Fa’auli is heading to Japan
Well, that was some way to go out then, for Johnny Fa’auli.
Turns out the midfielder’s red carded, high, no-arms hit on the Hurricanes’ Wes Goosen in last Friday’s final-round Super Rugby match in Hamilton, which earned him a six-week ban, was his final act in Chiefs colours.
Stuff understands the 22-yearold won’t be back at the franchise next season, and is instead headed for Japanese club Toshiba, on a two-year contract.
Fa’auli was off contract at the end of this season and his deal was done before his ugly shot on Goosen, so there’s no thought that that was a factor in him departing, but it does illustrate the liability he carries.
After debuting for Counties Manukau in 2015, Auckland-born Fa’auli shifted to Taranaki the following season, and while he was a threat at Mitre 10 Cup level, he found the step up to Super Rugby tougher, having played 17 games after getting a chance at the Chiefs last year.
With Charlie Ngatai and Tim Nanai-williams off to France after this campaign it could have opened up the chance of more game time, though the Chiefs’ other midfield options still include Anton Lienert-brown, Sean Wainui, Alex Nankivell, Sam Mcnicol, Levi Aumua and Regan Verney.
So instead of the popular idea of heading to Japan in the offseason and returning in time for Super Rugby, Fa’auli will stay through, at a Brave Lupus club who Chiefs team-mate Liam Messam played at recently, and where the captain is former Chief Richard Kahui.
Ironically, Fa’auli will miss the opening game of Toshiba’s Top League season because it coincides with the last day of his six-week ban – August 31.
The 1.78m, 100kg second fiveeighth will be an intimidating force among a smaller playing group in that competition, but the wrecking-ball defender also has the propensity to either slip off a tackle or get it so badly wrong that it lands him in hot water.
His latest indiscretion is no better example, with it one of the worst foul play incidents of the season, in a time where World Rugby has made a real point of clamping down on such play in a bid to protect player welfare.