Fijian siblings anticipate clash September 03, 2009
Samoan winger Sailosi Tagicakibau is hoping he will soon get to battle against his younger brother and Fijian speedster Michael Tagicakibau.
Sailosi’s London Irish begin their Guinness Premiership campaign by facing Saracens which has signed Michaell, in the London Double Header at Twickenham on Saturday.
“My brother has recently signed a contract with Saracens. Hopefully he will get his opportunity and it will be good to see him on the other side of the field” Sailosi told the Reading Post.
Exiles’ explosive 6ft 3in wing may have to wait for that moment as 24-year-old Michael, who was London Welsh’s player of the season, is struggling to recover from a foot injury.
Sailosi, 26, revealed the pair have yet to come up against each other on the rugby field.
“There’s been nothing on a professional level before – only in the backyard,” he said.
Sailosi was born in New Zealand and introduced to rugby at the age of five by his father in Auckland.
He went to the famous Wesley College that produced Jonah Lomu and London Irish’s Seilala Mapusua.
Both brothers have a galloping, long-strided style of running that makes them very awkward to tackle.
“I think we are quite similar in a way,” said Sailosi.
“Michael is quite tall and rangy and very fast as well so hopefully he will get his opportunity. We both bring a lot of experience.”
The pair may even one day face each other on the international stage as Michael chose to represent Fiji rather than follow Sailosi’s decision to play for Samoa.
“We are from a mixed-race family,” said Sailosi. “My mum is Samoan and my dad is Fijian. The opportunity came for me to play at a World Cup (in 2003). Samoa approached me and who would turn down a World Cup side?
“I took the opportunity and later on my brother got the chance to play for Fiji so we are both proud to have played for our different parents’ countries.
“I support my brother when he is playing for Fiji and he does the same for me so it is not very hard to choose our allegiances. We are still very proud of both countries.”
He admits, though, that his mum and dad might find themselves with split loyalties if their two sons ever come up against each other.
“People are a little surprised when I tell them that my decision to play for Samoa came from my dad, who is Fijian. We will have to see when that time comes.”
It is club rugby, though, that is preoccupying the Tagicakibaus right now. And Sailosi is looking to be a lot more involved this season after missing a large chunk of games in Irish’s previous campaign.
He said: “Last year I had an injury, a broken arm that kept me out after Christmas, which was unfortunate so hopefully I can play most of the games and pick up from where I left off last season.
“I just want to do my best for the team, for our club. I think there is a lot of potential here. There is a lot of competition now in the outside backs with a lot of emerging young players coming through like Adam Thompstone, who played very well.”
Winning the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham a little more than two weeks ago was a highly enjoyable experience for Sailosi, who is still hurting after losing 10-9 to Leicester Tigers there in last season’s Premiership play-off final.
He said: “To win silverware in the first competition we have been in was a good start for us..
“I have always loved to play sevens. I played sevens when I was a bit younger. And at Twickenham it is a good competition and it is a good way to get fitness especially for myself.
“To come away with the silverware at the end of that tournament was a good experience and it is a good way to start off your season with that.
“Obviously the last time I was at Twickenham we came second best against Leicester so it was good to turn that around.”
Now Sailosi is turning his attention to the club’s main targets of the season – the Guinness Premiership and the Heineken Cup.
“I wouldn’t mind winning both, but then that is wishful thinking,” he said. “We do have the potential to come away with silverware from both competitions. It is just a matter of how we manage the season
“Our first game is going to be a priority.
“In the Heineken Cup we have Leinster, the defending champions, and in the Premiership we have a local derby against Saracens. Hopefully we will do well in both.”
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