Taranaki loose forward Pita-Gus Sowakula made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs against the Highlanders. Photo / Getty Images
Taranaki loose forward Pita-Gus Sowakula made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs against the Highlanders. Photo / Getty Images
Pita-Gus Sowakula defines his approach to rugby with three words – "full steam ahead."
And it didn't take long for him to show that mentality when he made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs in their 27-22 win over the Highlanders in Hamilton last Friday.
The 23-year-old Fijian loose forward made his first appearance in the competition replacing veteran No.6 Liam Messam in the 66th minute. He got involved quickly, with a hulking run right at three Highlanders defenders – who swiftly sat him down.
With his first run out of the way, he had the ball in his hands moments later and barrelled within a couple of metres of his first Super Rugby try.
In his 14 minutes, he carried the ball six times, gave a brief glimpse of his passing and offloading abilities and got a taste of what it was like to defend in the competition with the game on the line.
Pita-Gus Sowakula signs an autograph for a young fan after his debut for the Chiefs. Photo / Photosport
It's an opportunity that may have come quicker than the young Fijian expected.
Growing up playing his football on the wing in Fiji, Sowakula moved to Taranaki in 2016 at the end of the local club rugby competition, which finished up mid-July. His agent had brokered a deal with Taranaki Rugby that would see him join their academy, who went on to win every match of their campaign that season.
While he admits he misses playing in the back line on occasion, there was a big positive to playing among the pack.
"You get more ball than standing on the wing," he said.
After a standout year for Spotswood United in the 2017 club rugby competition, ex-Taranaki and current Chiefs coach Colin Cooper brought him into the Taranaki Mitre 10 cup squad where, again, he showed his potential.
With injuries plaguing a number of Chiefs forwards this season, Sowakula's ability to cover lock and loose forward saw his number called to fill a spot on the bench against the Highlanders.
Sowakula said the message to the bench before the game was to "play their heart out" when they were called upon. He did just that.
It was enough to draw praise from Chiefs captain Sam Cane, who clocked up his 100th Super Rugby match last Friday, as well as Cooper.
"He had to be ready," the Chiefs' coach said. "I don't want to pick people that aren't quite ready, and, yeah, I was proud of him.
"We've got some locking issues, and he covers lock. I had him in Taranaki covering lock, so I knew he could do the job. He's physical, he's fast, he big, and he's got the heart of a lion."
