Tales from the Members Bar v2 no14 - Soane


By Oddshaped Balls
January 23 2009

This week I met the birthday boy. He is a big man; on shaking it seemed as though my hand and forearm were disappearing into an excavator bucket. Soane is huge! My eyebrows had conveyed surprise that dress code extended to shorts and thongs (calm down - the antipodean version).

Tales from the Members' Bar
Vol.2 No.14 Soane Tonga'uiha


Augmented by sport leggings, it is true, but evidence that there is some way to go in resolving the clash between the culture of keeping yourself warm and that of staying cool. Soane has had time to become acclimatised to British weather. He arrived half-way through the 2004/05 season to be a full-time professional at semi-professional Bedford. Straight from the heat of an Auckland summer to a cold winter's day in England - and then it snowed.
 
Soane had been at school in Auckland since the age of eight. When he took up rugby, there was never any doubt about his position. Everything about his body told the teachers and coaches that he was going to be a prop. In his final year at school - St Peter's College (Pat Lam is another Old Boy) - they won every game. I got the impression that he enjoyed that winning feeling.
 
Playing club rugby it was not long before the Tongan giant was picked out as a young man with potential. He was selected for Auckland Colts and the New Zealand side that won the 2001 Under 19s World Cup - a feat he repeated two years later as an Under 21. At the age of twenty he had his first taste of Provincial rugby. He appeared a dozen times for Auckland in the Air New Zealand campaign including as a replacement in the final victory over Wellington.
 
In 2004 Soane made his debut for the Pacific Islanders playing tests against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. At Auckland, coach Wayne Pivac had moved on to prepare Fiji for the 2007 World Cup and by November Soane was at Bedford.
 
One of his early matches was as a replacement in the Powergen Cup match at Franklins Gardens and he came on as a replacement to score what was a consolation try. My researches revealed quite a bit of favourable press comment over the following season. Harlequins were dominating the league but Bedford were a secure second place with the name Tonga'uiha being mentioned in dispatches. He also gained his first two Tonga caps in the autumn internationals.
 
The move to Saints came at the end of that season and it is fair to say that it has not been plain sailing. Being behind a player of Tom Smith's standing has benefits and disadvantages. Every day you are working with one of the icons of the game. Every week you are trying to displace one of the icons of the game from the team. With the club in a certain amount of turmoil, Soane had his doubts.
 
Relegation was not the disaster it might have been. It brought in a new coaching team. Team morale has been rediscovered and goes from strength. Soane has been able to work with a great coach in Dorian West and feels his game has improved because of it. Nick Johnston's fitness regime has done him the world of good. He feels better in himself. He is stronger, faster and contributes more in games. His eyes lit up with relish as we spoke about being put out in the midfield to have a bit of a rampage.
 
Soane thanks rugby for providing some of the proudest moments in his life. To play for Tonga in the World Cup was pretty special but ending Samoa's winning streak over them in Montpellier was his best rugby moment.
 
He had the better of Census Johnston that day but ranks him high in the list of respected opponents. Just as working with Smith and West has been to his benefit, Johnston has improved working alongside Cobus Visagie. Carl Hayman and Julian White are two more to receive maximum respect.
 
On the lighter side, it is Nacho that makes Soane laugh. Off the field he can be a bit of a clown. Once they cross the line on to the pitch - training or match days - he is a complete professional and a great player. In asking him about scoring a try by tucking Digger under his arm, I produced a smile in proportion with the man himself. Any score is a good score, it is good to get you hands on the ball and get it over the line.
 
The Communications Manager is going to be happy. Soane is a Tim Tams man and he thinks that the Tim Tam Slam (Theory & Practice ) is their reason for being. He hates Marmite and his coaching tip is: Have Fun!


arw
23.01.2009

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Tales from the members' Bar V2 no 14
Discussion started by ComeOnYouSaints.com , 23/01/2009 12:02
ComeOnYouSaints.com
23/01/2009 12:02
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St Marlowe
23/01/2009 12:06
Great stuff as usual Richard

Do check out the links - esp the "Practice"

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Howlin
23/01/2009 12:33
Fabulous, that has brightened up a dull and cold Friday. especially the link!

Oh and the reminder of the Digger try, I had forgotten about that.

Saint til I die

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Ian Spokes
23/01/2009 12:46
One of your best, Richard.

I wonder if a version of a Tim Tam Slam can de devised for Wot's Occurin' and Mini Cheddars?

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oddshapedballs
23/01/2009 12:57
I think that Twiglets or some of those expensive tube-shaped cheese biscuits may fair better at the audition winking smiley

[lowrence.com]

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Phil.
23/01/2009 13:17
Natalie Imbruglia doing what!! eye popping smiley Are you sure that's suitable for work, OSB... (Sm14)

Another fine read, Sir!

"It's not the despair, Saints, I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."

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St.Rich Joe, Niamh and Sam's Dad
23/01/2009 17:19
Hates marmite? Send him back to bedford as for Natalie Umbrella this is the best thing she has ever done ">torn mime

No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.

Dryathlon

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