Fonotia relishing link up Crusader Mooar
KIERON Fonotia has told his Scarlets team-mates they will feel like they are in Disneyland under incoming boss Brad Mooar.
Crusaders assistant Mooar, below, will replace Wayne Pivac in Llanelli for the 2019-20 season and has previously coached Fonotia in New Zealand.
The Samoan international centre is confident Mooar will be a big hit in west Wales. “I’m really close to Brad,” Fonotia told
The Rugby Paper. “He was my coach at the Crusaders and he also coached me in club rugby back home.
“He’s a pretty energetic man and is excited about coming here; he has big plans to change a few things and put his own spin on the squad.
“Brad’s got a saying that being a professional rugby player is like coming to Disneyland every day. He says that as players we are living the dream.
“The Scarlets probably picked him up because he blends in well and he probably sees things a similar way to what Wayne and Stephen Jones do.
“He will get us playing an open brand of rugby while being physical as well and he’ll fit in easily.”
Scarlets have endured a difficult season with a lengthy injury list having put them on the back foot when it comes to qualification for the end of season play-offs in the PRO14.
But former Ospreys man Fonotia, above, is confident last season’s beaten finalists can replicate the success of recent years by competing at the business end of the campaign.
He said: “We can definitely have a good stab at the play-offs. We’ve got to play well to get ourselves in the right position where we can get there.
“We’ve got a side who can beat anyone on our day, but it’s just about getting there. Anything can happen if we can get to the knock-out stages.”