Highlanders outside back Timoci Tavatavanawai has described how hard it was to leave leave Moana Pasifika, but he is hopeful that the shift to the Highlanders will ultimately lead to test rugby with Fiji or the All Blacks.
The powerful 26-year-old known as ‘Big Jim’ spent two fruitful years with Moana Pasifika, putting fear into the hearts of Super Rugby defenders with his robust running style.
Since his shift to Dunedin on a two-year deal, he has maintained that form, and Opta statistics after five rounds show that he is tied with Hurricanes halfback Cam Roigard for the most defenders beaten (22) among the five New Zealand sides.
He has also won the second-most turnovers (five) in the Kiwi sides, trailing only the Blues’ lineout disruptor Laghlan McWhannell. With four tries also to his name Tavatavanawai is in strong form, but he readily admits that leaving Moana Pasifika was far from straightforward.
“Yeah, it was really hard,” he said. “It was a really hard decision to make, but I was happy where I left Moana.
“I know deep down in my heart that I left the No 14 (jersey) in a good way.
“It was a big opportunity to come down here to have a crack. The chance to come down was a good call for me just to try out something different.”
Surprisingly, Tavatavanawai said the Highlanders were the only suitors for his services, but there is no chance that there won’t be lucrative offers coming his way at the conclusion of his Highlanders deal.
Ask the Highlanders coaches about him, and they steer you away from his physical prowess and point instead to his intelligence and game understanding.
But his skillset is almost unique in New Zealand. Indeed, he points to Fijians Josua Tuisova and Seru Rabeni – the former Highlander – as influences, and would love to follow their footsteps into the test arena.
“The main goal was just to try to fit into the team and how the team plays,” he said.
“The main goal is to make it every week for the Highlanders, and playing for one of the New Zealand Super Rugby franchises was my main goal moving into New Zealand.
“I ticked that one off, so either the white jersey (Fiji) or the black jersey (New Zealand) is the next one.”
Tavatavanawai shares some common traits with Tuisova and Rabeni. Although most New Zealanders know him solely as a winger, he is comfortable in the midfield, and indeed played a significant part of the game against the Chiefs last week in midfield after Tanielu Telea’s red card.
“it’s always in the back pocket to have a second position,” he said.
