Analysis: A visit from David Tua would have provided extra motivation but it's hard to go past Ardie Savea as Moana's true talisman, writes Patrick McKendry.
Even before Moana Pasifika took the field against the Hurricanes last night for their first victory over a New Zealand team since 2022 there was a feeling that something special was in store – or, if that is laying it on a bit thick, then at least something was building.
In the days before, former New Zealand heavyweight boxer David Tua, the man whose vicious left hook took him all the way to a world championship title fight against Lennox Lewis in Las Vegas 25 years ago, paid a visit.
The franchise's social media accounts show that Tua, now based in Samoa, receiving quite the welcome from the players and management.
That’s probably not particularly surprising given Tua’s standing in the community and the way he inspired fellow Pacific Islanders to succeed on the world stage, but his presence and address to the group would have provided additional motivation this week.
And that’s not all. On those same digital pages, a group of locally-based South Africans – presumably from the expat strongholds of the Browns Bay hinterland on Auckland’s North Shore – cooked what appeared to be a substantial braai in a show of support and also a promotion of sorts.
It highlighted an endeavour whereby supporters are encouraged to bring their barbecues to home matches at North Harbour Stadium for a car park cook-out before kick-off – a highly popular activity in places such as Cape Town and Durban which adds a certain atmosphere, not to mention a nutritious feed, to game day.
Whether it takes off in a small corner of Albany just off the Northern motorway remains to be seen but full marks for giving it a go and full marks, too, for aligning with a community which no longer has a presence in Super Rugby and appears more than ready to adopt a new team.
It all speaks to a new confidence within a franchise which has struggled on the pitch and off it. This is a squad which was searching for a little bit of quality and a home after effectively being kicked out of Mt Smart Stadium, and they have found both in the form of a couple of first-fives in Patrick Pellegrini and Jackson Garden-Bachop and North Harbour Stadium.
Above all, they have Ardie Savea, their inspirational captain whose talent and aura go far beyond the training or playing field.
One wonders how much of that new confidence emanating from the franchise has come from a 31-year-old who must be considered one of the most consistently excellent players of the modern era.
Where Savea fits in the list of the great All Blacks loose forwards will remain a point of discussion far beyond his retirement because, while he is a classic openside flanker playing at No.8, and could probably play in the midfield or among the outside backs such is his skillset, pace and utility value, his hybrid quality has probably been a bit of a curse as well as a blessing. Interestingly, while he wore the No.7 jersey last night, he was regularly packing down at the back of the scrum.
There is no doubting his impact on his new team, though, and after moving north from the Hurricanes, this will be a special victory for Savea.
He didn’t play the second half of this 40-31 win due to a leg injury but was one of the most influential forwards on the park in the first 40 minutes and the sense of belief built during that time was enough to carry them home – helped, it must be said, by Pellegrini’s astute running and kicking game and a hat-trick of tries by flanker Miracle Faiilagi, the 25-year-old whose family village is located just down the road from Apia Stadium.
The question now is how many others will follow Savea’s path to Moana Pasifika.
He went to connect with his roots and do what he felt was the right thing in helping a struggling franchise which is now operating as an organisation far greater than the sum of its parts.
It's an inspirational story, and for the many young Polynesian professional players, no doubt an increasingly attractive proposition.
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