- Maurie Fa'asavalu
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Maurie Fa'asavalu South Africa vs Samoa at 2011 Rugby World Cup Personal information Born 12 January 1980
SamoaHeight 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Weight 112 kg (17 st 9 lb) [1] Playing information Rugby union Position Flanker Club Years Team Pld T G FG P ????–2003 Apia RU 2010- Harlequins Total 0 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2002- Samoa 14 2 10 Rugby league Position Prop Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2003–2010 St. Helens 164 39 0 0 156 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2007 Great Britain 1 1 0 0 4 2008–2009 England 3 1 0 0 4 Maurie Fa'asavalu is a Samoan rugby union player who formerly played rugby league for St Helens. He was recently picked in the Great Britain rugby league squad after living in England for 4 years. He returned to rugby union in October 2010, having signed for Harlequins for the 2010/2011 season.[2]
Contents
Rugby union career
Fa'asavalu played for Samoa at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
He was signed by the then St Helens coach Ian Millward in the winter of 2003 after a series of outstanding performances playing at flanker for Samoa in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. On his return to rugby union, he also featured in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Harlequins have managed to lured the Great Britain Rugby League and Samoan rugby union international back to the fifteen man game. "A player of Maurie's talent and ability will be a great asset to Quins," said Quins' Director of Rugby Conor O'Shea, "I have no doubt that he will be able to make an immediate impact on returning to union. He will bring experience and a new dimension to our options and is exactly the type of person we want at this club."
Rugby league career
Fa'asavalu made his debut on 13 March 2004 against Leeds Rhinos in a 24 - 14 victory at Knowsley Road. Fa'asavalu took some time to adjust to rugby league, but developed into an important part of the St. Helens squad in 2006. He was however used primarily as an impact player, starting most games from the interchange bench.
Fas'asavalu was unlucky not to receive the Lance Todd Trophy for his performance in the 2006 Challenge Cup victory, where he scored a try in the 2006 and his performance against Huddersfield Giants earned widespread praise.
St. Helens fans were treated to Fa'asavalu's victory dance in both the Challenge Cup Final and the Grand Final for Super League XI. His block busting runs and inimitable try celebrations saw him develop a real following on the terraces at Knowsley Road.
In total he scored 10 tries in 28 games during the 2006 season, followed by 9 tries in 30 games in the 2007 season.
He played in the 2007 Super League Grand Final, the 2008 Super League Grand Final and the 2009 Super League Grand Final defeats all against the Leeds Rhinos.[3]
He missed a major part of the 2010 season after being injured. His last game for St. Helens was in the home win against Leeds Rhinos.
Representative career
On 27 October 2007, Fa'asavalu scored on his debut for Great Britain against New Zealand in Huddersfield, helping the British team to a 20–14 victory. Five minutes after he came on as a substitute in the 18th minute, Fa'asavalu used his great stature to break through 3 New Zealand players to score the try.
He was named in the England squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[4]
He played 3 games for the England team in the World Cup, in the process breaking his hand in the defeat against Australia.
