08-08-2025
Tamani learning trade at lock
Guess what sport Joseva Tamani grew up playing.
Here are some clues: he is Fijian, and the best part of 120kg and 1.95m.
No way you guessed hockey.
The 28-year-old Otago lock laughs about the idea of crouching over a hockey stick these days.
The thing would look like a twig in his hands.
But word is he was a very handy player.
He told the story during a recent community engagement outing in Invercargill and did not expect it to reach the media.
"Oh my gosh, that should have just stayed in Invercargill," he joked.
"But, yeah, I played hockey back in my school days in Fiji."
The school he attended did not have enough players to field a rugby team, so he gravitated to hockey.
He moved to Australia when he was 19 and took up rugby.
By then, he had grown out of his lanky skeleton and into the robust frame of a rhino.
He put his physicality to good use as a blindside for the Fijian Drua.
He has played 31 Super Rugby games across three seasons and will return for the Drua next season.
Tamani has also had a professional stint in France and played two games for Fiji in 2023.
He is desperate to get back in the national side, which is how he ended up playing at lock for Otago against Southland last weekend.
"One of my goals was to make the Flying Fijians, but I didn't make it," he said.
"So I asked my agent if there's any chance to get me to NPC, because it's always been a dream."
It was his first full game at lock. To add to the pressure of the situation, his locking partner, Will Tucker, suffered an injury in the opening play and limped off.
He was joined in the second row by Charles Elton, who is also more of a loose forward.
"Last week was my first 80 minutes in the second row, so it wasn't that easy," he said.
He acquitted himself well, though.
Otago spent most of the game defending, and Tamani did his share of tackling.
He is a dangerous ball-runner, and Otago will be hoping to see more of that if they can secure more possession.
Tamani is hopeful a strong showing in the NPC will relaunch his international career.
He has been named at lock for tomorrow's game against Hawke's Bay at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Otago coach Mark Brown was pleased with the character his side showed during the 24-15 win over Southland.
His side made more than 230 tackles at 90% accuracy.
That was impressive, but Brown wanted his team to do more than just hold the line.
"It was not the plan to give Southland that much ball and we don't want to give Hawke's Bay that much ball either," the coach said.
"That is an area we are focused on.
"We need to get the balance right so our attack can deliver. We need to be a little bit more accurate so we are not handing the ball over and switching back into defence mode."
NPC
Dunedin, Sunday 4.35pm
Otago: Sam Gilbert (captain), Jae Broomfield, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Jona Nareki, Cameron Millar, Nathan Hastie, Konrad Toleafoa, Harry Taylor, Will Stodart, Joseva Tamani, Will Tucker, Saula Ma'u, Henry Bell, Abraham Pole. Reserves: Liam Coltman, Ben Lopas, Rohan Wingham, Oliver Haig, Lucas Casey, Dylan Pledger, Jake Te Hiwi, Sam Nemec-Vial.
Hawke's Bay: Zarn Sullivan, Jonah Lowe, Nick Grigg, Kienan Higgins, Lukas Ripley, Harry Godfrey, Ere Enari, Devan Flanders, Cooper Flanders, Miracle Fai'ilagi, Tom Parsons (captain), Geoff Cridge, Josh Smith, Jacob Devery, Pouri Rakete-Stones. Reserves: Kianu Kereru-Symes, Hadlee Hay-Horton, Lolani Faleiva, Hunter Morrison, Frank Lochore, Folau Fakatava, Lincoln McClutchie, Andrew Tauatevalu.
