It's a showdown of the Samoans at Twickenham

Nov 27 2011 by Mark Smith, Sunday Sun

FALCONS new-boy Taiasina Tu’ifua is relishing this afternoon’s clash with countryman Maurie Fa’asavalu as Newcastle travel to Aviva Premiership leaders Harlequins.

The 28-year-old Samoan was left on Tyneside last weekend as his team-mates racked up a 34-3 win at Italian champions Petrarca Padova, with the new arrival ineligible for European competition.

Set to be finally unleashed for his debut along with Tongan wing Suka Hufanga at the Twickenham Stoop today, he said: “I am finding it good at the moment.

“Training has gone well. It is great to join in with the boys, and has made me feel part of the team.

“It is nice to have a house and be settled with my family, and the city seems fantastic from what we have seen so far.”

Looking forward to his tussle with fellow World Cup star Fa’asavalu – a former Falcons target himself – Tu’ifua said: “This will be the first time I have gone up against Maurie, and it will be a challenge because he is a fantastic player.

“As long as I am doing my own job I will not be worrying too much about what he is up to, and the key is just to play hard.

“Their prop James Johnston is also a Samoan team-mate of mine, and it is great to have so many friends in England already.”

Tu’ifua becomes the latest in a long line of Samoans to represent Newcastle in the top flight, with Pat Lam and Inga Tuigamala among the pioneers helping them to Premiership glory back in 1998.

Filipo Levi, Loki Crichton, Earl Va’a and Semo Sititi have followed since, with the latest arrival stating: “The thing that Samoans bring to the game is the physical edge.

“I love that side of the game, and if I can bust through the line to get us going forward then I will be happy.

“Every time I get the ball I will do my best to try and run hard at the opposition, break through them and help the boys however I can.”

The ex-Counties Manukau man added: “I heard a lot from my friends who have been here, like Filipo Levi.

“He said that Newcastle is a great club, and a fantastic place to bring my family. It is a new life, and different to where we have come from.

“My partner Evelina and my four-year-old daughter Lania have come here with me, and it is a new chapter for us.

“I am used to new cultures after moving from Samoa to New Zealand, and Newcastle is just an extension of that.”

Newcastle Falcons (v Harlequins, away, today 3pm): J Manning, A Tait, J Helleur, J Fitzpatrick, S Hufanga, J Gopperth, C Pilgrim; A Wells, M Mayhew, J Hall, J Hudson (captain), A Van der Heijden, T Swinson, A Hogg, T Tu’ifua. Replacements: J Graham, G Shiells, D Frazier, A Fondse, W Welch, J Pasqualin, R Sheriffe, G Goosen.

Harlequins: M Brown, S Stegmann, M Hopper, J Turner-Hall, S Smith, N Evans, D Care; J Marler, C Brooker, J Johnston, T Vallejos, G Robson, M Fa’asavalu, C Robshaw (captain), N Easter. Replacements: J Gray, N Mayhew, T Fairbrother, C Matthews, L Wallace, R Bolt, R Clegg, T Casson.

Referee: L Pearce.