Rugby: Comeback prop seeks extra lift

Dennis Tapusoa displays his forklift skills while on the job for Kelcold Freezers at Progressive Meats in Hastings. Photo/Glenn Taylor

When Hastings Rugby and Sports prop Dennis Tapusoa heads out to his garage for a jam it has nothing to do with music.

"It's a weights jam. I've got weights set up in my garage because I don't have time to go to the gym," Tapusoa said.

These gym sessions are all part of Tapusoa's "making up for lost time" mission. Last year, his first season playing for the IMS Payroll Hastings Rugby and Sports premiers, was his first winter back in the code after spending three years focusing on his commitments to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which didn't allow for Saturday sport.

"It's important I get my fitness levels back up," Tapusoa, 23, said.

His quest is obviously working. The former Hawke's Bay age-group representative through the grades and member of the 2009 Hurricanes title-winning Hawke's Bay under-18 side produced a player-of-the-match performance as Hastings beat Tech Group of Companies Napier Technical 27-23 at the weekend to become the 17th weekly winner in the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award.

While Tapusoa, a father of three children aged 3, 1 and 6 months, can play both sides of the scrum, his Hastings forward coach Aaron Bartlett prefers to play him in the tighthead role.

"Back in my Hastings Boys' High School days I played loosehead and Ben [Chiefs and former Magpies prop Tameifuna] played tighthead.

"Ben is doing really good these days," Tapusoa said.

Making the Hurricanes Secondary Schools team with Tameifuna was one of the highlights of his age-group career.

Another was the 2009 Hurricanes title win alongside the likes of Tameifuna and other future New Zealand under-20 reps including All Black Dominic Bird, Braid Weber and Ihaia West, with a side coached by Bird's father John.

"John [Bird], Aaron [Bartlett] and Karl [Jones] are the best coaches I've played under.

"It was Jonesey who picked me for the Hurricanes team," Tapusoa said.

The Kelcold Freezers worker at Progressive Meats in Hastings is confident his team can triumph in their must-win clash against Hawke's Bay Insurances Napier Old Boys Marist at Park Island to secure a berth in the following weekend's semifinals.

"I'm just going to go hard. I want to crack the Magpies next year and if I don't I'll settle for the Development team."

Although Tapusoa was showing off his forklift skills when we visited him on the job, he pointed out there were times when it got physical and this complemented his rugby training.

With players from other clubs in his department, including MAC's Dempsey Greening, there is no shortage of banter during smoko breaks.

Other ninth-round matches on Saturday will see unbeaten leaders Progressive Meats Havelock North host fourth-placed Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports, Tech host Northfuels Central in a clash which will decide sixth place (both teams are sixth equal), Clive host MAC in the tussle for eighth place and second-placed Carters Frame and Truss Taradale should retain the Challenge Shield when they host bottom-of-the-table Tamatea.