‘Invest a lot of time in it’: Joy Manu’s concentration ahead of debut

New Zealand rugby convert Joseph Manu is set to make his debut in the new code on Sunday. He already has one thing in common with former team-mate and Wallabies sensation Joseph Suaalii.

Manu joined Suaalii to replace the NRL Roosters rugby league team in XV-man games. In contrast to Suaalii, who immediately grabbed attention in a Wallabies jersey, Manu chose to play his first game in Japan alongside former All Blacks coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster in a Toyota Verblitz. He is scheduled to make his debut against Bernard Foley’s Kubota Spears on Sunday.

Foster said in his speech: DSPN Podcast Speaking with Martin Devlin this week, Manu revealed that he has already taken a similar path to Suaalii in terms of playing position.

Suaalii was expected to be incorporated into international rugby on the wing, but Joe Schmidt made the bold move of giving him a starting debut in the middle against England at Twickenham, producing several highlight moments.

“He played a little bit when he was young, so he knows a little bit about it. It’s a lot of his instincts that he needs to get right. We know that the transition from league to rugby doesn’t happen overnight. But he figured it out very quickly,” Foster said of Manu.

“We were considering playing him in some sort of full-back, wing role to give him a chance to get used to the situation. But he played almost every preseason game at center and handled the defensive end really well. He’s probably still struggling to find the space he wants in the attack.”

There has been a lot of talk about Manu and his All Blacks ambitions and comparisons to other high-profile code hoppers such as Sonny Bill Williams and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

Joseph Manu. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

“As for his path, I think he’s really enjoying this moment. He wants to take a few years to learn and get used to rugby and reconsider what his options are,” Foster said.

“I’ve never talked to him about (the All Blacks). I know he is ambitious. But the good thing now is he’s just doing what he needs to do, not getting too ahead of himself when making big transitions.”

Foster was heavily involved in Tuivasa-Sheck’s ultimately failed transition and was asked if there were lessons that could be learned.

“It’s different for every athlete, but some of the things that are instinctive are things we’ve learned. For example, you can’t stand a breakdown happening next to you, you have to go in, etc. Maybe I should do it right first.

“So we spend a lot of time on that part of the game. Because you don’t have to deal with his ball control, handling, offloads, etc. as much. He’s fast and strong. It’s about the instincts around running lines and breakdowns – the little things like knowing when to get in, not to lose your footing, and how to jackal the ball.

Joseph Manu. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“He did pretty well last week against Yamaha. He got two jackals, which is a big step for him.

“History shows this is not an easy transition. But people like Sonny did it and they did it really, really well. And I know we talk a lot about Roger Tuivasa-Shek, but let’s face it, he became an All Black and played well enough to be there. So he’s not that far along, but I know Joey is trying to make his own way and that’s all that matters is that he’s learning well.”

Foster said he had never been approached by anyone associated with the All Blacks to check on Manu’s progress, but he believed learning the game out of the spotlight was the right approach.

“I read a few articles about things like, ‘Why on earth does he go there and why doesn’t he go to New Zealand?’” Foster said.

“Well, you’ll have to ask Joey. But, you know, Toyota Verblitz is the organization that wrote the checkout and that’s where he wanted to go and play this game away from the limelight.

“I think this is a smart move because if he came (to New Zealand) too early he would be under a microscope for everything he did and I think sometimes as a country we can make pretty quick judgments about athletes who are trying to advance their careers. do. Joey is pretty normal. He solved the problem and we will let him make the decision.”

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