Fotu, Webster vie for bragging rights

One Tall Black will enjoy the long journey back from Germany this weekend a lot more than his travelling companion and team-mate.

Power forward Isaac Fotu and point guard Tai Webster square off against each other in the German Bundesliga today, with Fotu’s 4-5 Ratiopharm Ulm team taking on Webster’s 6-3 Skyliners Frankfurt.

Both will then fly to Wellington together ahead of the Tall Blacks’ first World Cup qualifier, against South Korea at TSB Bank Arena next Thursday.

Fotu said it would give him extra motivation to help his side get the win.

‘‘We fly out the day after the game for the Tall Blacks, so it will be interesting to see who gets the bragging rights. It will be a long flight home for the loser.’’

While there was a fair amount of jest in that comment, the travel back to New Zealand does pose a challenge for Fotu, Webster, and Webster’s brother Corey, who plays in Israel for Ironi Nahariya.

The new Fiba system, which has been New Zealand move into Asia, means the trio will arrive in New Zealand on Tuesday, play the game on Thursday, before flying to Hong Kong for the second game of this international window on November 26. Then it’s back to Europe for games the following weekend.

‘‘For me, Tai and Corey especially, most of the time it’s just going to be travelling. Obviously recovery and looking after our bodies will be important.

‘‘But for everyone on the team we’ve got to try and travel to Hong Kong well and we’ll have limited practice times. I think looking after our bodies will be key.’’

That wasn’t a complaint from Fotu, though.

Nothing would stop him from representing his country and he said there was a real excitement around the Tall Blacks team after their development side performed so well at the Asia Cup in August, topping their group before losing to Australia in the semifinals.

‘‘We’ve got a lot of young talent mixed with some great veterans on the team. A lot of them are on the Breakers and they know [coach] Pauli [Henare] better than anyone and teach the culture.

‘‘We have a very strong Tall Blacks culture and anyone who has been around the team knows it. That helps us to overachieve in a lot of games.’’

As for South Korea, who beat that young New Zealand side in the third-fourth playoff at the Asia Cup, Fotu expected a tough challenge.

‘‘I know they’re a good tough team, especially in the Asia group. We played against them two or three years ago and they were tough, but you can expect that with every team we play in these Fiba window things.

‘‘We’re all fighting for a spot in the next World Cup, so everyone is bringing their best and that’s what Korea will do for sure.’’