BNZ CRUSADERS winger Manasa Mataele made his debut playing against the Blues in the second round of the 2017 Super Rugby in Christchurch.
With a sweet 33-24 victory over the Blues on Friday night it was another incredible comeback from the Crusaders team.
The lanky Vanuavatu native from Lau with maternal links to Yasawa-i-Rara scored the opening try in the 25th minute on the left corner after some brilliant running rugby from the Crusaders forwards.
Mataele said he was really happy that he finally made his mark on the field playing for one of the most well-known teams in Super Rugby.
“Really stoked and happy and hard work has paid off, I would like to thank all the supporters, family and friends for being there for us and especially to my family who have been the backbone of my success,” Mataele said.
Mataele replaced his uncle Seta Tamanivalu and showcased a wonderful talent.
“Seeing my uncle Tamanivalu play motivated me and coming in to replace him I know I have a big gap to fill and also to never let him down. So I played my heart that night and scoring my first try was just an icing on the cake, but I know I still have to work hard and try to improve on some of the areas that is still lack on,” he said.
