Waratahs set to sign former All Black, Sosene Anesi

[travelling_gerry]

Bret Harris | August 24, 2009


Article from: The Australian

NSW Waratahs are poised to sign former All Blacks winger Sosene Anesi for next year's Super 14 series.

Anesi, who played one Test against Fiji in 2005, will replace sacked Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri.

A member of the Chiefs' Super rugby squad for five years, Anesi made his debut against the Waratahs in 2005.

Anesi also won a gold medal as part of the New Zealand sevens team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Despite his undoubted talent, Anesi has had difficulty securing a starting place with the Chiefs, who boast arguably the best back three in the Super 14 - All Blacks Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Lelia Masaga.

Anesi, 28, will be the third marquee import to play for an Australian province following New Zealand openside flanker Daniel Braid at Queensland Reds and Kiwi prop Ben Castle at the Western Force, moves made possible by the ARU's decision to re-open the door to foreign players.

He will offer the Waratahs experience and great ball skills at either wing or fullback.
The NSW back three of Anesi and Australia wingers Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner all have the ability to interchange between wing and fullback, giving the squad great versatility.

Anesi, Mitchell and Turner are expected to form a potent back-three combination.
And with Wallabies inside centre Berrick Barnes taking over the playmaking role at the Waratahs next year, the outside backs should be well served.

If Barnes starts at five-eighth as expected, young guns Kurtley Beale and Rob Horne will probably form a new-look midfield combination, which would offer playmaking skill and strike power.

The Waratahs have already signed NSW under-19s centre Rory Sidey, who has returned from a stint with Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales, to add depth to the midfield following Timana Tahu's switch back to rugby league.

The Waratahs are still looking to fill their second import spot with a second-rower as they are yet to replace former Australia lock Dan Vickerman, who left to study at Cambridge University at the end of last year.

Under ARU rules, the second import must be an emerging player who will be eligible to play for the Wallabies.

It is understood the Waratahs have their eyes on a young, South African to fill the spot.

With Barnes, Anesi and a foreign lock, the Waratahs would start to look like genuine semi-final contenders, especially as they only narrowly missed the top four this year.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html

[zimeric]

Anesi, 28, will be the third marquee import to play for an Australian province following New Zealand openside flanker Daniel Braid at Queensland Reds and Kiwi prop Ben Castle at the Western Force, moves made possible by the ARU's decision to re-open the door to foreign players.

erm make that 4th mate..
youre forgetting we've signed the yarpie with the look of death

[jargan83]

Anesi, 28, will be the third marquee import to play for an Australian province following New Zealand openside flanker Daniel Braid at Queensland Reds and Kiwi prop Ben Castle at the Western Force, moves made possible by the ARU's decision to re-open the door to foreign players

The actual timing of the playing schedule may see him play before Pretorius

[zimeric]

fair enough.. i was going to call semantics but then thatd be shooting myself in the foot.

[James]

With Barnes on board the Waratahs backline has a huge attacking potential. Guys like Beale, Anesi and Mitchell don't exactly have super defensive records but they do have plenty to offer on the attack. Lets hope Hickey can make the most of it (except when playing the Force). It's kinda funny now the Force has the slightly more conservative players and the Tahs have the attacking weapons. Bit of a role reversal. I wonder how it will work out.

I reckon half the reason for the big New Zealand player exodus was Henry's rather cynical attempt to lock in players to New Zealand test rugby in order to ensure depth. Take out that element of something to play for or something to aim at and the players will just get pissed off and want to go somewhere else.

[Burgs]

Anesi ready to fill Tuqiri's shoes

November 17, 2009 - 3:31PM

NSW Waratahs winger Sosene Anesi admits it will be a tough gig replacing Lote Tuqiri in next year's Super 14 competition.

Anesi, who will help cover the loss of Tuqiri, who moved to English club Leicester following his sacking by the ARU in July, has arrived in Sydney after completing his commitments with New Zealand side Waikato.

And the 28-year-old speedster is hoping the move will give him more playing time than he got for the Chiefs during their spectacular run to the 2009 Super 14 final.

It was a season that proved to be a frustrating one for Anesi, who spent most of it playing second fiddle behind the All Blacks trio of Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Leila Masaga.

"It was quite hard with the All Blacks back and with Mils and Siti and Masaga but hopefully that will make me a stronger player for the Waratahs," Anesi told reporters on Tuesday.

Asked about the pressure to replace Tuqiri, Anesi said "It's going to be tough, Lote is a good player...I'm just going to be there to play my own game."

NSW coach Chris Hickey stressed Anesi was a very different type of player to Tuqiri.

"He (Anesi) is a very different player to Lote and we weren't specifically looking for a Lote Tuqiri replacement," Hickey said.

"Sosene brings a lot to the game, his speed and his attacking skills and his kicking game, so when you combine him with Lachie Turner and Drew Mitchell in that back three, it's a pretty exciting combination."

Hickey said it would be quite hard to settle on his first choice fullback as Turner, Mitchell and Anesi could all play in that position.

But he said the addition of Anesi, Mitchell and Wallabies playmaker Berrick Barnes would enable him to enhance the Waratahs much-maligned attacking game which he felt had really started to develop in the later part of their 2009 campaign.

Anesi, who said his fitness was good following a groin injury in his final appearance at fullback for Waikato, said he had a preference for the fullback position.

"I like fullback more so I can see space and run the ball from the back, but I'm comfortable with the wing as well," Anesi said.

AAP

[pruc]

ratu will fill lote's place