 At 20 years of age, Polota-Nau achieved the rare feat of Test selection before playing a match at Super 14 level.His performances in his Test debut against England at Twickenham and in the win over Ireland at Lansdowne Road were impressive.Signed to the New South Wales Waratahs shortly after the end of the 2005 Super 12, he made his provincial debut against Auckland in July and made his first Super 14 appearance in 2006.