Why the All Black bolter can thank Southland
The Marist Rugby Club in Invercargill has a proud history in terms of high-profile propping transformations. Firstly, there was John Hayes and now there's Pasilio Tosi.
Pasilio Tosi’s transformation from a No 8 running around the Southland club rugby fields to an All Black prop has happened at remarkable pace.
The former Invercargill Marist and Southland Stags player was on Monday evening announced in the first All Blacks squad for 2024.
That selection has triggered plenty of pride in Southland, particularly those at the Marist Rugby Club.
Tosi made the move to Invercargill from Rotorua in 2017 to link with the Rugby Southland academy system.
At that time the big former New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby league representative was a close to 140kg No 8.
In 2017 and 2018 the powerful teenager led Marist to Galbraith Shield titles and later that year made his Stags debut as a loose forward.
But the then Stags assistant coach, Dale MacLeod, had other ideas.
Speaking to The Tribune soon after Monday’s All Black announcement, MacLeod recalled the time he and then Rugby Southland academy manager David Hall fronted Tosi and suggested he should switch to the frontrow.
MacLeod did not believe Tosi would make it as a looseforward in the elite ranks. He felt he would have remained a very good club player, and an impact player at provincial level, but that would probably have been his lot, MacLeod said.
MacLeod and others believed he had the attributes to make it as a prop.
“We said to him we’ve got an opportunity for him, but it is not as a looseforward. Obviously, it’s a big step to go from looseforward to a tight-head prop, but with his physical attributes he was always going to get there.
“We said to him; ‘you have the attributes and if you are prepared to work hard you can play Super Rugby’. That’s more or less how we sold the dream really and he bought into it, we didn’t have to sell it too hard.
“He was keen and motivated, and he just wanted to play really.”
Interestingly when Tosi was taking his baby steps into provincial rugby with the Southland Stags, as was his new All Blacks team mate Ethan de Groot.
MacLeod recalls there were times early in Tosi’s propping days when he had the odd tough day out playing for Marist.
But he had one key asset that got him through that scrummaging apprenticeship period though.
“He was such a powerful man, what he couldn’t do from an understanding or lack of experience, his physical power and attributes allowed him to stay in the fight. Don’t get me wrong, he got towelled up a few times, and would have wondered why he was doing this.”
MacLeod said the new All Black has learned his scrummaging trade off some good coaches, including Daryl Thompson in Southland, and most recently Jamie Mackintosh at the Hurricanes.
“Under Jase Ryan in the All Blacks, he’ll thrive as well.”
When it was initially decided to transform Tosi into a prop MacLeod said he approached the Highlanders about coming on board and helping with the “project”.
Although because Tosi was untested as a prop at the time and the Highlanders did not show any interest.
Hindsight always helps when pointing out missed opportunities, but Tosi can now be regarded as one that got away for the Highlanders.
“I believe if we went through that now you would probably find that the Highlanders would have grabbed him. Because when you are looking for something there it is, we’ve just got to get him a bit fitter and teach him the art.
“But back then when we were trying to get him opportunities there were a lot of good, seasoned props around.”
Tosi himself has declared his move from No 8 to prop as the best decision.
“Moving to the prop is probably the best thing I could have done. The hardest thing about it was checking my ego saying, ‘I can make it at No 8’. But realistically no No 8 is running around at 140 clicks.”
The Marist Rugby Club in Invercargill has a proud history in terms of high-profile propping transformations.
John Hayes arrived from Ireland for a stint at the Marist club as a 21-year-old in 1995. At that time Hayes was a lock but those at the Marist club had other ideas encouraging him into the frontrow.
Hayes returned to Ireland and went on play 105 tests for his country as a prop and represented the British & Irish Lions.
Tosi’s story is unfolding in a similar fashion.
By 2020 Tosi took his tentative steps as a prop at provincial level with the Southland Stags.
From 2018 through to 2020 Tosi played just the seven games for the Stags. He spent most of his representative time in Southland playing for the development team.
With family based in his home province of Bay of Plenty - including his son - Tosi signed to play his NPC rugby with Bay of Plenty in 2021.
After a blockbuster NPC performance that year against Wellington it sparked some interest from the Hurricanes.
By this year’s Super Rugby season Tosi had developed into dominant force for the Hurricanes and now finds himself in line for an All Black debut.
All Black coach Scott Robertson said forwards coach Jason Ryan was particularly impressed with what he had seen from Tosi.
“Jason Ryan fell in love pretty quickly… [Tosi] is just an incredible athlete; he took his opportunity when Tyrell [Lomax] was out and took that opportunity week in week out.
“He can start, he can come off the bench, and he’s a big man. It’s what test football is about, he’s a great kid and he is going to do well in the black jersey,” Robertson said.
As expected, the All Blacks squad for the coming tests against England also included two current Southland Stags. They are loosehead prop Ethan de Groot and wing Sevu Reece.
It was announced last week that Reece has signed a two-year contract with Rugby Southland.