Anesi ready to fill Tuqiri's shoes

NSW Waratahs winger Sosene Anesi admits it will be a tough gig replacing Lote Tuqiri
in next year's Super 14 competition.

Anesi, who will help cover the loss of Tuqiri, who moved to English club Leicester
following his sacking by the ARU in July, has arrived in Sydney after completing his
commitments with New Zealand side Waikato.
And the 28-year-old speedster is hoping the move will give him more playing time
than he got for the Chiefs during their spectacular run to the 2009 Super 14 final.
It was a season that proved to be a frustrating one for Anesi, who spent most of it
playing second fiddle behind the All Blacks trio of Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu
and Leila Masaga.
"It was quite hard with the All Blacks back and with Mils and Siti and Masaga but
hopefully that will make me a stronger player for the Waratahs," Anesi told
reporters on Tuesday.
Asked about the pressure to replace Tuqiri, Anesi said "It's going to be tough, Lote
is a good player...I'm just going to be there to play my own game."
NSW coach Chris Hickey stressed Anesi was a very different type of player to Tuqiri.
"He (Anesi) is a very different player to Lote and we weren't specifically looking
for a Lote Tuqiri replacement," Hickey said.
"Sosene brings a lot to the game, his speed and his attacking skills and his kicking
game, so when you combine him with Lachie Turner and Drew Mitchell in that back
three, it's a pretty exciting combination."
Hickey said it would be quite hard to settle on his first choice fullback as Turner,
Mitchell and Anesi could all play in that position.
But he said the addition of Anesi, Mitchell and Wallabies playmaker Berrick Barnes
would enable him to enhance the Waratahs much-maligned attacking game which he felt
had really started to develop in the later part of their 2009 campaign.
Anesi, who said his fitness was good following a groin injury in his final
appearance at fullback for Waikato, said he had a preference for the fullback
position.
"I like fullback more so I can see space and run the ball from the back, but I'm
comfortable with the wing as well," Anesi said.