By Leipziger
May 10 2005

This summer we wave goodbye to one of the South Stand’s favourite sons, and a genuinely nice guy, as Epi Taione moves to Sale.

For five years and through exactly 100 appearances Big Epi, or Epeli to give him his real name, has been a folk hero at Kingston Park, his surging runs creating excitement on the terraces and striking fear into the hearts of opponents with his aggressive and rampaging style.

 

 

Now 26, Epi signed for Newcastle in the summer of 2000 from Tynedale having impressed Rob Andrew the previous season and coming recommended by Inga Tuigamala.  The only problem was that he would have had a problem getting a work permit to play rugby full time, because he was not an international.  Rob told him that if he either played for Tonga or married an English lady, then a place at the Falcons was his.  Tonga recognised his talents and a Falcon hero was born.

 

 

Epi made his debut for us on September 6^th 2000 at Kingston Park as Gloucester stole a Premiership win by a tight 18-19 margin.  His first points came a month later with two tries against Cross Keys in the European Shield.  Epi started 19 games in his first Falcons season on the wing, scoring three tries, but the next season would bring a new challenge.

 

 

Rob Andrew decided Big Epi’s damaging runs would be most effective at flanker, and so he began 2001/02 at blindside, with Andrew saying that within two years he would be best player in Europe.  Initially the trial seemed successful as the team had what is still their best start to a Premiership season since 1997/98, but stiff competition from Jon Dunbar and Rob Devonshire meant Epi was still by no means a first team regular, despite scoring in the team’s 42-9 demolition of French champions Toulouse in the European Cup.

 

 

2002/03 was a difficult season for everyone connected with the Falcons, and Epi like everyone else suffered.  Duncan Madsen suggested he wasn’t helped by “his team mates thinking he is a match-winner from anywhere”, and in the first half of the season Epi played both wing and flanker, scoring his only try of the season at Saracens.  However, after Christmas Epi more than played his part in the battle for Premiership safety.  He played in the first five of the eight survival matches, before injury ended his season.  However, a chant of “Epi-aye, Epi-ayo” went up in the South Stand all season for him, confirming his popularity with the fans.

 

 

Last season Epi played at flanker for most of the season, scoring two tries in each of the Parker Pen Cup ties against Valladolid, but began losing form after Christmas after seemingly being moved permanently back to the wing.  A yellow card at Saracens in February didn’t help his form and he was left out of the Powergen Cup-winning squad in April that secured European Cup rugby this year.  2003/04 was also touched by sadness for Epi, with his best friend and former Falcons colleague Soa Otuvaka, who Epi called “a great man”, losing his brave fight against a brain tumour weeks before his own benefit match at Kingston Park, which Epi helped massively to organise with huge dignity.

 

 

Another season, another position for the big Tongan.  Epi made his first start of this season against Leicester on October 2^nd at inside centre, in the wake of injuries to Mark Mayerhofler and Joe Shaw.  All of Epi’s nine starts this season have come in this position, where his powerful attacking style can often be an asset in tight situations near the end of the match.  His sole try this season came at Wasps in October, only his second match at 12.  Two of Epi’s last appearances came as a replacement for Mike McCarthy against Bath and in Paris against Stade Francais, where he was unlucky to be sin-binned for a powerful tackle.

 

Falcons fans have often been split on whether Epi’s best position is as a wing or a flanker, as some see him as a liability in the back row, while others like his power to be used in the scrum.  What many do agree on however, is that he is often best used as an impact player late in the game, and this has often happened this season, when all selection signs have pointed to him not being a first choice.  But his style of play has become loved at Kingston Park and when he returns with Sale he will get a brilliant reception from us all.

 

Not only his playing style was endearing though, Epi is also a cracking bloke.  Despite having only met him once, in a bar in Paris in April after our European quarter final, his kind personality comes across immediately.  After telling him I thought he was unlucky to be binned in the match, he apologised for this and also for the result.  Like I said at the time, no apology was necessary but it did show how much Epi cares for Newcastle Falcons and their fans.

 

 

We wish Big Epi all the best in the future and look forward to see him return to KP in the near future.

 

Date of birth: 2/3/79

Falcons debut: Gloucester (H) 6/9/00, Premiership

Falcons appearances: 100 (29 as sub)

Falcons tries: 16

League appearances: 69 (17 as sub)

League tries: 6