Caucau – should have been one of the greatest...

Just been watching some clips of Rupeni Caucaunibuca. Perhaps unfairly, I remember him mostly for duffing up Oliver Magne in 2003, hearing about him having fallouts with Fiji and his club.

Some of the later clips show a pudding of a man, but still with bags of pace making rugby look easy.

Such a shame he didn’t seem to be too motivated, disciplined or maybe correctly managed.

He is now playing Division 2 football in France after leaving Toulouse.

Oh well...I think he could have been.

I remember Glen Taylor (Former North Auckland captain) being asked in an interview about what it was like having this new young guy Rupeni in the team, the reply was something along the lines of:

There are times at training when he does something absolutely amazing and you just shake you head in wonder...then at other times he does things, and you just shake your head...

Isn't he still at Agen?

Bluesman, he left Agen for Toulouse, but left Toulouse for Division 2 side US Carcassonne at the start of this season.

Oh thats right I did hear, he got promoted and was looking great agian, then the pressure to perform hit...

Im of the opinion he just cant be ar$ed with taking it that seriously and is happy to drift in and out. Unlike someone like Wilkinson who is totally focused, perhaps Caucau has a different priority list. As long as hes happy, but I do wonder if he will ever look back and wonder what might have been. While he'd never get a world cup winners medals with Fiji, with a different attitude, top European clubs would have slit each others throat to have him, and top silverware would follow.

Such a shame he didn't fulfill his potential but in many was he brought some of it one himself. I'm pretty sure he missed a flight Fiji because he lost his passport at one point; and his view to fitness was slightly old school shall we say!

I expect many will remember his exploits at RWC 2003 for a while yet but the couple of seasons in his prime at the Blues were surely his best. He just seemed to do incredible things as he fancied it for a couple of seasons.

I still remember Redpaths interview after Scotland beat Fiji in the last minute at RWC 2003, when Caucau scored two tries. The interviewer asked for Redpaths views on the game and he said the usual we're happy to win stuff then finished with "but that man Caucau just killed us" honesty at its best.

I recall caucau saying at one point that with the ball 20 yards out from the lien he could beat any defence. Tongue in cheek of course.

Played his best rugby for the Auckland Blues and theres only so much he could do for Fiji, so where was he supposed to realise all this talent- more club rugby?

Taylorman, fair point. However for him to end up playing level 2 footy in France is a world away from where he should be.

Didnt he make an attempt to become an AB?

Yes he banked on the rules changing after deciding at 24 odd that he wanted to be an AB. The rules never changed so he missed out.

As was said previously with a bigger work ethic he could have played for just about any club side in the world and with that won plenty of silverware.

Wasn't he linked with the Tigers a few years back but failed to turn up for/stay for the trial?

Im of the opinion he just cant be ar$ed with taking it that seriously and is happy to drift in and out

I think this is an attitude that sums many Fijians up....throwing the rugby ball around on the beach having fun....and i think its the reason they are so in to sevens...cos they can just run with the ball like they love.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Im of the opinion he just cant be ar$ed with taking it that seriously and is happy to drift in and out

I think this is an attitude that sums many Fijians up....throwing the rugby ball around on the beach having fun....and i think its the reason they are so in to sevens...cos they can just run with the ball like they love.

In fairness the throwing the ball around on the beach style seems to teach many PI's players better core skills in attack than the established heirachy of schools,clubs,county sides,academies,etc etc. Just a shame that their respective unions can't afford to develop a lot of the talent and keep it in those countries.

In terms of sevens I often wonder if it would've done wonders for Fiji to try and get Caucau back into the sevens side for a season to improve his fitness and get him back into Fiji colours. Too late now however, and with how proffesional the sevens circuit has gone since Caucau played in it I doubt he'd take on the fitness duties required.

He was supposed to come to Leicester for a trial......never turned up, couldn't be rsed apparently. Shame, Seru Rabeni lined everything up for him.

he was one of the all time greatest. He still has one of the greatest strike rates in test rugby (tries per match). I remember him in an Auckland backline. They rerigged the backline to fit him in. Moved a winger (Doug Howlett) to full back and the full back (Mils Miliana) to centre. The other winger was a young Joe Rokocoko. They were unstoppable, but one player stood out head and shoulders above the others. Caucau.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgSq75RY7Hk

I tell you what, there weren't many players who could dust Rougerie without laying a hand on them in the 15m channel...

blackcanelion wrote:he was one of the all time greatest. He still has one of the greatest strike rates in test rugby (tries per match). I remember him in an Auckland backline. They rerigged the backline to fit him in. Moved a winger (Doug Howlett) to full back and the full back (Mils Miliana) to centre. The other winger was a young Joe Rokocoko. They were unstoppable, but one player stood out head and shoulders above the others. Caucau.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgSq75RY7Hk

You're right, that was a formidable Auckland backline and their respective careers have gone from strength to strength, bar Caucau's...

Howlett haswon the super 14 & the Heineken cup. Muliaina has 100 All Black caps while Rokocoko has 68. Caucau had two seasons with the Blues & then spent the next 7 or 8 years playing level 2 football in France. Thats a real shame.

Caucau isn't listed in the Carcassonne squad for this season. He seems to have disappeared again. At age 32, maybe for the last time?

Still, in a sport where the term 'legend' has been used so often that it's lost all meaning, Caucau was a genuine one, on and off the field.

If you were picking an All Time Greats XV based on sheer entertainment, his name would be first on the team sheet. One of the greatest try scorers the game will ever see.

Casartelli wrote:
If you were picking an All Time Greats XV based on sheer entertainment, his name would be first on the team sheet. One of the greatest try scorers the game will ever see.

Don't know about that. I'd have Lomu on one wing, but I doubt I'd pick Caucau though, wouldnt want to risk him crying off just before kick off saying hes lost his boots....

His heads gone.

VictorU3 wrote:His heads gone.

I think it may have gone after he failed in his attempt to become an All Black.

If he had suceeded, I suspect he'd be a household name.

If you were picking an All Time Greats XV based on sheer entertainment

Get a thread started on that...

Maybe it should also be pointed out that Caucau scored 65 tries in 108 appearances with Agen, despite being very fat at many of them.

A strike rate, in a very tough league, that eclipses the likes of Clerc, Heymans, Rougerie, Ngwenya ....

Just because he wasn't seen much on Sky or Scrum V, doesn't mean he wasn't still 'doing the business'.

In between eating and smoking spliffs.