Stags snatch 'powerful young fella' from Otago
“It wasn’t looking like he was going to get a lot of game time up there [at Otago], and to make the Highlanders and Super Rugby, they want to see him play."
It’s been months in the making but the Southland Stags have locked in a promising loose forward on a four-year deal.
The Stags have signed New Zealand Under-19 and Highlanders Under-20 No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa on a four-year deal starting with the 2023 NPC season.
Tupou Ta’eiloa is a former Otago Boys’ High School player and was contracted with Otago on a development contract.
Rugby Southland looked like they were going to secure his services on a three-year contract starting from 2024.
That prompted Otago to eventually agree to releasing the No 8 to join Southland for the 2023 season which stretches it out to a four-year contract.
Rugby Southland’s director of rugby Matt Saunders said they had been working towards signing Tupou Ta’eiloa for months.
He was pleased to eventually get it across the line, in terms of Otago agreeing to release him from his development contract for him to join the Stags this year.
Tupou Ta’eiloa’s decision to sign with Southland will add even more spice to an already tense provincial rugby rivalry between the two provinces.
“It wasn’t looking like he was going to get a lot of game time up there [at Otago], and to make the Highlanders and Super Rugby, they want to see him play,” Saunders said.
“He’s still going to have to work hard to get minutes but he’s just going have a bit more of an opportunity.”
“He’s got a good opportunity to learn from Dylan [Nel] and add to the depth of the loose forwards.”
Saunders said they were building some good loose forward stocks, but much of what they already had was based around hard-working type of players.
They wanted to add a bit of power to the loose forwards, in terms of players who can get them some go-forward.
“Dylan [Nel] is a go-forward man and a worker but [Tupou Ta’eiloa] is an extremely powerful young fella.
“He’s got a lot to work on with his work rate, but his ability to hit people and run through people is pretty good.
“He’s someone that with him, Hayden [Michaels], Leroy [Ferguson], Blair Ryall we can build some loose forwards around in the next few years.”
The Stags forward stocks seem pretty close to being sorted now with two locks from outside the provinces expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.