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'We might not necessarily have the choice': Future uncertain for Moana Pasifika
Moana Pasifika will play just their second game of the Super Rugby season when they take on the Chiefs on Saturday evening at Mt Smart Stadium.
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With Covid impacting the squad over the opening two weekends of action, Moana Pasifika’s contests with the Blues and Chiefs were both postponed and had initially been scheduled to take place as midweek fixtures later in the season. While the Pacific Islanders were able to finally get their campaign underway in Round 3 against the Crusaders, the Hurricanes then pulled out crook last weekend and the Highlanders have had to do the same for the current round of fixtures.
With the postponed games quickly piling up, New Zealand Rugby in association with the affected teams quickly made the call to adjust the schedule for this weekend. While the Chiefs were set to play the Hurricanes, the Wellingtonians have instead been given the weekend off and teed up a match between the Chiefs and Moana Pasifika on the basis that it would be easier for both the Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika to make up just two postponed matches each, instead of Moana Pasifika somehow having to fit three midweek games into their schedule later in the season.
It’s not the ideal scenario, but Moana Pasifika will take what they can get.
“Obviously grateful to be playing anybody, to be fair,” said head coach Aaron Mauger. “We probably would have played on the airport runway if we had to. Desperate for a game, and keen to get out there.”
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“We’d have liked to have had a few more under our belt, but circumstances have dictated that that hasn’t been the case, so the focus has really been on our game, really grown our own game and executing our own game, understanding how that looks in this competition,” he added.
“The last couple of weeks have given us a good opportunity to learn from the Crusader game. It didn’t really matter who we were going to play this week, the focus has been on ourselves.
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“Up against a good Chiefs side, they’ve been really impressive in these first few rounds, so we respect the challenge that’s coming, but the focus has really been on understanding our game and putting that out there [on Saturday] night.”
While there have unsurprisingly been some frustrations around the postponed matches and how they could have an impact later in the competition, Mauger said Moana Pasifika are simply focussing on one week at a time.
“We’ve only just brought our horizon forward to this weekend,” he said. “We’re down to play the Hurricanes next weekend, but that could change. There’s been a bit of a restructure of the draw to accommodate for this weekend.
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“We haven’t even really considered what that looks like at the moment. There’s been so many changes going on, we just wanted to put our focus into this week. We’ve got an awesome board and [backroom] staff that negotiate all those conversations for us at the moment, so we’ll get through this week and start planning for those early next week.
“Like I say, we’re really focused for this one, get through that, put a good performance out there, and then we’ll deal with the next game after this weekend.”
Mauger was, however, pleased that his side have avoided having to integrate an additional fixture later in the season and that his team are able to get their season back on track in Hamilton.
“That would be challenging, three mid-week games. They’ll consider all those things [player welfare] and we might not necessarily have the choice if it’s around the competition, but we’ll do just do whatever’s best for our team. First and foremost, the safety of our players and the wellbeing of our players, and we’ll try and do our absolute best for the competition, make sure it survives in some sort of form going forward, and we’ll play our part where we can.”
Moana Pasifika kick off their match with the Chiefs at 7:05pm NZT on Saturday from Mt Smart Stadium in South Auckland.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets 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?
10 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.
9 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.
10 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.
22 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.
9 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.
14 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 commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments