Western Force coach Simon Cron says the former Highlanders halfback is going great guns with his new team in Perth.
Hastie, who played 12 games for the Highlanders over three years before heading to the city of his birth, has started all four games this season for the Force and enjoyed a typically combative display against his old team on Saturday night.
‘‘He’s awesome,’’ Cron said.
‘‘Nathan’s a great man, he’s a great player and he’s great in our team. We love having him in Perth.
‘‘He’s got a lot of skill, and he’s only young, so there are still parts of his game he continues to grow. We’re excited as to how far he can go.’’
Hastie, 24, had plenty of opportunities to catch up with his Dunedin family as the Force spent a whole week in the city.
That was the norm two decades ago — Australian and South African teams regularly set up camp before a clash with the Highlanders — but is extremely rare these days.
The Force effectively have an old-school tour taking in Pukekohe (Moana Pasifika), Dunedin and Napier (Hurricanes) over three weeks.
‘‘For the Force, going on tour is part of our DNA,’’ Cron said.
‘‘We have to be able to go on a little bit longer tours than others, and that’s OK.
‘‘That’s probably a better outcome than going home, away, home, away. That’s a bit tough.’’
Cron felt the Force showed nice control in the first half against the Highlanders but lamented a kick-chase game that was not good enough as the home side pulled away to win.
He was keen to ‘‘have a conversation’’ with the Super Rugby referees boss following a Force attacking lineout that he claimed was derailed by a ‘‘massive side entry’’ from a Highlanders player.
‘‘It’s not why we lost the game, but our maul was going really well.’’
- Zac Lomax has signed a two-year deal with the Western Force and the rugby league outcast hopes to play at next year’s Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies, AAP reports.
One week after being denied a return to the NRL, Lomax, 26, has officially linked with the Force for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
That will allow him enough time to attempt to crack the Australian squad for next year’s home Rugby World Cup, before a return to rugby league is allowed in 2028.
The NSW State of Origin star had attempted to sign with the Melbourne Storm, after leaving the Eels in October to join the abandoned R360 competition.
However a clause in his Parramatta release meant he could
not join another club until the end of 2028 without the Eels’ written consent.
Lomax’s push to play for the Storm regardless was set for a NSW Supreme Court hearing last week, before the parties agreed to a deal that allowed him to return to the NRL in 2027.
He had considered a move to rugby at the end of last year, before deciding to pursue opportunities in rugby league instead.
