumably indicate the Welsh player had lost his temper. Were those afters delivered silently, or were they accompanied by words? Could he have said something insulting about Ntamack’s mixed heritage, or family, or something else that lit the blue touch paper? I don’t suppose he was complimenting him on his hair! No provocation justifies dangerous play, whether an HIA examination is required or not, and Ntamack deserved his red card and punishment. But if this is what happened, would you call both players’ losses of temper ‘malicious’? After all, Ntamack has taken thousands of big hits over his career without retaliating. The foul was out of character, so should it be explained away by afters to the tackle that were malicious? No one landed a punch, but are all punches malicious, whatever the provocation? Now both this scenario and yours take actions which actually happened, and then progress to pure speculation about the unknown. There are other possibilities too. I’m certainly not saying any of the possibilities discussed are what happened and I don’t presume to know what the players were thinking at the time. If you want to make a case for punishing all players who get a red card, in a similar way with similar outcomes, for longer, that would be fair enough. But I don’t think it’s fair to call for special punishment for a particular player based on speculation.

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