Alando Soakai crashes into Blues defender Jared Payne while playing for the Highlanders in a preseason game in Balclutha in 2011. PHOTO: ODT FILESAlando Soakai is a proud Highlanders man but he was on the other side in the game against Moana Pasifika in Christchurch on Sunday. The Moana assistant coach tells Hayden Meikle about the mood in camp following news the club is set to fold. MEIKLE: How are you feeling after this rough news about Moana Pasifika’s future? SOAKAI: It was disappointing, to be honest, and quite disheartening. I’ve seen our players and people at the franchise working hard for Moana, and now this. I’m gutted. People are quite upset about it. The business that I’m in is actually a people business, and you feel for our people. Moana Pasifika means a lot to the people that are actually in this franchise, and I think we’ve reached out and touched a lot of hearts. It’s a weird feeling coming to work. It’s disheartening, but we’ve still managed to just get up and go. The boys are still training hard. No-one has decided to stay home because of the current situation. We’ve just got on and kept moving forward. What do you feel Moana Pasifika have brought to Super Rugby? It’s more than just a game, you know. It’s about the people. It’s about galvanising them and bringing it together. We’re on the North Shore and you see in our crowds ... not just Pacific people. We’ve got Indians and South Africans that show up to the games. And they love it. It’s quite a multicultural crowd that we’ve managed to bring together. So, it’s a movement. I think it means a bit more than just footy. It’s the stuff that’s underneath. We come from similar backgrounds, similar upbringings, similar stories, and it’s the way we connect to our fans. Do you think more should have been done to help Moana Pasifika succeed? I’ll say yes. Could it potentially be in a better place? Yes. It’s quite a hard question for me to answer. But from the grass, from the players and coaches, there is frustration. We take one step forward and then we take two back. In Auckland, we’re restricted in terms of how many home games we can play. So straight away, we’re behind the eight ball. A game that was meant to be in Tonga fell through because of funding issues. That was quite destructive in terms of our scheduling, our planning. But we just need to find a way and keep moving forward. And the players? How are some of these young men processing the news? Yeah, it’s tough. We’ve made sure to say, ‘hey, we’re always here to talk’. Some of them have got offers elsewhere. And we’ve been really clear about what is happening. They’ve got to look after themselves. They’ve got to look after their families and do what’s best. There’s some talk that we might still be here next year, but time is obviously against us. What about you, Alando? After coaching in Japan, guiding Wellington to an NPC title and joining Moana Pasifika, do you know what your coaching future holds? I returned to New Zealand three years ago. I was playing and coaching over in Japan at Kubota Spears and was there for 12 years. We won the championship there. But it was time to come home for my wife and kids. And I’ve really enjoyed these last three years. I had the chance to coach an NPC team, win a championship, learn to coach at a Super level. I really want to stay in New Zealand and coach because this is home. But there aren’t many jobs here, and they don’t always pay well. The market’s open, and maybe I will have to go. There are going to be some hard decisions. One piece of positive news for Moana Pasifika has been Tana Umaga getting promoted to a national role. What will he add to the All Blacks, alongside another Pasifika man in Dave Rennie? Soakai prepares for a game with his Moana Pasifika team. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Tana’s been a head coach and he’s earned this opportunity. He’s obviously also been an All Blacks captain. Both him and Dave will bring a bit of flavour to the black jersey. It shows, from a Moana Pasifika point of view, that it can lead to other opportunities. It’s like when you look at players who started with Moana Pasifika and went on to other things. It’s a win-win. Seeing Tana there, you know, it gives Pasifika people some real mana and shows we can have aspirations. I’m stoked for Tana and Dave. A lot of Highlanders fans would be keen to see big No 8 Semisi Tupou Tae’iloa return to Dunedin if Moana Pasifika do fold. What have you made of his development? Semisi really took his opportunity last year. That was around how he trained but also when he played, he actually stood up, and he made quite a difference. He just had this chip-on-the-shoulder, very Highlander kind of mindset and attitude. And this season he’s had some games where he’s played out of his skin, and he’s really stood up and done a job for us. He’s starting to understand the game. He’s got a little bit of redhead in him. He’s part of our leadership group, and I’ve been really impressed with him. If he finds a place elsewhere where he can play, go for it, you know. He deserves it. He deserves to be playing at a high level. What was it like for you the first time you coached against your old Highlanders team? I remember the preseason game last year. I went over to shake Jamie Joseph’s hand, and he said: "You’ve got the wrong colours on, mate", ha ha. And when we beat the Landers down in Dunners last year, I walked into the locker room to have a beer with Jamie, and same thing: "Wrong colours, Soaks." I told him I was open to talk, ha ha. Jamie actually arrived in my last year with the Highlanders, and he brought a real edge to the team. I learnt a lot from Jamie. And then I did a wee stint with the Japan team as a spot coach, and Jamie shoulder-tapped me to coach the Japan A team. I got to see him work, and to this day, he’s my mentor. You still feel a connection to Dunedin? I do, mate. I spent 10 years down there. I had to learn quite quickly as a person and as a rugby player. It was great to play for the Highlanders and play for Otago. But also just to be a scarfie, learn how to cook, learn how to pay bills. I’ve got a soft spot for Dunners. You married Debbie Hill, an elite athlete in her own right in netball and volleyball. How many kids? Yeah, me and Deb met at uni in Dunners. We’ve got four kids. The oldest is 13 and the youngest just turned 7. It’s a busy household. We had all of them in Japan. Must have been something in the water. hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz
