One’s quiet and unassuming, the other pretty much unknown.
But Queensland Reds star Samu Kerevi is predicting big things from two-time Wallaby Chris Feauai-Sautia and fleet-footed new Fijian find Filipo Daugunu in Super Rugby this year.
Both are in the mix for minutes at the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens starting on Friday and will be keen to stretch their legs in the extra space at Suncorp Stadium to build confidence ahead of what could be a bumper year for them.
Feauai-Sautia is finally fit after a string of injury problems over the last few years and appears to be at the forefront of coach Brad Thorn’s plans.
The 24-year-old played under Thorn for champions Queensland Country in the NRC last year and started at outside centre across from Kerevi in a seemingly first-choice Reds team in an internal trial at Ballymore on Friday night.
Kerevi said he felt people had forgotten how good Feauai-Sautia, who earned Test caps against South Africa and Scotland in 2013 and scored tries in each occasion, can be at his best.
“I’ve grown up with him, I’ve seen the freakish things that he’s done in the past,” he said.
“I’ve seen him go through some tough times with his hamstrings, both shoulder ops, his knees.
“He’s got a lot of resilience to come back from all those injuries and still be performing at a high level.
“He’s got all that down pat and I’m just crossing my fingers and touching wood (that he stays fit).
“He’s just going about his business. Thorny loves it.”
Daugunu, meanwhile, looms as a joker in the deck for Queensland.
Not much is known about the 22-year-old – aside from his past life as a soccer goalkeeper at youth international level for Fiji, his brief stint in the country’s rugby sevens program, and the 13 tries he scored in the NRC for Country last year.
“He’s played soccer, so Thorny lets us play some soccer for warm-up,” Kerevi said.
“You see him out there dribbling, he’s pretty good with it.
“The first time I saw him he was playing in a (Brisbane club rugby) trial match. I was like, who’s this guy playing on the wing?
“I think he scored three tries that game and even kicked the goals. Seeing him do both is pretty exceptional.”
