Vota’s Biggest Test Against Kata
The stage is set for centre, Apisalome Vota, to take on former National Rugby League (NRL) and Brumbies blockbusting back Solomone Kata in Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific clash in Sydney, Australia.
Moana Pasifika head coach Aaron Mauger opted to start Kata after he ruled out first-choice centre Levi Aumua for breaching the team’s protocol.
Aumua’s father is a Samoan while his mother is from Fiji. He is eligible to represent either Fiji or Samoa internationally.
Bringing in Kata offers a new dimension to the Moana Pasifika backline.
At the same time a lot is at stake for Vota as will try to impress Flying Fijians head coach Vern Cotter who will be keeping an eye on his performance at the CommBank Stadium in Sydney. Already, second five-eight Kalaveti Ravouvou is under Cotter’s radar and Vota is looking for a big performance to stamp his mark.
He’ll have to lift his performance and show that he can contain Kata.
According to Rugby Pass, it was in the NRL where Kata first made a name for himself with the New Zealand Warriors, where he played 93 times from 2015-2019. He scored 46 tries for the Auckland-based side. Kata moved to Melbourne Storm, but never took to the field for the four-time NRL champions before switching to rugby union.
Kata was also a dual-international rugby league player, he played five tests for New Zealand in 2016 and seven for Tonga between 2014 and 2019. He made his Test debut for Tonga in 2021 against England at the Autumn Test Series. He returned to rugby union playing with the ACT Brumbies in 2020, and signing with Moana Pasifika for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
On the other hand, Vota played for the Drua at the Australian National Rugby Championship (NRC) from 2018-2020.
For the Navuso, Naitasiri native the battle is already won, like most local based-players they don’t believe in what the stats and papers say about their opposition. Players like Vota, don’t have much growing up as rugby players but what kept them going was the support of their vanua and family.
To get the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best they often lift their game to their standard and stamp their mark.
This could be the replica of the 2005 Pacific Tri-Nations when Naitasiri winger Mosese Luveitasau made his Test debut against Samoa and had to come up against ‘The Chiropractor’ Brian Lima. He defied all odds and took Lima head on. Lima at that time was one of the feared tackler in the rugby world. Luveitasau contained him with his big hits until Lima had to leave the field as the Samoans went down 21-15.
The 25-year-old Vota understands how intense the Pacific rivalry is and will turn up with confidence to take on his much-experienced opponent.
Yes, Kata may have the experience but Vota has the heart and spirit to fight for 80 minutes.
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