Sowakula committed to All Blacks dream, for now

Chiefs loose forward Pita Gus Sowakula is staying put at the franchise and is full steam ahead with his dream of making the All Blacks.

But, he admits if nothing comes of his goal of wearing the black jersey by 2023, it will be his native Fiji who he will throw his lot in with.

The 26-year-old is in barnstorming touch going into tonight’s Super Rugby Aotearoa final against the Crusaders in Christchurch – a game Sowakula readily admits will be the biggest of his career to date.

But if the massive metre-eater keeps producing the kind of form he’s shown the past couple of years, there could indeed be a few bigger fixtures to come for the man who was recruited to New Zealand by the Taranaki academy in 2016.

Having earned a surprise call-up to the Chiefs midway through the 2018 season, the 1.95m, 110kg power player has gone from strength to strength in 33 appearances for the club, being a standout in a losing cause in 2020, and now hitting his straps again on a comeback from injury.

And despite the inclusion of Moana Pasifika – who Sowakula played for in their one-off clash against the Ma¯ ori All Blacks last year – and the Fijian Drua in an expanded Super competition next year, Chiefs fans can rest easy knowing their dynamic loosie won’t be going anywhere.

‘‘I’m excited to see a few of the mates playing in that team [the Fijian Drua] and it’ll be good to see them next year,’’ Sowakula told Stuff this week, while confirming he was signed at the Chiefs through till 2023.

It’s that timeframe which he’s giving himself to achieve his big ambition of wearing the silver fern. After all, that was his whole driver of coming to New Zealand in the first place.

‘‘Yeah, that’s the main one aye,’’ said the Lautokaborn, former resort worker. ‘‘If nothing happens then I’ll probably go back to Fiji and try make it there.’’

But on current form, the former Fiji basketball international is giving himself every chance of tickling All Blacks coach Ian Foster’s fancy.

The retirement of Kieran Read post the 2019 World Cup left a big hole at No 8, and while Ardie Savea has done a sterling job in switching spots and filling those shoes, there is a contest among the other options.

Sowakula offers a tad more height and weight than anyone else, along with an unparalleled x-factor, typical of your Fijian footy player.

‘‘Man, his ball-carrying ability and the way he can hit guys is pretty scary,’’ is how Chiefs captain Brad Weber summed Sowakula up.

As for the man himself, he said he was ‘‘really grateful’’ the coaches had given him the chance to start the