If you want to make Raymond Nu’u uncomfortable, try and get him to talk up his abilities on the rugby paddock.

The 20-year-old midfielder has signed with Rugby Southland for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup, but his Christchurch club duties will mean he won’t be sighted until the Stags preseason campaign gets underway.

So what can Nu’u tells us about himself?

“I’m really excited. It was always one of my goals to play Mitre 10 Cup and to get an opportunity with Southland is exciting. I can’t wait to play and compete,” he said.

“I don’t really like to rate myself. I’m competitive when I’m on the field. I don’t like letting anyone get past me and I like to put in a good hit or a good carry. If I get the chance to have a run I’ll go for it.”

Nu’u was described as a schoolboy rugby prodigy during his time at St Andrews College, where he had four years in the first XV. He’s been a member of the Crusaders wider training group for the past three years and trialled for the New Zealand under 20 team, but was unlucky to be hampered by an ankle injury.

He’s previously worked alongside Stags assistant coach Dale McLeod at the Sydenham club in Christchurch and Stags head coach Dave Hewett got a good look at him during the New Zealand under 20 trials.

Although Nu’u has met Stags players Jay Renton and Flynn Thomas through representative rugby, he will be stepping largely into the unknown when he moves south for preseason.

However, his time in the Canterbury and Crusaders rugby system has put him in good stead for the challenges ahead, he said.

“It’s awesome, I’m thankful and blessed that I was a part of it,” Nu’u said.

“You learn a lot and it’s not just about rugby, but about culture, and you can see why they are champions. Everything is so organised, everyone puts in a lot of effort. You can see in their results, the commitment that goes into the academy. It’s more about being good people than good players. It’s about your attitude and your character.”

Hewett, in his first term with the Stags, has been conscious of maximising the talent that exists within Southland’s borders, but he’s made an exception with Nu’u.

“A real focus for us as a coaching group is to either contract a local or guys who have come down to play club rugby in Southland,” Hewett said.

“We also have to be realistic in that we know we can’t fill all our positions from within our local boundaries. There will be a handful of guys who aren’t playing club rugby, but that’s the nature of the beast with Mitre 10 Cup.“

The timing of Nu’u’s signing meant he would not have been eligible to move south and play finals rugby for a Southland club and Hewett would have been reluctant to create a situation where a local player was denied the opportunity they had been striving for all season anyway.

Instead, Stags fans will get their chance during the preseason to rate a player that Hewett believes will be a handy acquisition.

“He’s been playing some good rugby up in Christchurch. He’s a powerful midfield back and that’s a position we need good depth in because the Mitre 10 Cup is a sprint and there’s a reasonably high attrition rate.”

Article added: Thursday 12 July 2018