'My old man was keen for me to go and play for Samoa, but he knew it wasn't for the best'
Across the paddock, Aki Seiuli and Siua Halanukonuka locked eyes for a barely a beat, a fleeting look that heralded the gleeful, unremitting destruction these two monstrous specimens were about to visit upon the British and Irish Lions.
With eight minutes of a sensational back-and-forth contest in Dunedin left, their Highlanders trailed by two points. The tourists had a scrum deep in their own territory, wide on the left flank. The home pack was tired, but they reckoned the Lions were worse.
Down the big men went. The forwards grasped each other then crashed together like rutting stags. Seiuli seized his moment. Steeling his huge frame, the loosehead surged forward, buckling Dan Cole and propelling his pack in an irrepressible navy tsunami. Cole, the great rock of the Leicester and England front row, was mangled like a twig underfoot.
Penalty Highlanders. Dreadlocks sprouting over his headband, Seiuli roared like he had just run in a try from 80 metres. Marty Banks, a slight, mop-headed cult hero in those parts of South Island, banged over the match-winning goal. The killer blow forged by the behemoths, Seiuli and Halanukonuka – a near-quarter-ton of unstoppable Pacific Islands beef.
“I remember looking at Siua and we were looking at the posts, we knew we were in kicking range,” Seiuli told RugbyPass about that thunderous set-piece back in June 2017. “We were all pumped up for that scrum and we got that penalty. We knew Marty was going to get it.
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“It wasn’t a pre-planned shove; it was just one of those natural instincts. I kept joking with Marty that I asked him before the scrum if he wanted the penalty or not!
“The build-up to that game was awesome. We had people coming in who had beaten the Lions telling us about their experiences, seeing the town flow with more people, heaps of Lions fans, you could feel that atmosphere building into that game from the start of the week. It’s definitely up there as my No1 career moment.”
Seiuli and Halanukonuka will be pulverising together again soon, not in Dunedin or on the arduous Super Rugby circuit, but half the world away in Glasgow. Halanukonuka has spent two years here already and is signed up for two more when he gets back from Tonga’s World Cup adventure.
Seiuli is the latest recruit of Dave Rennie’s Warriors, a bristling carrier of the ball who ought to fit seamlessly into his new team’s high-tempo strategy. “Siua and I were together when the Highlanders were doing well under Tony Brown,” explained the 26-year-old, who has played all of his professional rugby in Otago.
“He compared Glasgow to that and said it was pretty similar in how they like to play a fast-paced game, and that everyone just gets on really well in the environment. I was pretty keen after that.”
Seiuli has long desired to play overseas. A dreadful anterior cruciate ligament injury last October meant he played no Super Rugby in 2019 and with his contract expiring, this was the perfect time to go.
ICYMI | Aki Seiuli will join the club on a two-year deal from the @Highlanders.https://t.co/976KIjS0b0
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) September 11, 2019
He got back playing for Otago in the provincial Mitre 10 Cup last month – a rung below Super Rugby, but still a storied and prestigious competition in New Zealand – and will arrive in Glasgow when his side’s part in the tournament is done, likely in late October or early November.
“Rugby’s not going to be there forever. Using rugby to explore the world was one of my goals. Glasgow gave me an offer and it was too good to turn down. I want to go see the world and I love meeting new people.”
Were it not for the heinous blow of that knee injury, Seiuli could also be out in Japan just now. Although born and raised in New Zealand, his parents are Samoan, each having emigrated in their late teens in search of better work and more prosperous lives.
Steve Jackson, the Samoa coach, would have had him in his World Cup training squad. Seiuli longed to go, but thrusting his newly-recovered knee into a tumultuous camp was too great a risk, showcasing himself to the rugby world in anything but his finest light too big a worry.
“With my knee, I didn’t know if I was ready to go from a serious injury to playing, and then potentially playing on the world stage,” he said. “I thought it was best for me to slowly build into that and focus on Glasgow – getting my injury right, getting back on the field and playing Mitre 10.
“Then once I get to Glasgow, I should be ready for that. But the Samoa coaches respected that. My old man was pretty supportive, he was keen for me to go and play for them, but he knew it wasn’t for the best. It was a brave decision but hopefully I’ll get to the stage where I can play for Samoa again if the opportunity comes up.”
? Warriors HQ is back for the new season!
Go behind the scenes at Scotstoun as the players prepare for yesterday’s game against Ulster. https://t.co/rA9cynarCx
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) September 15, 2019
Rennie will not want for looseheads this season. Oli Kebble, the humungous South African, was his brilliant premier option last season, a titan in the set-piece and footballing juggernaut around the field. Alex Allan brings zip and soft handling in open play and young Charlie Capps and George Thornton have arrived eager to upset the pecking order.
Seiuli is wonderfully unique among his new team-mates and rivals. He has the immense power of a prop with the dynamism, pace and handling of a nimble back row. His strides are rapid, like a bloke who is constantly navigating his way through a speed ladder, and he wrenches his 118kg bulk from left to right with serious agility.
“I like to have the ball in hand and carry, I like fast-paced rugby, and while you have got to know your core roles as a prop with the set-piece, I also like to get the ball in hand and try to create a bit of razzle,” he continued.
“I’ve had a talk to Dave Rennie a couple of times and he told me all about that stuff, what I can bring. I’m happy to get in there and work hard and try and make something out of it, whether it’s starting, off the bench or not even in the team, I’m just happy to be in the environment and bring a bit of edge.”
Brutality in the tight, “razzle” on the open prairie. The results this season should be fun.
WATCH: Neil Back recalls England’s 2003 World Cup triumph in the opening episode of Rugby World Cup Memories, the new RugbyPass series
Comments on RugbyPass
This looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
2 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
3 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to commentsRyan Coxon has been very impressive considering he was signed by WF as injury cover whilst Uru has been a standout for QR, surprised neither of those mentioned
3 Go to commentsIt’s the massive value he brings with regard team culture/values, preparation, etc. Can’t buy that. I’m hoping to see the young locks get their chance in the big games though.
10 Go to comments