Radike Samo prepares for one last arm wrestle with Reds before embarking on stint in Japan

RADIKE Samo has promised the Reds a rousing finale before rugby's ageless Afro joins an exodus of Aussies bound for overseas clubs.

RADIKE Samo has promised the Reds a rousing finale before rugby's ageless Afro joins an exodus of Aussies bound for overseas clubs.

Samo turned 37 last week, but he is pushing on for one last season in Japan.

That backrower Samo can have a major influence from the bench in Saturday night's sudden-death playoff against the Crusaders in Christchurch is certain.

The hammering hit on NSW Waratahs winger Tom Kingston that forced a turnover late in the game last weekend is exactly the dominant tackling the Reds must uncork in Christchurch.

"Impact is what I'm there for and whenever I get in the game I want to make that big first tackle or run," Samo said.

"It's going to be hard to win away. We know that but one of the things about the Reds is that we enter every match knowing we have the game to win it.

"It has been an awesome four years at the Reds for me and I want to finish with the boys on a big note."

If anyone has a magic touch when it comes to big finals, it is Samo. He proudly wears tattooed emblems of his two Super Rugby clubs on his body to represent the titles he was part of.

The Brumbies (2004) and Reds (2011) owed much to Samo in those title seasons just as the popular Fijian knows how much he owes the Reds.

Samo had put on 5kg in 2010 and was detouring into fast food and kava in Fiji when coach Ewen McKenzie made an inspired call for him to make a comeback.

"I'm still here four seasons later," Samo said with a grin.

"There wasn't enough room on the (birthday) cake for all the candles last week and I couldn't blow them all out anyway.

"I've sign for one season in Japan. Maybe, it will be two or three ."

The 15 players from Australian Super Rugby clubs heading overseas almost fit a complete playing XV.

While Samo, France-bound winger Drew Mitchell and Richard Brown, the Western Force backrower heading to Japan, have devoted long careers to Australian rugby, the worry is losing prime-of-career players.

The Wallabies will never get the best years from giant lock Sitaleki Timani, 26, who is off to French club Montpellier.