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Moana Pasifika face daunting Super Rugby debut

By AAP
Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz

After two false starts Moana Pasifika at last will make their Super Rugby debut on Friday, facing a huge test against the 11-time champion Crusaders.

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Moana Pasifika’s first appearance in Super Rugby Pacific has been twice delayed.

Their opening-round match against the Blues was postponed because of a COVID outbreak among the tournament newcomers and their second-round match against the Chiefs was put back because the players’ release from isolation gave them too little time to prepare.

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The Aotearoa Rugby Pod previews the third round of Super Rugby Pacific.

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The Aotearoa Rugby Pod previews the third round of Super Rugby Pacific.

While fellow newcomers Fijian Drua have played twice in the Australian section of the tournament, the New Zealand section has so far lacked the Pacific flavour that Moana Pasifika is expected to provide.

After months of training and expectation, the young Moana Pasifika players, many of whom are new to Super Rugby, now get the chance to test themselves against the best team in the tournament. The Crusaders won Super Rugby Aotearoa last year and already unbeaten in two matches this season.

Head coach Aaron Mauger said his task as he prepares his team for its debut involved “encouraging our younger guys first time up to back themselves.

“They’re here because we believe in them and they’re here because we trust them,” Mauger said. “That just builds the more time we have together out on the grass.

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“We’ve only had one game to get that but we’ve had a lot of trainings now and the intensity’s starting to build. We’re pretty confident with where we’re at. We know it’s going to be a challenge but we’re looking forward to it.”

The Crusaders have the challenge of facing a team they haven’t seen before and who have little measurable form to assess. On paper Moana Pasifika have a strong front five and backline players who can produce the flair and style they wish to promote.

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“I think you stick to your strengths and we know that Moana Pasifika strengths will be their power game,” Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson said.

“They’ve got players across the field that can rip you open. They’re probably looking to expressing themselves. They’ve got a lot to play for. We’ve got to respect them.”

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The Fijian Drua also play Friday, against Melbourne Rebels as they still seek their first Super Rugby win. Later, the Western Force play the Queensland Reds in Perth.

On Saturday, the Blues play the Chiefs, the Hurricanes play the Highlanders and the Brumbies host the NSW Waratahs.

– Steve McMorran

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Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

36 Go to comments
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