Big shoes to fill: How Pita Gus Sowakula's absence has forced a reshaping of the Chiefs forward pack
Chiefs debutant Samipeni Finau has some big shoes to fill this weekend – but he won’t be wearing them alone.
While Finau will run out wearing the No 6 jersey against the Highlanders on Friday, it seems that the man who he’s really stepping in for is the Chiefs’ regular No 8, Pita Gus Sowakula.
Sowakula didn’t feature in the Super Rugby Aotearoa pre-season and is again unavailable for selection thanks to a frustrating knee injury which, according to new coach Clayton McMillan, will keep him out of action for another few weeks.
In Sam Cane, Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie, the Chiefs have a number of exceptionally talented one-of-a-kind players in their midst who are obviously key cogs in the machine, but even those experienced All Blacks are perhaps less important to the side’s cause than the injured Sowakula.
That’s because the big Fijian offers something that no one else in the squad really can – genuine go-forward.
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In 2020, Sowakula was the first port of call when the Chiefs needed to generate momentum. Whether it was off the top of the lineout or from the back of the scrum, Sowakula was the man that was called upon time and time again to truck the ball up and provide a platform from which the team could build an attack.
During the Super Rugby Aotearoa season, Sowakula’s 91 carries was the second-most of any player in the competition – just seven behind the Highlanders’ Marino Mikaele-Tu’u.
Looking at just the Chiefs, Sowakula made 21 more carries more than wing Sean Wainui, the next most prolific carrier in the squad. Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho the second busiest forward on attack but he made well under half as many carries as Sowakula, clocking in at just 40.
Unsurprisingly, Sowakula also chalked up the most metres of any forward in the team with 177 to his name – 54 more than Lachlan Boshier, the next best.
While Finau’s selection has been partially dictated by injuries, with the likes Sowakula and Boshier both unavailable this week, the Chiefs still had men like Mitch Brown, Simon Parker and the uncapped Kaylum Boshier to call upon.
The Chiefs have a history of picking men who aren't on too many radars but suddenly burst into the spotlight. Will that be the case for their newest debutant? #SuperRugbyAotearoa #CHIvHIL@realmikepulman with the story.https://t.co/bd37WynAef
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Instead, McMillan has plumped for Finau – a man who initially missed selection in the Chiefs squad when it was named late last year.
“He’s still just a replacement player but clearly he’s been doing some stuff pretty well in the pre-season to warrant a starting opportunity,” McMillan said of his new blindside flanker. “If he goes well then it may present opportunities for him moving forward.
“With Samipeni, he’s a big guy and he’s explosive. His ability to carry and get gain has been really impressive. Defensively, he’s got a lot of hurting in his intentions and we feel that with Sam [Cane], and Luke [Jacobson] playing 8, that gives us a really good balance in the loose forward trio.”
Parker and Boshier – both inexperienced men themselves – are both slightly smaller than Finau, who charts at 193 centimetres tall and 109 kilograms heavy.
Man-mountain Sowakula, for reference, is two centimetres taller and one kilo heavier – but there isn’t a major difference in how the two players measure up.
As McMillan alluded to, with Luke Jacobson playing at No 8 and captain Cane on the openside flank, there’s an alluring harmony to the loose forward trio – which will be squaring off with the combo of Shannon Frizell, Billy Harmon and Mikaele-Tu’u on Friday night.
Jacobson’s return to the fold should be celebrated, given the former New Zealand Under 20s captain’s horror run with injuries.
The 23-year-old was finally able to string some regular matches together during the 2020 provincial season and will be aiming to make up ground in the national pecking order after seeing the likes of Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane and Cullen Grace all earn test debuts last year.
Jacobson won’t be the biggest player on the field, but he’ll be competing with Sam Cane on Friday night to see who can put in the biggest hits.
Sowakula’s absence also looks to have affected the composition of the tight forwards, with Samisoni Taukei’aho preferred ahead of Bradley Slater at hooker.
"If I’m [training] inhibited, I’ve probably got a pretty terrible chance of performing or getting up to their level."@AllBlacks World Cup bolter Luke Jacobson spoke to @TomVinicombe about the highs and lows of 2019. #SuperRugbyAotearoa #AllBlackshttps://t.co/dxe3GZe4P9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 12, 2020
It’s perhaps an understatement to suggest that the Chiefs lineout has struggled in the past with Taukei’aho wearing No 2.
Slater, the more reliable option, was elevated to the starting side for much of the 2020 season but McMillan has reversed the decision made by then-coach Warren Gatland, reinstating Taukei’aho despite no obvious evidence to suggest his lineout delivery has improved.
If the errors can be kept to a minimum, however, there’s a massive upside to the Waikato hooker’s game. The 23-year-old is a powerful ball-carrier – especially close to the breakdown – and will likely be called upon to regularly truck the ball up in the absence of Sowakula.
While Taukei’aho was well behind Sowakula on the carries metric last year, that difference almost completely disappears after taking into consideration minutes on the field.
Finau’s introduction to the mix could also hopefully help alleviate some of the lineout woes that Taukei’aho brings with him, with the blindside flanker regularly used as lineout receiver for Waikato throughout the Mitre 10 Cup season.
Of course, it would be entirely unfair to pin the Chiefs’ chances on a 21-year-old debutant – but that’s how important Sowakula has become to the team’s fortunes in recent seasons. Unlike some Super Rugby debutants, Finau isn’t being asked to come in and quietly go about his business – he’s being asked to make an instant impact.
It’s not all on his shoulders, of course. With the likes of Taukei’aho, Cane, Jacobson and Tupou Vaa’i also marching out on Friday, Sowakula’s responsibilities are being shared amongst a number of players who have the size and the power to punch some holes in the Highlanders’ defence and cause some damage.
It’s no doubt going to be a highly attritional match – exactly the kind of thing we’ve come to expect from these Super Rugby Aotearoa derbies.
Friday’s match kicks off at 7:05pm NZT and will be available to watch with a RugbyPass Super Rugby Aotearoa season pass for subscribers in the UK, Ireland, France, Singapore and other territories across the world.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments