NSW Waratahs hooker Ioane Moananu is ready to take his starting chance to shine as he looks to bring his adopted home to the finals.
Moananu is the last fit contracted hooker at Daceyville after injuries to Ethan Dobbins (foot) and Folau Fainga'a (knee) in back-to-back weeks, with rookie Oniti Finau drafted into the group.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
It led to the ex-Crusader starring in the Waratahs 50-35 win over the Fijian Drua, keeping them in the hunt for the top six with two rounds remaining.
"'Dobby' and 'Lau' were both playing really well, so I was pretty good just being that third option in behind," he said. "I was ready for anything, and Rugby is a really funny sport. Anything can happen at the weekend, so to see both of my brothers go down was tough.
"I made sure I was ready, I didn't clock off or go into holiday mode, and I made sure that when that time does come, I'm ready to play."
Moananu more than took his opportunity, scoring twice and setting up another, with the pick of the bunch coming with a long-range effort in the second half.
The hooker backed up inside centre Lawson Creighton and burnt the Drua with his surprise pace, harkening back to his days as a midfield coming through the ranks in Auckland.
"I heard Teddy Wilson calling for it and I was like 'Oh, if I'm not passing this to Teddy, I need to get to the try line or I'm getting cooked in the weekend during the week by the coaches,'" the hooker said and laughed.
"Fortunate enough, I got to the try line and got the try for the boys...I used to play in the midfield, but then I had one year where I got a little bit bigger and moved to flanker and then hooker. I'm not as fast as I was before but the speed is still there."
The Waratahs are still in the fight for finals, sitting two points behind the sixth-place Queensland Reds and a point further behind the Brumbies.
Victory over the Brumbies could see the Waratahs jump ahead of their rivals with a round remaining, finishing the year against the Western Force in Perth.
"Every week now is like a final right now and we're looking forward to the challenge," Moananu added.
"It puts a little bit of edge [in the group] and a chip on the shoulder to perform well."
