Updates on Josh T as promised

[Woody]

Last Wednesday an Otago XV had their first pre NPC hit out. Although accounting for the Southland side easily the following was noted;
The Otago XV, as the scoreline suggested, dominated the game, with the more experienced members of the side coming to the fore.

Otago maintained its starting XV for the first 50 minutes and players such as lock Hayden Triggs, flanker and captain Alando Soakai, and hooker Peter Mirrielees stood out.

In the backline, new second five-eighth Josh Tatupu showed some nice touches while helping himself to two tries.

Otago XV v Spartans



Otago XV 59: Josh Tatupu 2, Adam Hill, Pieter van der Merwe, Johnny Legg, Hayden Triggs, Alando Soakai, Tomasi Palu, George Folau tries; Glenn Dickson 4 con, Hayden Parker 3 con
Southland Spartans 7: Nick McGrath try; Daniel Neho con
Halftime: 31-0
Crowd: 1000

Otago's Five To Shine:
• Second five eighth Josh Tatupu - the big Samoan from the Western Force showed some nice touches and picked up a couple of tries, though even a blind man would have noticed the gaps in the Spartans backline.



Josh has this weekend off and is coming to our club to watch his bro Sam play followed by our U18s Seniors (Div 1 &3), test on the big screen, big day out (in) for West Melton

---------- Post added at 18:38 ---------- Previous post was at 15:12 ----------

This isn't really a reply at all, it's trying to raise my numbers a bit.

Off to a reunion tonight for a team that won the Christchurch (the main city in Canterbury) title 20 years ago on what was then Lancaster Park (known as Jade Stadium then AMI Stadium).

Really looking forward to see what my teammates have made of themselves in the last 20 years. I have turned the key on two of them (one a fraudulent lawyer and one a grower of cannabis) so hopefully some of the others have become community leaders!
The club was (is) Christchurch Football Club (didn't have rugby in it's name) now about 145 years old and reputably the oldest in NZ although Nelson claim the same.

Have a good weekend one and all. Mine will be huge.[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added at 18:39 ---------- Previous post was at 18:38 ----------

[Burgs]

Reunions are great, ReUnions even better.

And the post got you up to CCL (or 250 for you modernists) posts so congrats on that front too Woody, not bad for quailty across the ocean

[Woody]

Reunions are great, ReUnions even better.

And the post got you up to CCL (or 250 for you modernists) posts so congrats on that front too Woody, not bad for quailty across the ocean

U r da man Burgs! I'll have another go then. Just in from the night out. Lots of lies, lots of old dudes, excellent. I'm trashed.

[Burgs]

Good posting effort considering haha!

[Woody]

2 things,

1. Bloody well done last weekend and good luck for this Saturday

2. the following appeared in the Otago Daily Times today;

Meet Josh Tatupu.
Out of Christchurch, then via Melbourne, the southeast of France, the east and west coasts of Australia, and now a man of the South.

Tatupu (23) is one of the new faces in the Otago side this year and has impressed in his two appearances in the Otago midfield in the side's two warm-up games.

It has been a long road to the land of the blue and gold for the Samoan.

Tatupu was born and bred in Christchurch, attending Lincoln High School, and played rugby league for the Hornby club and rugby for the West Melton club as a youngster.

At high school he was good enough to be picked in a national league side which journeyed to Australia and that is when his sporting odyssey started.

He was spotted by a Melbourne Storm scout and joined the club, playing for the Storm's feeder club, Brisbane Norths, leaving his home to cross the Tasman aged just 16.

He went to Wavell State High School, a breeding ground for rugby league players, and was joined by fellow New Zealander Adam Blair, now a Kiwis regular, while Kangaroos centre Greg Inglis was also at the school.

He also played with Otago winger Ryan Shortland, who was part of the Storm system.

But after three years in the Storm organisation, including an appearance for the Samoan league side, and unable to make first grade, Tatupu decided to seek new pastures.

"It was really tough to leave but there were so many good players there and it was hard to crack it.

"My manager had an offer from France so I decided to go with that," he said.

"And it was a lot of fun. The league was pretty easy and you were right on the beach with a great lifestyle.

"That was awesome but it was too easy in a way.

"There was no challenge and I knew I could go back there any time but there were too many things back in Australia to do."

So Tatupu - barely out of his teenage years - left the small French town of Canet, and went back to Brisbane, with the aim of getting into the Reds rugby academy.

He rang Phil Mooney, then the Reds coach and now the Otago coach, and was told to go and play for the Wests club side.

But before he went to his first training, the Force got in touch to ask him to fill a berth because of an injury to centre Junior Pelesasa.

So off to Perth it was for the next three years. His career was up and down at the Force.

He found coach John Mitchell "intense".

Tatupu only made two appearances this year, and he was not sure why he saw so little action.

He was playing club rugby in Sydney and was eyeing up a French rugby contract when Mooney got in touch to ask if he was interested in heading to Dunedin.

"I didn't have a lot of time. I was almost on the verge of signing to go to France so the Otago deal had to be sorted pretty quickly.

"I want to be as good as I can for Otago.

I've been to a fair few places but that is just the way it's worked out."

Tatupu, one of many players who has played both rugby codes, said the games had a lot of difference, with pre-season much harder in league and more technicalities in union.

[zimeric]

with all due respect that really does sound like the blueprint for a rugby Journeyman.. He certainly has the drive to get to the highest level but sometimes it really does take a little bit of luck to get your break.. unfortunately he hasnt had it ... YET!

good luck Josh!

[Burgs]

Watched his matches over the last two weeks.
Far from outstanding but a couple of pretty solid performances with moments of S14 standard.

[jombi]

Just said in the Otago vs NH game that Tatupu is a former force player.

Is this true? I thought he was still signed and just playing over there in the off-season?

[travelling_gerry]

Keep up

Released at the end of S14

[brokendown gunfighter]

had an ordinary game against North Harbour today