Malu Fuimaono celebrates his 200th game for Waitakere City. Photo / Patrick McKendry.
Manukau Rovers 27
Waitakere City 18
Malu Fuimaono walked on to the pitch for his 200th premier rugby match through a tunnel of Waitakere City junior players.
As he made his way to his significant milestone and a match against Manukau Rovers at Trusts Stadium, Fuimaono, leading his 16-year-old son, Josh, and younger brother Gafatasi, earned a warm embrace from former All Black Eroni Clarke.
There were tears, as was expected for such an occasion. Gafatasi, a blindside flanker, played alongside Malu, a No8, while Josh was on the reserves bench and played in the second half – also as a loose forward.
The perfect result for the Fuimaono family would obviously have been a Waitakere City victory. The side had won their first of the season last weekend when they came from behind to beat Otahuhu away, but perhaps the greatest thing about rugby and sport in general is that nothing is guaranteed once the players or contestants enter the arena.
That's one of the things that has kept the 39-year-old Malu Fuimaono returning to the pitch every year since he was an 18-year-old new arrival to Auckland from Samoa.
As it was, Manukau Rovers had only one previous victory this season, too, and had been beaten at home 82-7 the previous week by Eden.
They are a team who also know what it's like to face big challenges every week, which is perhaps one of the reasons why this match was played in such a benign spirit, despite the size of the players involved and indeed the impact of the collisions.
Afterwards, once many of the Waitakere men picked themselves off the pitch, there were hugs between the opposing players, and Gafatasi had earlier spent much of the second half having a friendly chat on the sideline with Rovers hooker and co-captain Ronnie Matapula.
Over their previous 10 games this season, Waitakere City had virtually handed the opening 10 minutes of nearly every match to the opposition but on Saturday they had nearly the perfect start, despite their scrum being under immediate pressure, when wing Tuamasaga Seloti was over for two tries in a handful of minutes.
They were clearly inspired, and indeed also started the second half well, with the Fuimaono brothers prominent and direct with the ball, but they couldn't maintain the intensity despite the inventiveness of their second-five Leafi Fi and occasional unorthodoxy of first-five Sam Aolele.
The Rovers' scrummaging prowess hurt Waitakere time and again, with loosehead prop Vine Fesolai a destructive force, and their defence improved, too.
The visitors took the lead for the first time early in the second half when wing Sam Hafoka went over after some excellent footwork by No12 Samuela Ofanoa, and while Waitakere struck back via a try from a quick penalty tap by halfback Kyle Nu'uali'itia, the first of two tries by imposing first-five Lofia Finefeuiaki effectively sealed it.
Waitakere were tiring and giving up too many offside penalties. Finefeuiaki's second try near the end put the result beyond doubt but the home side's determination never diminished. Some of them were clearly upset at the finish. They wanted to do the right thing by Malu.
But there was an occasion to celebrate and pictures to take. They came together and the laughter returned.
Afterwards, Malu Fuimaoano spoke of why he has yet to hang up his boots. "My three boys love rugby so every time I took them to trainings or their games it made me feel like continuing to play," he said.
"I told the boys I wanted to win my 200th. It wasn't the result we wanted, but it's part of rugby. We came second."
Asked when he may retire, Fuimaono, whose sole major injury over his many years playing has been a hand problem for which he required surgery, replied: "When the wheels fall off. To be honest, it may be my last year, I don't know. It's up to my wife. I love rugby and I'd like to keep playing for as long as I can to be with my son on the field."
Manukau Rovers 27 (Lofia Finefeuiaki 2, Tupou Tonga, Sam Hafoka tries, Mordecai Pulu 2 cons, pen)
Waitakere City 18 (Tuamasaga Seloti 2, Kyle Nu'uali'itia tries; Leafi Fiu pen)
Halftime: Waitakere City 10-5