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Te Moana ready to swim with Sharks
AAPT, c/o Rugby Heaven
Thursday, April 5, 2007
New Zealand-born prop David Te Moana is pinching himself after receiving a Queensland lifeline to resurrect his Super 14 career this Easter.
Te Moana, cut by the Western Force last year, is still coming to terms with his reversal of fortune after being named as one of six Reds changes for Saturday night's clash with the Sharks.
The 126kg tight-head will make his Reds debut in a side quietly confident of ending a seven-match losing streak, their worst in two decades.
The starting returns of lock Hugh McMeniman (ankle), centre Berrick Barnes (shoulder) and fullback Clinton Schifcofske (hand) from injury have added extra thrust to the last-placed outfit.
Te Moana, nicknamed 'Big Dog', gets his unexpected chance after coach Eddie Jones punted on his scrummaging ability, honed under his former Gold Coast coach and renowned scrum doctor Alex Evans, over Herman Hunt.
He can also thank a host of injuries for last month's belated call-up to the Reds squad as well as a huge work ethic at training.
"He was pretty unfit at the start, but I've never seen a bloke work as hard as he has in the last three to four weeks,'' said Jones.
"He also scrummages well and he deserves the opportunity.''
Season-ending surgery to Greg Holmes, Ben Coutts and Rodney Blake saw him conscripted into the injury-ravaged Queenslanders' campaign just as he was preparing to move to Sydney last month.
"This gets my foot back in the door. I thought I was going to have to wait until 2008 to try to get another Super 14 contract,'' said Te Moana, who arrived in Australia as a 145kg 19-year-old in 2001.
"When you get an opportunity like this you have to make the most of it. I'm not here just to make up the numbers."
Te Moana was set to play with Manly in the Sydney premiership to put his "best foot forward'' for another Super 14 contract.
The 25-year-old left Perth last winter disillusioned after failing to keep his rookie contract despite leapfrogging more experienced squadmates Angus Scott and AJ Whalley to play seven matches off the bench.
Te Moana, raised in the small Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki, could have been playing for the Hurricanes this season after impressing for Manawatu in New Zealand's NPC last season.
The Hurricanes were interested in recruiting him after a shoulder injury to prop Tim Fairbrother but cooled after Fairbrother, now injured again, recovered.
"A month ago I was doing nothing really and everything turned around, I'm just trying to get my head it around it now,'' he said.
"I think this is where my future lies, in New Zealand they have so many good young props coming through.''
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