My rugby hero: Trevor Leota

Colin Newboult
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Wasps hooker Trevor Leota scores the deciding try in the second-half of the Heineken Cup semi-final against Munster as Munster scrum-half Peter Stringer attempts to block him, at Landsdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland. Final score: Munster 32-Wasps 37.

We dig through the archives to highlight a hero from years gone by. Next up, it’s Samoa and Wasps legend Trevor Leota.

Player background

Trevor Leota was born on 8 February, 1975 in Auckland and was renowned as one of the most uncompromising forwards in the sport. Known for his tough tackling approach, as well as a carrying game which regularly got his team on the front foot, the hooker was a hugely popular figure within rugby.

Despite being born in New Zealand, Leota featured for Western Samoa in 1995 and his performances were recognised by Wasps coach Nigel Melville, who brought him to the club two years later. The front-rower immediately stood out and became a fans favourite as the team rose to the top of the English and European game.

After winning the title just before the Samoan international arrived, Wasps endured three mediocre years, despite securing silverware in the domestic cup competition, but that changed at the start of the decade. A second place finish in 2001 displayed the side’s potential before Warren Gatland took charge in 2002 to inspire a remarkable run of success.

A former hooker himself, Gatland no doubt played a huge part in Leota’s development as he produced a number of superb performances during a spell which saw Wasps claim three successive Premiership titles. There was also their first Heineken Cup triumph as they defeated Toulouse 27-20 in the final, with the forward just one of three foreign players in the 22-man squad that faced the Frenchmen at Twickenham.

Leota’s eight-year spell ended after their third league triumph – a dominant 39-14 victory over arch-rivals Leicester Tigers in 2005 – before he finished his professional career at the Cheetahs and Mont-de-Marsan.

The hooker was also a stalwart for the Samoan national team, starting 27 out of his 30 caps and featuring in the 1999 World Cup. For the second time in three tournaments – following on from their shock win in 1991 – the Pacific Islanders stunned Wales, this time 38-31, but a defeat to Argentina meant they were forced to play a quarter-final play-off, where Bryan Williams’ men succumbed to Scotland.

Leota continued to impress at international level and looked set to play a part in the 2003 World Cup but the hooker decided to commit to Wasps instead, with the financial cost of playing for the national team too much. As a result, he rarely featured for Samoa after that, with a 2005 encounter against Australia his final cap for the Pacific Islanders.

His rugby moment

At his best, Leota was among the top hookers plying their trade in Europe and he particularly showed that during London Wasps’ Heineken Cup triumph in 2004. While there were a couple of issues with his game, especially at the lineout, everything else was in fine working order. Whether it was his bone-crunching tackles or a skill set and mobility that allowed him to link play like a back, Leota was vital to the team’s cause.

He had problems with his weight – his love for KFC was a particular bugbear for the Wasps coaches – but his on-pitch performances justified his eclectic off-field lifestyle. When Leota was fit, however, the Samoan was even better and during their run to the Heineken Cup title, the front-rower was arguably at his best. The club sent one of their fitness gurus to prevent him from raiding the fridge prior to their European semi-final against Munster and it paid dividends.

Leota was utterly magnificent throughout, staying on for the whole 80 minutes, as his new-found endurance helped his side reach their first Heineken Cup showpiece event. In fact, his biggest impact came late on in the contest as the Englishmen came from 32-22 down to snatch a remarkable victory at Lansdowne Road. With the Irish province struggling, having seen Donncha O’Callaghan and Rob Henderson yellow carded, Wasps launched an astonishing comeback.

Firstly, Alex King kicked a penalty before Tom Voyce levelled matters with a well-taken try. That wasn’t the end of it, though, as the visitors looked to move the ball from deep from the restart. Brilliant skills tore the Munster rearguard to shreds and, with their defence in disarray, the ball was popped across to the Samoan hooker, who crossed the whitewash for the winning score.

It set up a match against Toulouse at Twickenham where they once again produced a late show with Rob Howley’s last minute try snatching a 27-20 victory. Leota started and played the whole match in what was the last time Wasps supporters saw him at his best. The Samoan went off the rails in 2004/05 due to matters in his personal life, meaning a superb stint at the Premiership club came to a sad end.

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