Charles Alaimalo
Campbell Burnes talks to a man who looms as a vital cog in the Stags’ pack ahead of the NPC.
The Stags loosie was one of Southland’s best in 2020 and would love nothing more than to help his side into the Championship semifinals and pick up a Super Rugby deal along the way.
Defence is a cornerstone of the southland stags’ game. Defence means accuracy, resilience, physicality, sticking to the system.
Blindside flanker Charles Alaimalo brings all those attributes and has racked up 20 games for the stags since his 2019 debut. He formed a fine combination in the 2020 loose trio with captain Tony Lamborn and opensider Matty James.
Alaimalo is coming off some high quality club displays for woodlands during June and July, culminating in a second straight galbraith shield triumph last month, 24-23 over star.
“It was unreal from the boys. we were down 23-7 with about seven to play. I don’t know how we did it,” says the 22-year-old.
His stags coach Dale Macleod feels he is primed for a big NPC campaign.
“He’s been beasting it in club rugby at six. I’ll be excited to see what he brings for us, and super rugby teams will have an eye on him,” says Macleod.
At the time of writing, no franchise had signed up Alaimalo for 2022, but there might just be one or two teams in this country, not to mention in Australia or the new Moana Pasifika entity, who could snap up a 115kg physical ball carrier and punishing defender if he produces anything like his 2020 provincial form.
“That would be unreal. I’d love to be in that team,” says Alaimalo, of samoan and Tongan blood.
He spent the off-season in Italy playing PRO14 rugby for the Parma-based Zebre. The results didn’t come but, even in a challenging bubble due to Covid-19, Alaimalo still enjoyed the experience and he had a few Kiwi boys to lean on, such as fellow stag Josh renton, former steeler Potu Leavasa junior and ex-pat Jimmy Tuivaiti, who has played for the Azzurri.
“It was good to have a few boys I know over there. The footy was different, a lot more physical and bigger boys. It was a shock when I first got there. We lived in the gym for the first few weeks. I’m now at 115kg but I’m feeling good at that weight. There were Covid-19 tests every second day and we had to stay in our bubble,” he says.
He was back home for MIQ by mid-may before unleashing for woodlands from early June.
now he is pumped to help the stags at least reach the Championship semifinals after going close in 2020.
“Last season was a big step up from my first year. We were a tight bunch and really wanted to play for each other and the province. we’ve got a bit of work to do on attack, but with some of the new boys we’ve brought in, hopefully we can do that,” Alaimalo says.
‘Now he is pumped to help the Stags at least reach the Championship semifinals after going close in 2020.’
One of those new signings is big brother solomon Alaimalo, who lives with him.
Injury and some mental health issues put paid to solomon’s Highlanders super Rugby season, but he will offer some real spark to the stags’ back three.
The younger Alaimalo knows exactly what he himself wants to bring to the mix this season.
“I just want to bring more physicality this year, both on attack and defence. I need to do a whole lot of work on and off the ball. but there’s a lot of competition in the loose positions, so there are no guarantees. It brings that competitive edge to trainings.”
That competition specifically comes in the form of new stags signing sione Misiloi, who can also suit up at no 8. He has not played one minute in two seasons with the Highlanders, so he will be champing at the bit.
As will Charlie Alaimalo. He’s come a long way from a Hamilton bhs First XV that included new All black Quinn Tupaea, but there is a long way to go too.