Samu Manoa: Former USA international was a wrecking ball with the hands of Michael Jordan

Manoa breaks past Finn Russell and Ryan Wilson for USA against Scotland during the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool match at Elland Road

Credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe

When Samu Manoa, the former enforcer for Northampton Saints, Toulon and Cardiff Blues, retired from international duty last summer he did it in the most laid-back and Samu way possible.

In a statement, the big man said: “This Bay Boy is hanging the boots up. It’s been a long journey but a journey that I’ll never forget. My plan was to ride this last ride with my brothers in Japan but plans have changed.

“Truly grateful for all the coaches, staff and folks behind the scenes that helped me, epecially my family and my pops for always getting on my case.

“My grandmother, rest in peace, for believing if I stuck with rugby, it will take care of us. Rugby wouldn’t happen if they weren’t around to push me through.

“A big thank you to all the fans who’ve rocked with me. I’ll never forget you. Eagle #419, signing off.”

Off the pitch, he is an extremely chilled ‘Bay Boy’ who loves rap music (he raps in his cousin’s group, GMOB - Give Money or Bounce - and is known as ‘Blockmonstahz’ on his Twitter feed) and his first love, basketball.

On it, he was a monster who loved smashing people and carrying the ball into contact. Holding the ball in one hand, making it look like a peach in his giant mitts, he was able to use his cross sport skills to throw some outrageous Michael Jordan-esque offloads.

He would now make many Northampton Saints all-time teams after being initially plucked from obscurity in 2011. It could have all been so different, had the stars not aligned for the man from San Francisco.

Born in the USA

In his youth, it was all basketball and American football, not picking up a rugby ball until the late age of 16 in high school.

He ran with gangs for a while before the oval-ball game, with his father and his uncle, Va'inga Manoa and Hu'ufifale, promising players in Tonga before moving to Hawaii, giving him focus and career options.

Speaking to the Independent in 2014, he said: “The gang culture was everywhere around the Bay Area. It was heavy.

“Every other day on the news, somebody just dies by a drive-by shooting. My brother got stabbed a couple of times. But every city has got a ghetto.”

The 6”6, 127 kg giant made his first rumbling steps in top level rugby turning out for San Francisco Golden Gate from 2003-11, winning Super League titles (the predecessor to the current Major League Rugby) in 2009 and 2011.

In his day job, he was a concrete mixer turned tree-chopper and electrician before Saints’ chief scout Dusty Hare saw him playing for a United States A team against Saracens at the Royal Honourable Artillery Ground in London in 2010.

His team lost the game 20-6, but Manoa impressed Hare, a former England and British Lions player himself, with his pace, power and all-action style of play.

Hare himself told the Telegraph: “It was a gut feeling. There was another Premiership club in the chase. Samu was raw as raw but the management team at Northampton have done a brilliant job with him.”

A contract was offered, which he jumped at, before opting out of playing in the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand with his national team in order to cement his first team credentials.

With players away at that tournament, he quickly showed his worth to the team with a series of outstanding performances in the Premiership as he helped Saints make the end of season playoffs.

Man of the Match awards in wins over Castres and Harlequins, not to mention playing in 18 Premiership games for the Saints with 14 starts, saw him named by ESPN to the 2011-12 Premiership "Dream Team” at the end of the season.

It would signal the start of an outstanding period of success in Northampton, that catapulted him into rugby stardom.

Premiership win and more accolades

A contract extension duly followed, along with the 2012-13 Player of the Season award at Northampton. The following season he lifted the Premiership title after a classic 24-20 win over Saracens.

Showing his adaptability, he started at lock in the final but played a good majority of his Saints career in the back row. He fit Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder’s philosophy perfectly, who favoured big ball carriers to smash yardage and open up space.

However, in a team that could boast Luther Burrell, George North, Sam Dickinson and Tom Wood, among others, it was easily the big American who seemed to make the most metres on a consistent basis.

But what made him so unique was the wide array of abilities he had.

Yes, he loved the physical side of the game and smashing some poor opponent he lined up from miles away, but he could just as easily throw a beautiful pass or deft offload in the same breath.

A try against Saracens in 41-20 win in 2013 showcased everything Manoa could offer. Receiving the ball at a stand still, he easily fends off a defender before sprinting past a lumbering Jacques Burger and Steve Borthwick.

With Alex Goode to beat, he throws the most outrageous side step that leaves the former England fullback doing the splits and, I am assuming, requiring knee replacement surgery.

With Manoa being a former high school quarterback, it is a play a rushing Cam Newton or Russell Wilson would be proud of.

Under a kick off, he was also imperious with his basketball background again standing him in good stead when challenging for the ball in the air.

Dewi Morris on the Rugby Club said of Manoa in 2013: "He is superb at the third set piece - the restart, he has no fear. He only came to the game at 16 and he is not over coached. Forwards coach Dorian West has done a good job with him.

"He just gets on with it, whether it be in the second row or in the back row - the one thing he loves is smashing people in the tackle. He is just a superb player."

A try scoring machine, he bagged his first English Premiership hat-trick in October 2014 as Northampton thrashed Sale Sharks 43-10.

Just two months later, he achieved another unbelievable twelve minute hat trick (seriously…how) after coming on as a sub at the hour mark in a 67-0 battering of Treviso.

After being described by ESPN Scrum as “perhaps the finest number 8 in the Northern Hemisphere”, he began to have flattering advances, one in particular from a comic book mogul in France eventually turning his head to leave Northampton.

Toulon, Cardiff and a return home

In December 2014, Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal confirmed that Manoa signed with Toulon on a four-year contract, the first of that type of contract to be offered by the club.

All the superstars that had come before him, like Joe van Niekerk, Bakkies Botha, Sonny Bill Williams and Jonny Wilkinson, had not been offered this lengthy a deal before.

It showed just how good the American was in his pomp and how highly Mourad, a canny operator himself, rated him. Manoa joined the Galaticos to show he could mix it with the cream of European rugby.

On the charge during Toulon’s 24-20 Champions Cup victory over Bath in 2017

Credit Bertrand Langlois/Getty Images

Although trophies didn’t come to Manoa at Toulon, the ‘Bloc Monsta’s rampaging presence was felt on the Cote d’Azur but his best years were undoubtedly at Saints.

Allowed to leave his mega four year deal early, he enjoyed a brief spell at Cardiff Blues in 2018 who, to their dissapoinment and credit, allowed him early release on compassionate grounds to return to the USA to be with his family.

Back in California now, where he lives with his wife and five children, he retired from international duty in June last year but still trotted out for the Seattle Seawolves last season.

His Seattle spell will cap off a wonderful club career, but his international exploits saw him collect only 22 caps for the USA and appear on the world stage once at the 2015 World Cup.

There is definitely an argument that, if he had been appearing for a Tier One nation, he would be regarded among the truly great modern Number 8s.

However, for the “Bay Boy” who has lived an extraordinary life and career, you would have to think he is happy with his lot after swapping the contruction sites behind for the hallowed turfs of Franklins Gardens and Stade Mayol.