Super Rugby starting debuts don’t get much better than what Blues hooker Soane Vikena is set to experience this weekend.
After three years in the squad, Vikena will finally earn his first start tomorrow in the hometown he left as a youngster.
The Blues are in Fiji for the first time in nearly 30 years for tomorrow’s clash against the Fijian Drua in Lautoka with Vikena set to don the No.2 jersey.
“To play against the Drua in my first start, it's a dream come true really,” Vikena said.
“It’s pretty much dream come true to go back home.”
Vikena shifted to Auckland as a six-year-old, first joining the Blues as a teenager three years ago.
He'll play in front of a huge family group in his hometown with his ticket request topping 100.
Vikena expects they won’t be the only Blues fans though.
“There's a lot of supporters for the Blues in Fiji with [former winger] Rupeni Caucaunibuca] and all the other boys [who played for the Blues].”
Vikena’s journey featured a slight change early on with the 21year-old only making the switch to hooker from flanker in his final year of First XV rugby at Mt Albert Grammar under the tutelage of revered coach, the late Geoff Moon, who did the same with Blues great Keven Mealamu as a teenager.
Vikena said he’d be thinking of his former coach when he takes the field tomorrow.
“He played a big part in my life and rugby career, changing me as well, changing my position, thanks to him and his family,” he said.
“The one thing he taught me was, head down, arse up and keep working hard.”
He'll need to use that advice tomorrow with the Chiefs almost coming unstuck last year in Lautoka before the Crusaders suffered a shock upset at the same venue last month.
Blues coach Leon MacDonald has acknowledged those results with a strong side featuring plenty of All Blacks including Mark Telea, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett and Dalton Papalii.
But despite the stars expect a different Blues player to get the biggest roar when they take the field in close to 40 degrees and around 80 percent humidity conditions; the hometown kid born a stone’s throw away from the stadium who might be playing for the opposition, but returning to his roots.
SHARE ME