Super Rugby Pacific: Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga says players showed heart in loss

Moana Pasifika head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga said his players showed a lot of heart, despite losing to the Highlanders 27-17 at the One NZ Stadium in Christchurch.

Umaga said the side continued to battle on, despite the uncertainty of the club's future.

Anxiety is building around the club, as players and officials await any change to the announcement two weeks ago, where it was revealed the club did not have the money to continue beyond 2026.

Four tries to three in the end ensured the Dunedin-based franchise returned down south celebrating their ANZAC weekend exploits at Te Kaha.

It was another disappointing result for the North Harbour-based Moana Pasifika, who so far have managed just one win from 10 games this season, a big contrast to what they achieved this time 12 months ago.

At the end of the Super Round Pacific loss, Umaga said he was proud of the players and pointed to their binding together to keep battling it out in the competition.

He said the players tried hard, citing the off-the-field pressure as taking its toll also on officials, who were anxious to know if the club would still be around in 2027 or not.

"Look, again, it's not through a lack of effort," he said. "We talked a lot about building those positive moments and we had a lot of them, but we just couldn't nail those final ones and that's something that we just got to keep working on.

"I think we understand where we're at at the moment and we understand what's going on.

"I'm so proud of the guys around being able to park that [the anxiety] in the carpark before they come into training and enjoy ourselves. We talk a lot around persevering and keeping faith, but also just around controlling what we can control."

He also said the Highlanders had them on in the first 20 minutes of the game, which he believed took its toll on the team later in the game.

"The boys showed a lot of heart in that first half," he said. "Obviously, defended for long periods and couldn't really get it out of that half in their first 20.

"It just showed the pride and the heart that they have for the club, and for themselves and for the families, and that's what we talked a lot about this week and trying to get ourselves up for it.

"We couldn't get out of there and I think that took a lot of energy out of us for the rest of the game. We still made enough opportunities for us to win that game.

"We just couldn't nail it for us, for ourselves, but we were right in, right until the end."

Captain Miracle Faiilagii pointed to moments they had possession, but could not turn those into points.

He also admitted his own mistakes, especially twice in the first half, when he knocked the ball on in tackles with support players around him.

"I take ownership on some of the errors in the start, being a leader, that's very unacceptable, but credit to the boys," Faiilagi said. "They stayed in the fight.

"They [the Chiefs] didn't score any points until, like, the 25th minute and I know that shows heart.

"We were staying in the fight, but we just kept losing momentum. When we stack errors, that's when we're on the back foot, so that puts pressure on us.

"We still have some work to do."

Highlanders head coach Jamie Joseph was happy with the win and added Moana Pasifika had them under a lot of pressure too in the game.

Joseph said the win was important, as they headed to Fiji for their next game in the new week.

The match started off with the two teams laying down their challenges in the centre of the new rugby field.

Moana Pasifika kicked that off with their own 'Tau Moana', which they performed for the first time against the Highlanders on February 28, 2025, during the cultural round at North Harbour.

The Highlanders responded with their own 'Hautoa Kia Toa Kaea' haka.

Slim halftime lead

Moana Pasifika had a slim three-point lead at halftime, 10-7, after scoring two tries against one from the Highlanders.

Jonah Lowe scored first for the Highlanders, enjoying so much space out wide, following the yellow-carding of Moana Pasifika's Semisi Paea.

Lowe received the ball with no-one in front and raced clear for the line.

Cameron Millar's conversion gave the Highlanders the lead in the 24th minute, but Moana Pasifika struck back with their first try, after a good run by No.8 Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa, who was in the clear for about 25 metres, before he was brought down in a cover tackle.

Halfback Johnathan Taumateine sent the ball out to William Havili, who chipped across the Highlanders defenders into the box.

Replacement Israel Leota, who went in for flyhalf Patrick Pellegrini, jumped high into the air, plucked the ball and scored as he returned to the ground.

Moana Pasifika had two clear opportunities again with ball in hand, but both times, Faiilagi knocked on, as he tried to offload in a tackle.

However, a late shoulder charge by Lowe on Havili saw Moana Pasifika get another chance.

Havili sent the ball out for a lineout and the forwards made hit-ups towards the Highlanders line, before the backline spun the ball wide, with winger Glen Vaihu stepping through the gap created by Lowe's absence to score untouched.

While the Highlanders were on attack again after that, they were unable to break the stubborn Moana Pasifika defence that held on until the halftime whistle.

The second half saw Highlanders claim two converted tries to replacement prop Angus Ta'avao and halfback Adam Lennox, both converted by Millar, who also kicked two penalties.

Replacement halfback Augustine Pulu claimed a 66th-minute try and Havili's conversion closed the gap to 27-17.

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