Ardie Savea of Moana Pasifika against the Chiefs at FMG Stadium on Saturday 24 May 2025. Photo: Jeremy Ward
Moana Pasifika lock forward Tom Savage says they have prepared well as they face a final-round match against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
After an interesting season, Savage and his adopted club have the chance to write a new chapter, both for them and the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
A win over the Hurricanes on Saturday night could see the club consolidate their sixth position in the competition's standings, and secure a play-off spot along with that.
Savage told journalists at the team's North Harbour base on Tuesday that their season comes down to what happens this weekend.
And playing the Hurricanes at home demands that Moana Pasifika are at their best, right across the park, with Savage pointing to their forward pack as one that has been consistent throughout the season.
Tom Savage. Photo: ActionPress
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"Obviously, they are another great forward pack and I don't think there's a bad pack in this competition," he said.
"You look at how closely contested all the games have been every week; you've just got to prepare and be at your best.
"Otherwise you'll come off second best. We'll control what we can control. We have prepared well and we've analysed them hard just around that defensive side.
"You need to be dominating the collisions, you need to be getting off the line in their faces - all the simple things that defence is built on to be able to go get a result."
Victories over four of the five New Zealand franchise clubs this year had punters sit up and watch.
The side claimed victories over the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Crusaders and the Blues.
It also saw them claim the 'Battle of the Pasifika' against the Fijian Drua, the first time they have done that at home, since 2022.
Moana Pasifika Ardie Savea soring a disallowed try during the Super Rugby Pacific Moana Pasifika v Fijian Drua at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland - on 26 April 2025. Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
At the same time Moana Pasifika claimed their first back-to-back wins in the series, via wins over the Highlanders in Dunedin and the Waratahs at North Harbour, over consecutive weekends.
Savage made his debut for Moana Pasifika against the Highlanders in 2024, following 170 appearances for Gloucester Rugby in England's Premiership competition, plus four years with Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath, from 2019-2023.
He said this week's preparation has been focused on getting their self-belief back, doing the basics right and getting the next job done.
The message from the team's coaching and leadership team has been on focusing on the positives, following the big 85-7 loss they suffered at the hands of the Chiefs in Hamilton last week.
"Obviously it wasn't ideal, and we know that, and we weren't at our best, but we've taken the lessons out of it," Savage said.
Moana Pasifika v Blues, round 14 of the Super Rugby Pacific competition at North Harbour Stadium. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
"You draw a line, review our process, and everything now is looking forward.
"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, but that's gone, and we're looking forward to what we can control this weekend.
"We just focus on the positives, the things that have been great for us all year. And we'll go back to that."
Savage pointed to winning the collisions and stopping the Hurricanes from recycling fast balls as two important areas he and his team-mates will have to dominate in, adding that if their opposition get fast balls "the rest is history, when they've got a quality backline like they have".
"We know the areas we need to focus on ourselves."
Garden-Bachop hopeful
Former Hurricanes playmaker, Jackson Garden-Bachop, said he was hopeful Moana Pasifika would get a lot of support at the Sky Stadium.
"There's a big Pasifika community down in Wellington, so hopefully they turn out and make some noise for us."
He said they still had belief despite the thumping at the hands of the Chiefs.
Jackson Garden-Bachop trains with Moana Pasifika in Brisbane ahead of their clash against the Reds on Friday night. Photo: Moana Pasifika
"We've been playing really well, so we didn't become a bad rugby team overnight," Garden-Bachop said.
"So, there's a couple of things that we had to look at around our mindset. We still have belief in what we've been doing, because it's been working all season until the weekend."
Garden-Bachop is not the only former Hurricanes player in the team, with captain Ardie Savea, his big brother Julian, Pepesana Patafilo and halfback Jonathan Taumeiteine all having had time with the franchise in the past.
He said it would be an emotional game for the players but one they are focused on to win, with their season hanging on the result.
"We just want to redeem ourselves and perform the way that we know that we can," he said.
"If we do that, we'll give ourselves every chance to win.
"We're not trying to get payback or anything but we really want to, if this is our last game, we want to leave it all out there."
Match-day 23
Moana head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga has named Tongan international, Lotu Inisi, in the match-day 23.
Inisi has missed 15 rounds because of injury.
Umaga has made two other changes to his team from last week - Julian Savea will start at second five-eighth while Patafilo will bring impact off the bench.
Captain Ardie Savea will play his second game for Moana against his former team, which he won a title with in 2016.
The Hurricanes have retained the core of their team that upset the Reds last weekend in Brisbane.
Interesting battles are expected around the collisions and set pieces, where Moana Pasifika's loose trio of Savea, Miracle Failangi and Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa will batlle off with the Hurricanes trio of co-captain Du'Plessis Kirifi, Devan Flanders and Peter Lakai.
Halfback Cam Roigard has been on fire for the Canes, and his combination with both Brett Cameron and Ruben Love, has been working well throughout the season.
Moana Pasifika and the Hurricanes will kick off their clash at 7.05pm local time at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Saturday.
Moana needs a bonus-point win to keep themselves absolutely safe in the top six. A win will be enough as long as the Blues don't beat the Reds with a bonus point in the earlier game on Saturday.
You can follow the match through RNZ's live blog.
Moana Pasifika match-day 23: 1. Tito Tuipulotu, 2. Millennium Sanerivi, 3. Feleti Sae-Ta'ufo'ou, 4. Tom Savage, 5. Samuel Slade, 6. Miracle Faiilagi, 7. Ardie Savea (Captain), 8. Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa, 9. Jonathan Taumateine, 10. Patrick Pellegrini, 11. Solomon Alaimalo, 12. Julian Savea, 13. Lalomilo Lalomilo, 14. Kyren Taumoefolau, 15. Tevita Ofa; Bench: 16. Samiuela Moli, 17. Abraham Pole, 18. Chris Apoua, 19. Allan Craig, 20. Lotu Inisi, 21. Melani Matavao, 22.Jackson Garden-Bachop, 23.Pepesana Patafilo.
Hurricanes match-day 23: 1. Xavier Numia, 2. Jacob Devery, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Zach Gallagher, 5. Hugo Plummer, 6. Devan Flanders, 7. Du'Plessis Kirifi (co-c), 8. Peter Lakai, 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Brett Cameron, 11. Fatafehi Fineanganofo,12. Peter Umaga-Jensen, 13. Billy Proctor (co-c), 14. Bailyn Sullivan, 15. Ruben Love; Bench: 16. Raymond Tuputupu, 17. Pouri Rakete-Stones, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Will Tucker, 20. Brad Shields (co-c), 21. Ereatara Enari, 22. Jone Rova, 23. Tjay Clarke.
