4 days Ago
Moana Pasifika vs Waratahs 2.05pm Saturday 5 April North Harbour Stadium, Albany Live blog updates on RNZ Moana Pasifika are refusing to buy into the hype. On the back of their historic victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch, the franchise is now chasing back to back wins for the first time in history.
They will also carry the rare tag of favourites into their clash with the Waratahs, but the high-flying Moana are doing their best to stay grounded. "We were very proud of the effort, but this is something that we want to back up. We can't rest on our laurels or on just one performance," said coach Tana Umaga.
The All Black legend said they are fully aware of the plaudits coming their way in the wake of their 45-29 upset win. "There's a lot of interest. There's a lot of talk and buzz around, which is great, but also that's something we've got to manage and make sure that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves because if we look at the ladder, we're still down in the bottom of it.
We still have a lot of work to do. In the end it's just backing up good days with good days." However, he has encouraged his players to enjoy the moment.
"That's the kind of respect that they've earned through performance but it's the same thing when we don't perform well. There's people saying the negative things about us. We have just got to keep our feet on the ground, heads in the game.
" Umaga said his side is finally managing to master the meshing of Pasifika flair with efficient game management. "It seems to be working for us. We want to play a branded style that we are proud of and that people want to watch, but we also have to be smart about it.
That's probably something that's really starting to hit home for our guys." Skipper Ardie Savea addressed his troops in the sheds in Christchurch and said his key message was around enjoying the win, but not too much. "It's something that the franchise has never done before.
But with all the hype around us, it's about being able to use that in the right way. I call it staying in the middle ground so we don't get too emotional about things, we are just staying calm headed. When you start to get comfy it's a dangerous sign.
" Savea said the Crusaders win ranks among his Super Rugby career highlights. "I know with us our team and our brothers is that our confidence is a big thing and you don't want to tarnish that confidence but at the same time to be relentless and ruthless, you can celebrate it in your own way, but in a game you've got to just be next task, next moment along with the flare and the confidence. It's a balancing act but the brothers don't have any problems celebrating little things.
" The win was particularly validating for Savea, after many questioned his move north, arguing his game would be negatively impacted, a notion he has made a mockery of. "It's one of the best environments I've been a part of and it's no surprise to me just being around the brothers every day, you're guaranteed to laugh half of the day in this team and when you have that mixed with a bit of switching your mindset into rugby, it's always going to be a great experience." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday .
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