Blues’ Manu still man for big occasion
Unlikely World Cup winner standout for Umaga’s team
Pauliasi Manu doesn’t know where his World Cup medal is.
“I have no idea,” he told the Herald. “I think mum’s got it somewhere. Or it might be in Tonga somewhere.
“I always give my achievements to her — my jerseys and so on.”
That the now Blues prop Manu earned the medal despite not playing a match for the All Blacks at the 2015 tournament might have something to do with his relaxed attitude to his memento, but the affable 29- year- old has generally taken the road less travelled ( and yes, he is pretty sure his mum Sia has it).
Called up as a World Cup injury replacement for Wyatt Crockett, Manu flew to England in case he was needed for the grand final, trained by himself until Crockett was ruled out with a groin injury, and in the end wasn’t required for the match- day 23.
He still got a medal, though, plus one heck of an experience.
“It was a phone- call- today- flytomorrow kind of thing,” he said.
“We had just finished ITM Cup at Counties. I had a couple of beers with the boys and I had to shoot off the next day. It was a good experience — to be a part of the winning team was awesome.”
Manu, back at the Blues via a circuitous route that took in, briefly, the Melbourne Rebels and four years at the Chiefs, will start his sixth match for Tana Umaga’s team tomorrow when he faces the Force at Eden Park.
It has been an interesting journey. Michael Collins Matt Duffie George Moala TJ Faiane Melani Nanai Piers Francis Augustine Pulu Jerome Kaino Murphy Taramai Jimmy Tupou Patrick Tuipulotu GCowley- Tuioti Charlie Faumuina James Parsons ( c) Pauliasi Manu Dane Haylett- Petty Chance Peni Marcel Brache Billy Meakes Alex Newsome Jono Lance ( c) Ryan Louwrens Isi Naisarani Matt Hodgson Ross Haylett- Petty Richie Arnold Matt Philip Tetera Faulkner Tatafu Polota- Nau Ben Daley Before joining Dave Rennie’s Chiefs, he was delisted by previous Blues coach John Kirwan after the 2012 season, signed a two- year deal with the Rebels, travelled to Melbourne and then failed the medical.
“I had a small disc bulge in my neck,” he said. “They said ‘ it can get worse and we’re not going to risk you playing unless you deal with it’.
“The options were to terminate my contract or rehab it or surgery. I said ‘ leave it as it is’ and I came back to work to my old building job but then the Chiefs rang me up — they were my lifeline.”
Manu was back in his work boots and hard hat for only a week before the Chiefs came calling as a replacement for Josh Hohneck. Manu joined them just before preseason in 2013 and spent the next four seasons there, his neck issue that so concerned the Rebels not an issue then or now.
He considers his return to the Blues that of a homecoming. Manu went to school at Tamaki College and his family is based in Auckland, so there is a support network for Manu and his partner and their 13- monthold daughter.
Manu has been in impressive form, as his six starts in six matches suggest.
With front row teammates such as Charlie Faumuina, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Sam Prattley and Sione Mafileo, the Blues could have a case for having the quickest props in the competition, and Manu is also a fast healer. He ruptured his Achilles while playing for the Chiefs 12 months ago and was back playing again for Counties after only five months.
“I got told it would take 9 to 12 months before I could think about playing again. But I got back running in four months and played a month after that. “It was a fast process.” After his Rebels experience, Manu knows how lucky he i s to still be playing at this level. And, now that he is back home, there isn’t a team or a coach he would rather play for.
“He [ Umaga] is a guy who has just finished his [ playing] career. He knows what it takes to be a player.”