RUGBY: Will they let us be great?

Rugby is the one sport that Samoans are most passionate about and they're equally as passionate about their national team - Manu Samoa.

Win or lose Samoans love seeing them play and they love when they take on the top tier rugby nations no matter what the score.  Their passion was demonstrated in this video that went viral (after the Manu Samoa 78-0 loss against the All Blacks) showing fans singing and celebrating like they'd won! 

The prime minster of Samoa Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said in an interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday "No other sport comes close to stirring the mood of the nation with the obsessive passion that our people have for our Manu Samoa Teams,” 

“Across the world Manu Samoa rugby is recognized and celebrated by people all over the world who love our lack of arrogance our friendly and embracing customs, our strong Christian values and most of all our great tolerance and resilience against much bigger, better resourced and better represented Unions.”

Pacific Island fans across the Pacific also take great pride in the boys that make the top tier rugby nation teams as well.  This meme was shared across social media after last weeks loss mirroring the thoughts of many Samoan fans in regards to the ABs win and the final score.

So were the Manu as bad as the score suggests?

Samoa did really well at the beginning - for at least the first 25 minutes they had the All Blacks on defense the majority of the time.

They SHOULD have scored 2 definite tries - 1 from Tim Nanai Williams impressive run where he stepped out SBW in the process and another one a bit later where there were 3 unmarked players on the outside but the ball carrier decided to try and get through on his own ... Not against the All Blacks buddy! 

After that, the differences between the 2 sides showed.  The All Blacks were far too good structure wise, their organisation and their overall game was too slick! 

Manu Samoa needed more time together and when you know most of their players are travelling from different parts of the world and have had less than a week together you can't really compare the 2 teams.

For all that, you have to give the boys credit for trying, where under the circumstances they didn't have the best preparation time.  With the extra days they've had together this week, they should give the Welsh a good go.

But where to now?  How do our Pacific Island teams develop their games and hope to improve against the top tier teams when for the most part they're scattered around Europe playing professional rugby and don't have the luxury of decent preparation time?

Currently the Super Rugby teams are allowed to contract 1 international player per team so it's no wonder the majority of our Pacific Island talent are playing professional rugby in Europe and even Japan.

We spoke to Ramsey Tomokino, Manu Samoa & SRU Team Operations Manager about the challenges Pacific Rugby faces at the moment and what his wish list would be in terms of rugby development in the Pacific. 

Pacific Rugby face many challenges. In terms of Manu Samoa we are challenged always of having to pull players from all over the globe and try and mould them in a short time in to a competitive team. We have many Samoan players playing in Australia and NZ at Super level however are restricted from access to them due to how the contracting works.

Franchises in NZ are allowed 3 non-eligible NZ players that may have already played test rugby for other nations. Ideally we would draw on players from the Southern Hemisphere but the reality is we have to get them from the Northern Hemisphere. This isn't a bad thing, as the players earn good money however there is a gulf in the speed of the game and intensity to that of Super Rugby, therefore a much greater reliance on the players to be individually motivated to get to the desired fitness levels.

Wish list would include being allowed to compete in Super Rugby, it is a shame that they have looked elsewhere when there is a solution under the noses in having a Pacific Island team.  In order to solve some of the lopsided score lines in particular in the Australian conference they could relax their criteria and allow Pacific Island players in.  We are grateful that World Rugby put on competitions that Samoa A can compete in, which has to be our stepping stone to Manu Samoa. We need to get the balance right of developing our own local talent in Samoa whilst still incorporating the New Zealand or Australian based Samoan players who also want to wear the Blue jersey. 

We also asked 3 former International rugby players what they think needs to happen in order for Pacific Island rugby to develop and be as great as we, and all the Pacific Island rugby fans know it can be.

Former Samoa International in the 70s - Pafelio Momoisea 

What they need is strong competition to be able to compete with the top teams.  They need to be included in the Super Rugby comp to be able to get that exposure especially when they're all right here in the Pacific Rim.  New Zealand (SANZAAR - Super Rugby & Rugby championship body) should be including them to be able to get that strong competition.

Big games like the All Blacks and other top tier nations - Australia, England - they need more games like that to be able to improve.  They need to play more often together to be competitive.  The IRB need to make that happen or at least allow it to happen.

Former All Black & Super Rugby player, currently coaching the Borneo Eagles - Brad Mika 

I think the IRB should have introduced a new Pacific Island team in the Super 15 competition that way they are getting regular footy at the top level week in & week out .  

It's good because it will also bring rugby to the islands.  Most of the boys who have gone pro are playing overseas but being in one team playing together for 4 months in a competition will be so much better for them.  Not only that but there'd be a path way for locals to push and aspire to.

One other big thing is upskilling the local coaches, getting them overseas to other teams learning the trade.  Not only making a top team competing in the comp but also a development team, then an academy below that so there's a transition to the top.  All of it will cost money but this is where IRB need to come in and fund it.  I bet there'd be a lot of interest world wide.  Look how big that Pacific Island team made an impact a few years back!  We need that team back in action turning heads!

Former All Black & Super Rugby player who also played rugby in Europe for over 5 years

We know our Pacific Island boys in the All Blacks love playing against their Pacific Island brothers so who does Tuilaepa need to Fuki Slam at SANZAAR to have them let in to the Super Rugby competition? ;)

We're still wondering how Japan were let into the Southern Hemisphere comp BEFORE the Pacific Island teams - Guuuuuuuuumon!!