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A series on Club Rugby’s social media channels celebrating many of the players to have played professional rugby – many international rugby – who have largely come through club rugby and mostly not played in NZ school or age grade teams along the way.
Right wing Lome Fa’atau was the top try scorer in the 2006 Super 14, crossing the line ten times for the Hurricanes en route to the final against the Crusaders. Easily recognisable with his blistering speed and traditional tattooing (pe’a), the Samoan winger was one of the best finishers in the game.
Born and educated in Wellington, Fa’atau was a regular fixture on the flanks for the Hurricanes and Wellington Lions over several years, only taking up rugby seriously after he left secondary school. Previously he was a schoolboy basketball star. He made his first class debut for the Lions in 1999. The next year he joined Taranaki and became their leading try scorer that season. The following year he returned to Wellington where he remained until 2006.
Over six seasons of Super rugby he played for the Hurricanes in 2002 and 2003, was drafted to the Chiefs in 2004, and turned out again for the Hurricanes in 2005, 2006 and 2007, appearing in 56 Super Rugby games between both franchises. For the Hurricanes and Chiefs he played in four consecutive semi-finals from 2003-2006.
Fa’atau also had a successful career in international rugby for Manu Samoa and the Pacific Islands team, scoring 11 tries in 34 test matches between 2000-2007. He also played sevens rugby for Samoa between 1999-2002.
He subsequently signed a two-year deal with Scottish side Glasgow Warriors, before subsequently joining French third division outfit Nice.
Three entries in Club Rugby’s Today in History files from the 1999 season featuring Lome Fa’atau, as below:
24 April 1999: MSP wing Lome Fa’atau scores a stunning solo try to help MSP beat Petone 12-11, while defending champions Wests snatch an 18-18 draw with Poneke courtesy of a last-gasp penalty to first five-eighth Scott Leighton, and HOBM beat Avalon 19-17 with a converted try in injury time.
24 July 1999: (semi-final): Poneke beat Petone 20-7 and MSP edge Wests 16-15 in the Jubilee Cup semi-finals. Poneke beat Petone with a typically tradesmen-like performance while MSP wing Lome Fa’atau swoops on a dropped ball and runs away to score the try that ends defending champions Wests’ season.
31 July 1999: (final) The last club match played at Athletic Park, ahead of a move in the summer to the new railyards stadium. A superb first half performance by MSP’s forwards sets up their fourth Jubilee Cup win in the past six years, beating Poneke 22-16. Heading into the match, Poneke had conceded just four tries in their past 11 matches. But MSP cross for three tries in the opening 40 minutes and took a match winning 22-3 lead into halftime. MSP scored through fullback Jeremy Coulter and then twice through No. 8 Nic Fitesimanu. Poneke mount a comeback but for the most part MSP’s defence holds and Poneke’s only try comes through fullback Peato Lafaele.
PHOTOS: Dave Lintott Photography
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