References
- ^ "Harlequins 1st XV". web page. Harlequins. 2011. http://www.union.quins.co.uk/rugby/1stXV.php?player=24667&includeref=dynamic. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
- ^ "Quins lure international back to Union". planetrugby.com. 2010-07-16. http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_6263266,00.html. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
- ^ "2008 Grand Final". BBC. 2008-10-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7642170.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Purdham earns World Cup call-up". BBC. 2008-10-07. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7656553.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
External links
- St Helens profile
- Maurie Fa'asavalu pictures and profile
- Samoans make switch
- Huddersfield 12–42 St Helens
- Dave Woods Cup final verdict
- World Cup Select XV
- Scores in GB Debut
- International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
St Helens RLFC – current squad 1 Wellens · 2 Gardner · 3 Shenton · 4 Soliola · 5 Meli · 6 Pryce · 7 Eastmond · 8 Perry · 9 Roby · 10 Graham · 11 Puletua · 12 Wilkin · 13 Flannery · 14 Moore · 15 McCarthy-Scarsbrook · 16 Clough · 17 Wheeler · 18 Ashurst · 19 Dixon · 20 Lomax · 21 Magenniss · 22 Foster · 23 Frodsham · 24 Armstrong · 25 Gaskell · 26 Forster · 27 Ashe · 28 Makinson · 29 Hale · 30 Jones · 32 Greenwood · 33 Thompson · 34 Hand ·
Coach: Simmons
Samoa squad – 2003 Rugby World Cup Forwards Backs Coach Samoa squad – 2011 Rugby World Cup Forwards Backs Fotuali'i · Fuimaono-Sapolu · Lavea · Lemi · Leota · Mapusua · G. Pisi · T. Pisi · Poluleuligaga · So'oialo · Su'a · Tagicakibau · A. Tuilagi · WilliamsCoach TafuaEngland squad – 2008 Rugby League World Cup Semi Finalists 1 Burrow · 2 Calderwood · 3 Ellis · 4 Fa'asavalu · 5 Gardner · 6 Gleeson · 7 Graham · 8 Higham · 9 Hock · 10 Jones-Buchanan · 11 Langley · 12 McGuire · 13 Morley ·
14 Peacock (c) · 15 Pryce · 16 Purdham · 17 Roby · 18 Senior · 19 Sinfield · 20 L. Smith · 21 Sykes · 22 Wellens · 23 Westwood · 24 Wilkin · Coach: T. SmithSt Helens RLFC squad – 2006 Challenge Cup Final winners 1 Paul Wellens • 2 Ade Gardner • 3 Jamie Lyon • 4 Willie Talau • 5 Francis Meli • 6 Leon Pryce • 7 Sean Long
• 8 Paul Anderson • 9 Keiron Cunningham • 10 Jason Cayless • 11 Jon Wilkin • 12 Paul Sculthorpe • 13 Jason Hooper
• 14 Lee Gilmour • 15 James Roby • 16 James Graham • 17 Maurie Fa'asavalu
• Coach: Daniel AndersonSt Helens RLFC squad – 2006 Super League champions 1 Paul Wellens • 2 Ade Gardner • 3 Jamie Lyon • 4 Willie Talau • 5 Francis Meli • 6 Leon Pryce • 7 Sean Long
• 8 Paul Anderson • 9 Keiron Cunningham • 10 Jason Cayless • 11 Lee Gilmour • 12 Jon Wilkin • 13 Jason Hooper
• 14 James Roby • 15 James Graham • 16 Mike Bennett • 17 Maurie Fa'asavalu
• Coach: Daniel AndersonSt Helens RLFC squad – 2007 Challenge Cup Final winners 1 Paul Wellens • 2 Ade Gardner • 3 Matthew Gidley • 4 Willie Talau • 5 Francis Meli • 6 Leon Pryce • 7 Sean Long
• 8 Nick Fozzard • 9 Keiron Cunningham • 10 Jason Cayless • 11 Lee Gilmour • 12 Mike Bennett • 13 Jon Wilkin
• 14 James Roby • 15 James Graham • 16 Paul Clough • 17 Maurie Fa'asavalu
• Coach: Daniel AndersonSt Helens RLFC squad – 2008 Challenge Cup Final winners 1 Paul Wellens • 2 Ade Gardner • 3 Matthew Gidley • 4 Willie Talau • 5 Francis Meli • 6 Leon Pryce • 7 Sean Long
• 8 Bryn Hargreaves • 9 Keiron Cunningham • 10 James Graham • 11 Chris Flannery • 12 Jon Wilkin • 13 Paul Sculthorpe
• 14 James Roby • 15 Lee Gilmour • 16 Paul Clough • 17 Maurie Fa'asavalu
• Coach: Daniel AndersonCategories:- Living people
- 1980 births
- British people of Samoan descent
- English rugby league players
- England national rugby league team players
- Great Britain national rugby league team players
- Samoan rugby league players
- Samoan rugby union players
- St Helens RFC players
- People from Tuamasaga
- Samoa international rugby union players
- New Zealand people of Samoan descent
- Harlequin F.C. players
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