All Blacks star Ardie Savea ready to "rock" with Super Rugby underdogs Moana Pasifika
02/13/2025 04:52 AM
The Super Rugby Pacific 2025 season kicks off this weekend, with All Blacks loose-forward Ardie Savea set to bring a considerable boost to Auckland-based underdogs Moana Pasifika.
The 2023 world player of the year has left his beloved hometown Hurricanes, to work under Moana's head coach and ex-All Blacks skipper Tana Umaga. Savea has been named to captain the side at Number Eight, for their season opener against Western Force in Perth, Australia on Saturday.
Moana, which only made its Super Rugby debut in 2022, finished second-from-bottom in the table last season. BUt with Savea firing up the forwards, the team promises to have added firepower in 2025.
"I think we can achieve great things," Savea told reporters in Auckland this week. "We know we have the flair and X-factor in our squad, it's about bringing that and also game awareness and smartness, being able to play in the right areas of the field.
"It's looking exciting. I'm here and ready to rock," added the All Blacks Number Eight. Born into a Samoan family, Savea revealed he is staying humble in the team – which includes players from the Pacific islands.
Savea will have Tonga openside Sione Havili Talitui and Samoa's Miracle Faiilagi alongside him in a strong loose forward trio. Ardie Savea, 31, has linked up with his elder brother and fellow All Black Julian Savea, who is also in the Moana squad.
The pick of the opening-round ties will be at Auckland's iconic Eden Park, where defending champions The Blues host The Chiefs in a repeat of last season's final. Both teams have named a powerful bench with rival All Blacks scrum-halves, Finlay Christie for the hosts and Chiefs' Number Nine Cortez Ratima among the Hamilton side’s respective replacements.
Opposing All Blacks fly-halves Beauden Barrett will star for the Blues and Damian McKenzie is set to take centre stage for the Chiefs, yet both move to full-back for their respective teams this weekend. Rising stars Josh Jacomb and Harry Plummer are instead given the nod at 10 for the Blues and Chiefs.
Christie said his goal this campaign is to force his way back into the All Blacks squad, after being dropped by New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson mid-way through the 2024 season. However, his immediate priority is cementing the scrum-half berth at the Blues.
The hosts know they need a strong start at Eden Park against a Chiefs side itching to avenge their 41-10 defeat in last season's Grand Final.
"Everyone's at the same level in the starting blocks," said Christie.
"If we go around thinking about how cool it was last year, then we’re going to get left behind. We’ve got to reset, refresh and be ready to go.”
The Crusaders, whose seven-year reign as champions was brought to a dramatic end last season when the team failed to make the play offs, are at home to The Hurricanes in the opening round game on Friday.
Crusaders head coach Rob Penney is under pressure to get the results following a dismal 2024 campaign blighted by poor team performances and injuries, after he replaced Scott Robertson who left the Christchurch-based team to take charge of the All Blacks.
The 30th season of Super Rugby gets underway with just 11 teams playing in a new-look format. After 14 regular rounds, the top six will progress to the play-offs.
The field has been reduced from 12 sides following the demise of the Melbourne Rebels, who went bust last season. This leaves only four teams from Australia – hosts of the British & Irish Lions later this year – as well as the five New Zealand clubs, Moana Pasifika and the Suva-based Fijian Drua.
Round One fixtures
Friday
Crusaders v Hurricanes (7.05pm), Waratahs v Highlanders (7.35pm)
Saturday
Drua v Brumbies (3.35pm), Blues v Chiefs (7.05pm), Western Force v Moana Pasifika (7.35pm)
All times local.
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