Mataele for Fiji
Suva-born Crusaders flyer ready for Test debut
CRUSADERS winger Manasa Mataele is feeling fit and ready after accepting a call-up to play for the Flying Fijians.
The Suva-born winger was first approached by Fiji ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and then prior to their European tour last year. But after two years of injury struggles, which included tearing his right ACL and a pectoral tear in 2020, Mataele said he wanted to be back to his best before taking on the challenge.
"For me personally I want to get into the groove of things where I'm playing good rugby, I'm playing rugby on back to back weeks and gaining that confidence back and then get to that international stage," he said.
"It was just a massive jump as well from coming back from injury... but being injured and months and months out of rugby to jump straight into internationals was just a massive jump."
Now, the 24-year-old is lean, strong and raring to go.
Mataele has never met Flying Fijians coach Vern Cotter but said he was the type of coach he wanted to play under.
"We talked about his interest in me being part of the team and the focus in the next couple of years... he was very passionate about coaching and very passionate about Fiji as a whole as well, Fiji rugby, and a means to new heights.
"For me he didn't have to say it, but I feel like if he's that passionate, that's the type of person that you know, I want to play for as well."
And whilst he might have a Super Rugby pedigree, Mataele is under no illusion the contest for positions out wide will be fierce.
"If there's a position where Fijians always push through, it's definitely the wing. As talented as we are back home it's going to be a challenge trying to get that starting spot and what not but, for me, I'm kind of backing myself and I guess I'll see where that takes me."
Before pledging his allegiance to the Fijian squad, Mataele confided with some key people in life, including his parents, who had actually wanted their son to play for the All Black, like his uncle Seta Tamanivalu, when he left for Aotearoa six years ago.
"When I left Fiji for New Zealand, mum was like 'do your best and see where that takes you'... they were wanting me to play for the ABs, but I guess injury and other things got in the way and there's a lot of better players now."
"I sat down with them leading up to making the decision because they've been asking me and so I sat down with mum and dad and told them this is what I'm thinking of doing and they were really excited for me to represent my home country and to represent them and the wider family as well which is pretty cool."
The Flying Fijians play the All Blacks in back to back Tests next month, with the opening match in Dunedin on July 10 and the second a week later in Hamilton.