David Te Moana makes a big impression
He only recently left New Zealand but hulking Western Force recruit David Te Moana has a Wallabies jersey on his mind, James MacSmith reports.
From Rugby Heaven:
Could this man be the answer to the Wallabies' front-row woes? Giant tighthead prop David Te Moana is the biggest man in Australian rugby, and after only taking up the game five years ago, he has already proven he can mix it with the greatest scrummagers in the world.
Te Moana, who is known as "Big Dog" and lists eating as a hobby, has more than trimmed down from 152kg to his playing weight of about 122kg for the inaugural Super 14 season.
The former Gold Coast Breakers prop stood tall against the Cheetahs front row of Springboks Ollie Le Roux, Os du Randt and Samoan international Trevor Leota in the Force's opening trial game three weeks ago and is the rock-like player Australia's newest province will be looking to build a platform around.
"I took playing against those guys as a real do or die thing for me," Te Moana said. "I knew I had to step up to the challenge and compete against those guys.
"If I am going to make it in this game, I had to be able to do that. I was pretty nervous about it all. It was a real experience for me and personally I was happy about it.
"I haven't been a professional player for very long and for me to come up against such experienced players who have played Test football is great preparation for me for this season."
And what's more, Te Moana is a Kiwi who wants to play for the Wallabies.
"That is what I would love to do, it is my dream," he said. "I'm love New Zealand but I'm committed to Australia now.
"If given the chance to play for Australia, I would more than grab it with both hands, but that is not what I'm focusing on now.
"I want to be a regular member of the 22 for the Western Force and have an impact on the Super 14 season.
"We are developing a real culture here. I haven't been in many professional environments but what I'm really happy about is that there is no niggling, there is no fighting.
"Everyone has a point to prove, and there is great competition for positions, but we're all getting along well."
Te Moana resisted the lure of rugby to stay on the farm until the age of 19 in 2001. Hailing from the small town of Opotiki on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, he made the under 19 representative outfit of NPC outfit The Bay of Plenty in the same year.
"I was happy on the farm with my grandparents, just doing my own thing, then one day I just decided I would have a go at rugby and I have loved the game ever since," he said.
"But I felt things were not really going anywhere for me and moved to Australia in March 2002.
"That was a risk for me but it was something I felt I had to do. Moving to Perth was the same but I'm glad I did it.
"I was in the Queensland Academy and spent three years at the Gold Coast Breakers under Alex Evans.
"But I felt there were a few players ahead of me at the Reds and when the Force approached me, I just knew it was a great opportunity."
While acknowledging that he once had a predilection for consuming anything in sight, Te Moana, with the dreaded weekly skinfolds tests in the back of his mind and a yearning for an international rugby career, now takes a more conservative approach to mealtime.
"It's not so much strict as sensible," he said. "It used to be one of my downfalls.
"I used to love it. I would eat everything I could. Whatever was put in front of me, I would just eat it.
"But I want to be a professional footballer, so I've put all that behind it. It's a sacrifice I'm more than willing to take to make it."
