Te Tamaki, as close to the long-awaited Super shot as possible
“I got some incredibly positive feedback from them and it’s just that one injury away. You never wish an injury on anyone but if the opportunity comes, I’ll take it with both hands.”
It’s a game of patience for Isaac Te Tamaki.
Ever since the former New Zealand Sevens player joined the Southland Stags in 2018 there’s been talk of his Super Rugby prospects.
The knocking on the door of Super Rugby has gradually got louder year by year.
It started as a winger and is now as a centre.
While that door hasn’t yet opened, the 28-year-old now at least knows he’s very close.
Te Tamaki was called into the Highlanders setup as injury cover recently to train with the squad in Dunedin.
While he’s still awaiting a playing opportunity at Super Rugby Pacific level, that stint with the Highlanders has him buoyed his long-awaited shot is within reach.
“I went for five or six weeks as injury cover with a few of their midfielders down, it was an awesome experience. I learned a lot and took a lot in. I would have loved to be still [with the Highlanders] obviously.
“Especially this weekend with them playing down here [in Invercargill], it would have been amazing. But it wasn’t to be for right now.
“I got some incredibly positive feedback from them and it’s just that one injury away. You never wish an injury on anyone but if the opportunity comes, I’ll take it with both hands.”
For many players, the frustration of being close for such an extended period would have worn thin. He could easily have moved on in life.
“I’d like to think I’ve had a few pretty good seasons down here and have had a few looks that didn’t quite come to fruition, but at the end of the day, it’s a business. It’s up to one person to make the decision and the decision hasn’t gone my way, but that’s footy.
“All I can do is keep putting my best foot forward and if the opportunity comes then I’ll take it with both hands.”
Super Rugby Pacific is a brutal 14-game round-robin campaign and three weeks into it it has already taken its toll on the Highlanders injury-wise.
Although if that Super Rugby Pacific opportunity doesn’t come, Te Tamaki is determined to try to help his Pirates-Old Boys club in Southland go one better in 2023 after losing the 2022 final.
Pirates-Old Boys started its 2023 title shot on Saturday with a comfortable 50-20 win over Marist after leading 35-6 at halftime.
The Pirates-Old Boys backline showed glimpses that it will have plenty of points in them this season. It was led by Te Tamaki and Jaye Thompson in the midfield, with former Southland Boys’ teammates Josh Murrell and Kaea Nikora-Balloch reuniting at halfback and first five-eighth respectively.
“The positive thing is we’ve got a good combination with Jaye and myself having played a lot together, and then you throw in Joshy and Kaea who have played together as a nine and 10 for a long time.
“They are both the young fellas and Jaye and I are the hold fellas in the backline at the moment. But you can see what those two can do with our game tempo in terms of speeding it up.
“Once we fully click, we’ll be pretty dangerous.”
In other Southland premier club rugby results on Saturday Woodlands thrashed Blues 62-5 and the Eastern-Northern Barbarians also recorded a comfortable 55-14 win over star.
In the Division 2 Life Members Trophy competition Star beat Wakatipu 26-17; Pirates-Old Boys recorded a 22-13 win over Marist and Woodlands beat Blues 25-17.
A full Southland premier club rugby wrap will be published on The Southland Tribune site on Sunday and will be included in our Spotlight on Southland Sport: Sunday Special sent out to subscribers.