Club rugby milestone on the horizon for France-bound Aukuso

Above: Paulo Aukuso running strongly last weekend for Ories against Upper Hutt. Photo credit: David Brownlie.

If all goes to plan, talented Oriental-Rongotai centre Paulo Aukuso will play his 150th match for the Ories Premiers next weekend in the Jubilee Cup semi-finals, alongside several returning Hurricanes and All Blacks, good mates and cousins.

What's more, it could be against Hutt Old Boys Marist in a repeat of last year's epic 100-minute semi-final which Ories won 30-27, propelling Aukuso's Ories to their third straight Jubilee Cup final.

At full muster, Ories are an ITM Cup-strength side and Aukuso slots right in, as part of a representative backline that includes Ma'a Nonu, Matt Proctor, Ambrose Curtis, Afa Fa'atau and cousin Julian Savea.

With a swerve, side-step and ?lan on attack and a sound defensive game, Aukuso has been an integral part of Oriental-Rongotai's revival in recent seasons and was a core member of the side that won the 2011 Jubilee Cup and lost to MSP and Tawa in the 2012 and 2013 finals.

He' soon packing his bags for a short stint playing in France. "I will be in the South of France playing for Olympique De Grasse on a 10-month contract, but if things go well I maybe there for longer," Aukuso told Club Rugby this week.

Aukuso will be one of several Wellington Premier players playing in France, at various levels, such as his former Rongotai College First XV teammate Manu Leiataua (Ories), Aviata Silago (MSP) Ofa Pongi (Upper Hutt) and Dylan Hayes (HOBM), who has recently left for a taste of French rugby.

He says he's been busy brushing up on his language skills. "My partner speaks French so she has been trying to teach me a few words and sentences, which I end up laughing or not paying much attention to, but hopefully I am able to pick it up once there."

He's previously had a short stint playing rugby in Melbourne and has had a couple of trips away such as recently to the Singapore 10s, but by and large Aukuso has been a regular for Ories for the past several seasons and has rarely missed a game.

When fit and available, which is most of the time, he has been Ories' first choice centre for the last few seasons, after playing some of his rugby on the wing throughout the first half of his career.

Sitting on 148 Premier games going into this Saturday's final round-robin match against Petone, He's hugely proud of his contribution he has made to the team and to the club. "It's an awesome achievement, you don't see many guys making 150 premier games in club rugby, so for me I'm proud that I have achieved what I have to this point with the one and only club. Once an Orie always an Orie."

Not many guys can say they made their Premier debuts at such a young age either.

"My very first Premier game was when I was in 5th form at Rongotai College. Our First XV had a bye so my uncle Lui Aukuso asked me if I wanted to come and reserve for the Ories Premier side against Tawa. I jumped on the wing with 15 minutes left."

"Highlights would be playing with the guys I grew up with and went to school with. Being part of the team that won the Jubilee Cup in 2011 was the biggest highlight since Ories hadn't won it for 100 years."

He rates last year's semi-final victory over HOBM as an individual match that stands out. "That was a memorable game, you don't usually see a semi-final go into overtime twice I had nothing left in the tank."

Who are the tough teams that he's consistently come up against? "HOBM, Wainuiomata and Tawa are always tough teams to play against; however it's the local derbies that I enjoy playing as you are playing against players you know really well."

Individually, he says there's several great players he has played with and against, but singles out one player he respects highly.

"The magician himself, Fa'atonu Fili. He can break open a game if you don't defend him properly and he can kick goals from anywhere - so it was good having him at Ories for a year last season."

Many of these players he has played with and against were former Rongotai College mates. "The only two left standing are our captain Whetu Henry and Mark Reddish. It was great having Manu Leiataua back for a few games recently before he left for France."

His uncle Lui Aukuso played many matches at hooker for Ories, retiring in 2009.

"He was a great flanker at college and Colts level, and then I guess he got comfortable with my nana's cooking and moved to hooker in his latter years! I started off as a prop when I first played then ended up moving to midfield after a couple of games for the Ories U9s."

As for his two famous cousins, he has nothing but praise for them.

"I am really proud of what both Julian and Ardie have achieved and that certainly has made me think hard about what I want to get out of rugby; there are certainly a few goals that I would like to achieve soon. As the older cousin that somewhere along the way they may picked up a few tips from me which has contributed to their success - such as Julian's bump offs!"

Good luck Paulo Aukuso.

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