2. Charles Piutau
Another well known name to recent fans of the English top flight, former Bristol Bears playmaker Charles Piutau began his All Blacks journey in a similar style to Fekitoa. After starring for the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby, Piutau was awarded his first run out in the black jersey, in a 2013 Autumn Internationals clash against Australia. Piutau played the full 80 minutes on his debut, as the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup over their Trans-Tasman rivals.
Piutau scored his first tries for New Zealand the following month. He started on the right wing and grabbed a brace, as the All Blacks hammered Japan 54-6 in Tokyo. However, Piutau was extremely unlucky to miss out on the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad, and promptly left New Zealand after agreeing a move to Wasps for the 2015/16 Premiership season. Piutau took to northern hemisphere rugby with no hesitation, as he ran in 10 tries for his sole season in Coventry.
The versatile midfielder then enjoyed a two-year long stint with Ulster, before returning to the Premiership for his well-remembered run at Ashton Gate. Piutau was an integral part of Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears side, that lit up the Premiership with a Southern Hemisphere influence. The likes of Semi Radradra, Alapati Leiua, Steven Luatua and even Charles’ older brother Siale Piutau formed a Pacific Island foundation, which took the Bears to the top of the Gallagher Premiership in the 2020/21 season.
Piutau made his Tonga debut alongside Fekitoa, in the 2022 Pacific Nations Cup defeat to Fiji, yet has been able to find his first points for his new side. Piutau scored in Tonga’s 27-21 victory over Australia ‘A’, in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match this past Summer. A magical talent that can step an opponent in a phone box, Tonga fans will be excited to see Piutau unleashed against Ireland this Saturday in Nantes.
3. George Moala
George Moala’s rugby career starts similar to the stories of Fekitoa and Piutau, yet a key difference to note is Moala’s longevity in Super Rugby. The veteran centre is a former teammate of Piutau, yet began his seven year tenure with the Blues two years prior in the 2011. A graduate of the Auckland provincial side, Moala soon progressed into the Blues set-up, and caught the eye of the All Blacks selectors.
Moala made his New Zealand debut in a one-off test match against Samoa, and had the added accolade of scoring the All Blacks’ only try in the 25-16 win. However, despite this impressive debut, like Piutau, Moala was soon cast aside by the All Blacks when it came to whittling down the side for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Moala made just two more appearances for New Zealand after their title-winning tournament, before the Blues man took the headlines for all the wrong reasons, after his involvement in an Auckland bar brawl.
Moala stayed with the Blues for an additional two seasons, before looking for pastures new in a move to France. Since 2018, Moala has resided with Clermont Auvergne, in a versatile midfield role that seems him play across the inside and outside centres. The former All Black scored 10 tries in his first season, as Clermont claimed the 2019 European Challenge Cup. Moala’s side finished runners-up of the Top 14 that same year, in what’s been his most successful run since moving to the Northern Hemisphere.
Moala’s Tonga debut came later than Fekitoa and Piutau’s, with the centre making his first run out for the Pacific Islanders in the 2022 Autumn Internationals. Moala played the entire match as Tonga demolished Spain 40-6 in Malaga. The centre then went on to feature in Tonga’s following victories against Uruguay and Rugby World Cup debutants Chile, before wrapping up his World Cup preparations with fixtures against Samoa and Canada this past Summer.