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Big weekend for Lauaki brothers
By TONY SMITH in Marseille - Fairfax Media | Thursday, 6 September 2007
All Black Sione Lauaki and his league-playing brother Epalahame have the biggest assignments of their careers this weekend - but only one will get to see the other.
Epalahame, 23, will come off the interchange bench in the Warriors' National Rugby League play-off match against Paramatta in Auckland tomorrow night, Sione, 26, will occupy a similar impact role when he makes his Rugby World Cup bow in Marseille on Saturday night.
It is undoubtedly a proud weekend for the Tongan family from west Auckland. But there is one dark spot to the silver lining.
While Epalahame can tune in to live coverage of Sione's big moment, Sione will have to rely "on texts from my parents or brothers and sisters" in the Mt Smart Stadium stands.
The French have been slow to awake to rugby league's charms despite the recent rise of Stacey Jones' Perpignan-based Catalan Dragons. French television is not screening the Warriors-Eels wrestle.
But the Lauaki lads have spoken on the telephone about their upcoming assignments.
"I rang him yesterday and we kind of had a talk about his game and who they were playing and he kind of asked me what I was doing," Sione said.
"We were just looking forward to the weekend and what we've been blessed with. We've just got to go out and do what we normally do.
"I'm obviously stoked for and happy for my brother that this weekend he gets to play for the Warriors, and I'm here playing for the All Blacks' it's pretty exciting."
Both brothers first strapped on boots in the 13-man code but Sione, 1.92m tall and 119kg, "made the switch when I went to (Kelston Boys) high school".
"Things went well for me so I just stuck at it."
Epalahame,1.84m and 110kg, played two or three games of rugby but it was only a fleeting flirtation.
"He told me he just didn't like it - I never asked him why," Sione said. "He probably just thought it was not his game."
So Epalahame returned to the league fold and went on to make the Warriors. He made his NRL debut in 2004 and has since chalked up 50 first-grade matches. The second-rower was selected in a Kiwis squad last year but has yet to play a test.
However, Tonga-born Sione made his international debut for the Pacific Barbarians in 2004 before joining Waikato wing Sitiveni Sivivatu in switching to the All Blacks a year later.
Sione's first three All Black caps were won off the bench but he started three tests towards the end of 2005. But 2006 was a rugby write-off due to pectoral muscle surgery.
The Chiefs' backrower, who said he now sees himself as a specialist No. 8, will be on the bench again in Marseille and he will be expected to inject some explosiveness into the game.
"Sione is a player we want to be able to bring on and have an impact," forwards coach Steve Hansen said. "But that's the same for all our bench. The expectations of those players themselves and from the rest of the team is that they come on and make a difference. Whether that's changing the tempo of the game or whatever, they are all expected to do that. So Sione's just one of seven."
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what absolute monsters!!!
isnt that every dads dream?? Mr Lauaki must have a grin from ear to ear when the workmates start talking about how well there kids are doing at sports...:lol:
By TONY SMITH in Marseille - Fairfax Media | Thursday, 6 September 2007
All Black Sione Lauaki and his league-playing brother Epalahame have the biggest assignments of their careers this weekend - but only one will get to see the other.
Epalahame, 23, will come off the interchange bench in the Warriors' National Rugby League play-off match against Paramatta in Auckland tomorrow night, Sione, 26, will occupy a similar impact role when he makes his Rugby World Cup bow in Marseille on Saturday night.
It is undoubtedly a proud weekend for the Tongan family from west Auckland. But there is one dark spot to the silver lining.
While Epalahame can tune in to live coverage of Sione's big moment, Sione will have to rely "on texts from my parents or brothers and sisters" in the Mt Smart Stadium stands.
The French have been slow to awake to rugby league's charms despite the recent rise of Stacey Jones' Perpignan-based Catalan Dragons. French television is not screening the Warriors-Eels wrestle.
But the Lauaki lads have spoken on the telephone about their upcoming assignments.
"I rang him yesterday and we kind of had a talk about his game and who they were playing and he kind of asked me what I was doing," Sione said.
"We were just looking forward to the weekend and what we've been blessed with. We've just got to go out and do what we normally do.
"I'm obviously stoked for and happy for my brother that this weekend he gets to play for the Warriors, and I'm here playing for the All Blacks' it's pretty exciting."
Both brothers first strapped on boots in the 13-man code but Sione, 1.92m tall and 119kg, "made the switch when I went to (Kelston Boys) high school".
"Things went well for me so I just stuck at it."
Epalahame,1.84m and 110kg, played two or three games of rugby but it was only a fleeting flirtation.
"He told me he just didn't like it - I never asked him why," Sione said. "He probably just thought it was not his game."
So Epalahame returned to the league fold and went on to make the Warriors. He made his NRL debut in 2004 and has since chalked up 50 first-grade matches. The second-rower was selected in a Kiwis squad last year but has yet to play a test.
However, Tonga-born Sione made his international debut for the Pacific Barbarians in 2004 before joining Waikato wing Sitiveni Sivivatu in switching to the All Blacks a year later.
Sione's first three All Black caps were won off the bench but he started three tests towards the end of 2005. But 2006 was a rugby write-off due to pectoral muscle surgery.
The Chiefs' backrower, who said he now sees himself as a specialist No. 8, will be on the bench again in Marseille and he will be expected to inject some explosiveness into the game.
"Sione is a player we want to be able to bring on and have an impact," forwards coach Steve Hansen said. "But that's the same for all our bench. The expectations of those players themselves and from the rest of the team is that they come on and make a difference. Whether that's changing the tempo of the game or whatever, they are all expected to do that. So Sione's just one of seven."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
what absolute monsters!!!
isnt that every dads dream?? Mr Lauaki must have a grin from ear to ear when the workmates start talking about how well there kids are doing at sports...:lol:
