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Highlanders icon Nasi Manu among three new Otago signings ahead of Mitre 10 Cup campaign
Inspirational Tonga loose forward and former Highlanders co-captain Nasi Manu is returning to New Zealand rugby.
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The 31-year-old has returned to New Zealand after five-year stint in Europe to sign a one-year deal with Otago for this year’s Mitre 10 Cup.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Manu, as although he has never represented Otago at provincial level, he established himself as a Highlanders great during his six-season spell with the Dunedin franchise between 2010 and 2015.
In his final year with the club, he – alongside former All Blacks fullback Ben Smith – co-captained the Highlanders to their maiden Super Rugby title, claiming a 21-14 grand final win over the Hurricanes in Wellington in his last game for the franchise.
He has since spent time with PRO14 clubs Edinburgh and Benetton Treviso, but his time with the latter side was interrupted by a testicular cancer diagnosis that kept him out of the game for the entire 2018-19 European domestic season.
After undergoing chemotherapy treatment, however, Manu made a full recovery and played three times for Tonga at last year’s World Cup in Japan.
Such experience both domestically and internationally will be highly valued by Otago, especially given the departure of Adam Thomson, who has signed with Waikato after joining the Chiefs for this year’s Super Rugby competition.
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Manu will be joined by two other new additions to the Otago squad, including his former Highlanders teammate Josh Hohneck, who has also returned to Dunedin four years after leaving to join Premiership outfit Gloucester.
A former Waikato and Bay of Plenty prop, the 2015 Super Rugby winner made four appearances for Otago before linking up with the Cherry and Whites in England, where he notched up over 100 matches for the club.
The 34-year-old announced last month that he would be ending his four-year tenure at Gloucester to return to his homeland, and will add plenty of experience to a promising Otago front row in his one-season deal.
Rookie wing Freedom Vaha’akolo has also been picked up by the union after moving down to Dunedin from Auckland.
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Unable to break his way into the Auckland Mitre 10 Cup squad, the 23-year-old headed south in search of opportunities and has been rewarded for his scintillating form at grassroots level, that has seen him bag six tries in five games, with a one-year contract.
The acquisitions of all three players takes the number of players contracted to Otago for the 2020 season to 23, but ORFU general manager Richard Kinley told the Otago Daily Times that players will be continually added throughout the campaign.
Manu’s and Hohneck’s returns are representative of the growing trend of experienced players coming back to New Zealand after periods away offshore in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two-time World Cup-winning All Blacks flanker Liam Messam is among the headline returnees after deciding to head back to Waikato following two years in France with Toulon.
Elsewhere, former Blues outside back Lolagi Visinia and Tonga international and Chiefs cult hero Sona Taumalolo have signed with Hawke’s Bay, while Samoa midfielder Kieron Fonotia and and veteran hooker Quintin MacDonald have returned to Tasman.
Otago players contracted for 2020 Mitre 10 Cup season
Props: Jonah Aiona, George Bower, Josh Hohneck, Saula Ma’u, Hisa Sasagi
Hookers: Liam Coltman, Ricky Jackson
Locks: Josh Dickson, Josh Hill, Sione Misiloi
Loose Forwards: James Lentjes, Nasi Manu, Slade McDowall, Dylan Nel
Halfbacks: Kayne Hammington
First-Fives: Josh Ioane
Midfielders: Aleki Morris-Lome, Patelesio Tomkinson, Matt Whaanga
Outside Backs: Michael Collins, Vilimoni Koroi, Jona Nareki, Freedom Vaha’akolo
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments