The Pisi Brothers
Turn the clock back 10 years to 2004 and a certain Samoan family was causing carnage in the then Zurich Premiership. From the home comforts of Welford Road to the showpiece finals at Twickenham, the Tuilagi brothers, Alesana and Fereti in particular, were all but worshipped by the Leicester Tigers fans for their dynamic and powerful performances. That torch has since been carried on by Manu Tuilagi, the latest representative of what is surely the most iconic family in the world of rugby.
Fast-forward to 2014 and there’s a new set of Samoan brothers setting the East Midlands and Aviva Premiership alight with their remarkable performances.
The Pisi brothers, George and Ken, have been a revelation since arriving in Northampton. Older brother George blazed the trail, joining the Saints in 2011, whilst Ken followed in his footsteps a year later. Ken’s debut season may have been marked by inconsistencies as he attempted to acclimatise both on and off the pitch, but since then the former North Harbour players have become one of the most devastating duos in the Premiership.
Their times in Northampton, however, have not always gone smoothly.
Less than a year ago, Ken was asked to fill in at full-back against Leinster in the Heineken Cup after a late injury forced James Wilson from the squad. The result was horrific. The 25-year old Samoan was targeted consistently by Leinster with high balls, many of which he failed to deal with, including two that led directly to tries for the Irish side. It was as bad a performance as you would have seen from any player last season, as Rob Kearney gave Ken an emphatic schooling in the way the position should be played. Northampton ultimately succumbed to 40-7 loss at Franklin’s Gardens, a result which remains tied for their worst ever defeat in European competition.
Fortunately for Ken, redemption was not long in the waiting as he put in an exceptional performance a week later in Dublin, helping Saints to an unexpected 18-9 win and reigniting their hopes of qualifying from their tough Heineken Cup pool in the process.
In an odd moment of symmetry, Ken wasn’t the first Pisi to be asked to fill in as an impromptu full-back, with George making his Northampton debut at the position against the Scarlets in 2011. Like Ken, George also made a game-defining mistake which led to a Scarlets try, and although he managed to grab a try himself, he ended up on the losing side of another infamous Heineken Cup match at Franklin’s Gardens, as the Scarlets recorded a 28-23 victory.
Since those respective games however, the career trajectories of the Pisi brothers have taken on steep and dramatic ascendancies.
In 85 games for Northampton, George has racked up 22 tries, establishing himself as one of the most proficient outside centres in the Premiership, whilst Ken has chalked up 11 tries in 57 games. Both players were big contributors to Northampton taking home the Aviva Premiership title last season, not least so in the final, where George crossed the try line and Ken set up two further scores for the eventual champions.
As good as their past performances have been for Northampton, late fill-ins at full-back aside, it’s their play early this season which has resulted in them, particularly Ken, receiving some long overdue recognition. Admittedly, George was selected in the Aviva Premiership Dream Team in his debut season in 2011/12, but Ken’s talents are now clear for all to see, with the winger playing with a freedom and confidence that you could have scarce imagined when he joined the club two years ago.
His try-scoring ratio may not compare favourably to the likes of Christian Wade, Chris Ashton or even his brother, but his eagerness to come off his wing and act not only as a try-scoring threat, but also a playmaker, separates him from many of his contemporaries. Now clearly comfortable and at home in the Northampton team, Ken trusts his instincts and plays a heads-up brand of rugby that many other players would do well to learn from.
This potent combination of talent, ability and confidence has really blossomed this season, with the Pisi brothers combining as an outside centre-winger partnership for 25 defenders beaten, a number which is only exceeded by the mind-boggling 50 defenders beaten by Jonathan Joseph and Semesa Rokoduguni. In fact, if you take the Bath duo out of consideration, Ken and George lead their positional contemporaries with five tries, 13 offloads and 10 clean breaks, whilst their 426 metres with ball in hand falls just short of the 435 metres put up by Henry Slade and Matt Jess.
There is no time for the Pisi brothers to rest on their laurels, however. Retaining their Premiership crown, as well as making a bigger European impact in this year’s inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup will test their abilities to the full, whilst the talented foursome of Jamie Elliot, Tom Collins, Tom Stephenson and Howard Packman are all biting at their heels in search of playing time.
The duo’s legacy, thanks to their role in the last year’s successful Premiership campaign, is secure at Franklin’s Gardens and if they keep up the vein of form they’ve found themselves in early this season, then their Aviva Premiership legacies won’t be far behind.
The Tuilagis may be the greatest gift Samoan rugby has ever given the Premiership, but with the Pisi brothers far from done, don’t be surprised if they begin to close the gap, especially in a Northampton side that is looking stronger than ever.
