Saia Faingaa

Hooker

Profile
Height:	187cm
Weight:	108kg
Date Of Birth:	02/02/1987
Place of Birth:	Queanbeyan, NSW

Rugby Career
Senior Club:	GPS

Stats
Provincial Rugby Caps:	62
Provincial Rugby Points:	40 (8t)
Provincial Rugby Debut:	Feb 2009 v Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (2006 v Stormers, Cape Town for Brumbies)
Super Rugby Caps:	89 (62 Reds, 27 Brumbies)
Super Rugby Points:	40 (8t)
Super Rugby Debut:	Feb 2009 v Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (2006 v Stormers, Cape Town for Brumbies)
Test Rugby Caps:	18
Test Rugby Debut:	June 2010 v Fiji, Canberra

Hard-nosed St.George Queensland Reds hooker Saia Faingaa earned the honour of playing his milestone 50th game for Queensland in 2012 and, despite only being 25-years old, is now the second most experienced Super Rugby player within the Reds squad with 80 total appearances, behind only fellow front-rower Greg Holmes (87).

Saia reached his milestone 50th game for the Reds against the Melbourne Rebels in round 17 and now enters 2013 with 53 Queensland caps to his name while he has made a further 27 Super Rugby appearances for the ACT Brumbies after debuting for the Canberra-based franchise in 2006.

Similar to twin brother and Reds centre Anthony, Saia was limited during the early stages of the 2012 Super Rugby season due to injury but soon fought his way back into the matchday squad by round three. Two impressive performances from the bench were rewarded with his first start of the year coming in the Reds opening tour game of South Africa against the Sharks in Durban, which ended prematurely when the talented hooker re-injured the same ankle in a gruesome tackle midway through the second half.

Saia made his return in round 11 against the Crusaders in Christchurch before going on to play a significant role in the remainder of the Reds’ Australian Conference-winning campaign, where he earned starting honours in the team’s final six matches, including the Reds’ qualifying final against the Sharks at Suncorp Stadium.

Saia has been a staple in the Wallabies setup since debuting against Fiji in 2010 and was again chosen in the Wallabies June Test and Rugby Championship squads.

Saia confirmed his status as Queensland’s first-class hooker in 2011 with his all-round ability and high workrate seeing the 2010 Wallabies debutant feature in all 18 matches of the Reds Super Rugby title success.

Saia went on to gain selection in the Wallabies initial 40-man Samoa and Tri Nations Test squad before earning the ultimate honour with selection for Australia at the World Cup. Here he became one of just the third set of twins to attend the Rugby World Cup - following on from Gary and Alan Whetton (New Zealand – 1987) and Marcello and Massimo Cuttitta (Italy – 1991).

Saia moved north from the Brumbies to join the Reds for the 2009 season and won 12 Super Rugby caps to add to the 27 he earned in the ACT. However, like brother Anthony, it was the next year that would be the defining point of his career, where he cemented his place as the Reds first-choice hooker, courtesy of his aggression in defence, at the breakdown, and some major improvements at set-piece.

Saia joined a prestigious club with his 50th Super Rugby appearance coming in 2010 against the Brumbies in Canberra, a memorable evening for the Faingaa family with twins Saia and Anthony going head-to-head with younger brother and Brumbies flanker Colby for the first time.

Of all three Faingaa brothers to play Super Rugby, Saia was the first, making his debut at just 20 years of age for the Brumbies in 2006. Younger brother Colby, however, owns bragging rights over being the youngest, his debut coming off the bench for the Brumbies in 2010 at 18.

An unforgettable 2010 provincial season for Saia got better with the talented hooker making his Wallabies debut against Fiji. Before long Saia and Anthony enjoyed their first Test together, coming against the All Blacks in Melbourne, while a week later in Christchurch the pair started a Test match together in Australia’s clash with New Zealand.

A member of the Brumbies Academy since the age of 14, Saia represented the Australian Schools in 2003 and 2004, before captaining the Australian Under 19s to a World Championship in Dubai in 2006. That year his Super 14 debut was fast-tracked due to injuries in the Brumbies squad and he was rushed into the Brumbies’ side in Cape Town, where he played his first Super Rugby match against the Stormers. The enthusiastic, then 20-year-old hooker, represented the Brumbies in 11 matches in 2007, proving up to playing at the highest level despite his relatively young age.

DID YOU KNOW?
Saia and Anthony Faingaa are just the third set of twins to play for Australia, following on from Stan and Jim Boyce and Mark and Glen Ella.

***Updated 14/05/2013***