Another Christchurch wizard

By WYNNE GRAY

Aviation is a strong theme in the Laulala family.

Father Eti is an international pilot, his solitary daughter has gained her commercial licence and it could be said that the eldest son Casey, is also flying high.

His speedy progress has been on the rugby paddock where his strong frame and skills have made such an impression for Canterbury in their trip to tomorrow's NPC final.

Laulala's improvement has been even more impressive when he reveals he did not play any rugby until he was 15 and sent to board at Wesley College in South Auckland.

Before that, he chucked a ball around with his mates in his village of Afega in Samoa. But there was nothing organised, nothing too serious.

It was a bit that way with Laulala's schoolwork, too, until his father decided he'd had enough and packed the teenager off to New Zealand.

The search was for a country boarding school with a strong education programme and Wesley fitted the description.

"The problem was when I went home and started mentioning rugby.

"None of my family had any connection with the sport and my old man was always saying he preferred to hear about my academic progress," Laulala says.

But his parents and several of his six siblings were proud spectators in Christchurch last week, flying in specially to watch the centre score a try in Canterbury's 44-12 semifinal demolition of Bay of Plenty.

It was a special occasion for the young midfielder, who is making his way in a career as a professional rugby player after transferring south from Counties Manukau.

The 102kg, 1.86m Laulala is one of the new crop of midfielders testing the appraisal skills of the All Black selectors, and his battle tomorrow against Conrad Smith is expected to be one of the highlights.

Laulala also made a huge impression at school, playing two seasons in the 1st XV and being picked as head boy in his final year.

He does not seek the limelight but he is not afraid of it after all the practice of addressing school assemblies at Wesley.

When Laulala speaks, it is easy to detect a soft American accent.

It is a legacy of his upbringing in Samoa, where he said many of the kids imitated the accents they heard on television.

"I was at home not so long ago and listening to some of my brothers, they had very strong accents," Laulala said.

His youngest brother, Lance, boards at Wesley and when Laulala visited this year he had an internal glow at seeing his own name on the honours board.

"It was a great honour to be head boy and I really enjoyed my time there," he says.

Laulala's time after school was spent playing in the Counties colours and he stuck with the relegated union in 2002. But he was eventually persuaded he should head south, where he tapped into the experience of the since-departed former All Black midfielder Mark Robinson.

And his form this season with Canterbury will make it tough for Rico Gear to break into the Crusaders at centre.

But those issues are far from Laulala's thinking. His focus is on his first NPC final and a better showing against Smith or Tana Umaga than he managed in the Super 12.

"Tana was a tough man in that match, he bumped me off and I have got to make sure he does not do that sort of thing again.

"Rugby has been great but I am still trying to get into this professional thing, you know. I always used to think rugby was just for fun.

"But you get in trouble if you don't do things, it is part of the job and you get used to it.

"These guys down here with Canterbury are great because they all work so hard that they motivate you."

Laulala talks softly about the privilege of playing in the NPC final. His humility is very apparent and it is no surprise that he shares the Christian values of his famous fellow countryman, Michael Jones.

He is also mates with Brad Thorn and plans to visit him and watch him play sometime for the Brisbane Broncos.

Laulala likes Christchurch, except for the cold, and plans to get back to Samoa or somewhere with a warmer climate when possible.


Laulala nominates Tim Horan and Brian O'Driscoll as players he admires.

"I could keep watching Horan all the time, just the way he runs and accelerates through the gaps and had all the skills. Another one is someone like O'Driscoll who is so powerful, so explosive and so balanced."


Casey Laulala


Born: Apia, Samoa

Age: 22

School: Wesley College

Height: 1.86m

Weight: 102kg

Club: Marist Albion

Position: Centre

NPC tries this season: 7

Crusaders debut: 2004

* reports on nzherald.co.nz/rugby throughout the wekeend