George Moala
| Full name | George Moala | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 November 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 104 kg (16 st 5 lb) | ||
| School | Tamaki College & Glen Innes | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Centre, Wing | ||
| New Zealand No. | 1138 | ||
| Provincial/State sides | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2011– | Auckland | 47 | (135) (28 tries) |
| correct as of 19 October 2015. | |||
| Super Rugby | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2012– | Blues | 40 | (65) |
| correct as of 12 June 2015. | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2010 2015– |
Tonga under-20 New Zealand |
5 1 |
(5) (5) |
George Moala (born 5 November 1990 in Auckland, New Zealand), is a professional rugby union player in New Zealand, representing Auckland and The Blues.
Early career
Moala attended Tamaki College where he was prominent in 2008 inter-collegiate rugby season, including scoring a stunning try against New Zealand rugby powerhouse school Auckland Grammar School.[1] In 2010, Moala was selected in the Auckland Under 20 squad.
Professional career
In 2011, Moala was selected for Auckland, in which he played 10 games. In November 2011, Moala was selected in the Blues squad for the 2012 Super Rugby season. He was a standout player for the Blues in 2013, covering left wing for most of the season. In Moala's third season with the franchise he started the year by scoring tries in games against the Crusaders and the Cheetahs. However, due to Francis Saili's recovery from an injury and Ma'a Nonu making it back into the squad, he regained his preferred position at left wing.
Having made countless appearances for the Blues in 2015, he established himself at inside center. His aggressive playing style, attacking flair and supreme upper-body strength give him the potential to become one of the Blues' most consistent player in years to come.
Moala was the stand-out player in the Super Rugby 2015 season, notching up approximately 60 tackle busts, covering 900m with ball in hand and continuously being a threat to the opposition. In the final match of the 2015 season against the Highlanders, former All-Black Jeff Wilson compared Moala to Ma'a Nonu, due to similarities in physic and playing style but also the fact that Moala, like Nonu, originated playing on the wing and then transitioned into center.
International
In 2010, Moala represented Tonga in the IRB Junior World Championship.[2] By July 2015, Moala impressed All Blacks selectors' with an impressive Super Rugby campaign and debuted for New Zealand as wing, in a historic one-off test match in Apia, Samoa. He scored New Zealand's only try in the match that ended 25-16. Despite a strong All Blacks debut and consistent performance's in the ITM Cup, Moala was not included in the 31-man squad for Rugby World Cup 2015.
Conviction
Moala was found guilty of injuring with intent after a bar fight in 2012.[3]
References
- ↑ "College sport". NZHerald. 11 February 2012.
- ↑ "IRB Junior World Championship". IRB. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ↑ "George Moala assault trial: Blues player found guilty on one charge". The New Zealand Herald. 16 January 2015.
External links
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