Moana Pasifika

Moana Pasifika put up a tough fight before the Crusaders earned a bonus-point victory.

But the way they started in Dunedin belied any off-field challenges. Moana Pasifika were much more than admirable in their maiden outing. The rest of the half saw Moana Pasifika impose themselves to a greater extent than they had in the first 40 minutes, continuing to edge the physical battle.

There was a distinct Hawke's Bay flavour to the Moana Pasifika squad when it was unveiled piece by piece last year.

Toala made the step up to Super Rugby level the following season with the Hurricanes but managed just four appearances – including one solitary start – in his three years with the club. So really proud of those guys getting off to a good start tonight.” “Danny knew the level, he knew what to expect, so he does have that experience which served him well. I thought he was physical; it’s a part of his game that he’s been working on, along with Henry Taefu, his No 12 buddy. In his first start for Moana Pasifika, Toala finished the match with nine carries, three beaten defenders, 40 metres gained and 14 tackles to his name. “I thought Ere [Enari] served the guys really well too, there was some good service with the ball that we did have.