Clark Laidlaw shines light on Fehi Fineanganofo's overlooked skillset

Departing Hurricanes winger and former All Blacks Sevens speedster Fehi Fineanganofo had a night to remember in Wellington on Friday, scoring a double in the first half against Moana Pasifika.

The home side were exceptional against a heavily rotated Moana Pasifika side, where they dominated from almost the start to finish in their first game of the season.

But it was a different aspect of Fineanganofo’s game that impressed Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw the most, one part of his game that people probably don’t focus on.

“Fehi is obviously a power winger, he breaks tackles often and I think the part that maybe people underestimate will be his defensive game,” Laidlaw told reporters in Wellington.

“Cory Jane and Fehi have done an amazing job of becoming a really strong defender in the 15’s game, so he doesn’t look like it’s his second season.”

Just as you thought the 23-year-old would have a first-half hat-trick, Fineanganofo decided it was best to shift the ball on to Josh Moorby, who was in a better position to score closer to the posts.

Moorby then went on to get his hat-trick in the second half, and also nearly had four after one got ruled out by referee Angus Gardner.

Moorby, who returned to the Hurricanes after a short stint in France, joked that he probably was calling for the ball on the inside of Fineanganofo.

“I probably was screaming in his ear to be honest, probably didn’t realise where he was, pretty thankful for that really.”

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On the hat-trick hero in yellow and black, Laidlaw explained that Moorby’s influence all around the park is why he’s so effective for the Wellington-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise.

“Josh is all action around the field. He pops up in little spaces when there’s line breaks. He obviously shifted to full back and still played well.

“So to have that flexibility to have somebody who’s jumped to the back straightaway is helpful. He’s a good man. It’s another good example that you never burn bridges.”