Manu Samoa have made only three changes to their starting lineup to maintain consistency and ensure game flow against Argentina in a must-win Pool D clash in Saint-Étienne on Saturday morning (NZ time).

Head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has named Paul-Alo Emile in the front row, Paul Ala’nu’uese at lock and Ben Lam on the wing in the Rugby World Cup battle.

Lock Chris Vui gets to lead the team out with his co-captain and prop Michael Ala’alatoa on the bench.

Samoa needs to win the clash to give them an advantage over the Pumas, who lost their first game to England a fortnight ago.

England has two wins and leads on the points table.

Samoa are second but need the win to give them a better chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals.

Mapusua said they are focused on stopping the South Americans, but they will need to execute correctly.

‘Under no illusion’
“We are going to have to stop Argentina from doing what they do by doing what we do and committing to how we want to play,” he told media at the team naming in Saint-Étienne.

“We are under no illusion to the threat Argentina pose and we believe that if we stick to how we want to play and play the Samoa way, I am confident we will be able to stop Argentina.”

He said the three players who had been given starting roles were being brought in against the Pumas because of their strengths.

“Brian (Alainu’u’ese, second row) has been training really well and this was a game we thought his strengths would be utilised, especially around the set-piece,” he said.

“Ben Lam has just become available after sustaining an injury a few weeks ago. He is now fit and ready to go.

“We were worried when he sustained his injury. He’s a lot on the edge for us, he’s a very big man who can move quickly . . . he brings a lot to the wider channels, his pure power and the way he plays the game. We are looking forward to finally getting him on the field this weekend.”

Sopoaga ruled out
But he will not have former All Black Lima Sopoaga, who came off the bench against Chile last weekend.

“With Lima Sopoaga’s omission [from the match-day squad], I think it’s been circulated, he sustained a (calf) injury last week against Chile,” the coach revealed.

“He was ruled out this week, we ruled him out as a precautionary. Also, because of the nature of his injury he wasn’t ready to play this week. We will reassess at the weekend towards next week’s game.”

Mapusua said his team understood how important it was for them to start well, remain consistent and finish strong, unlike their first half performance against Chile.

“The boys have realised we are in the tournament, we’ve arrived at the party. There are no second chances so this week the whole squad, there has been a real lift and energy. We know we have got a huge game coming up,” he said.

“We won’t be short of motivation.

‘Confidence in what we are doing’
Fiji’s 22-15 win over Australia last weekend is motivation also for the side as they go into the battle with what Vaovasamanaia calls an “injured Los Pumas”.

“We had confidence before the game, confidence that Fiji were going to get over and also confidence in what we are doing. That’s awesome to see our Pacific brothers doing really well and we are always going to be behind them until we have to play each other.

“We are proud of them and of course we are going to take inspiration and confidence from that. But I’d be more inclined to take confidence from the work and preparation this group of men have done over the past few months.”

Flyhalf Christian Leali’ifano will man the pivotal playmaker role and said he was excited to meet Argentina, coached by his former Wallaby headman Michael Cheika.

Cheika was Wallabies coach at the 2019 Rugby World Cup where Leali’ifano was a key player for the side.

“Excited for the challenge ahead,” Leali’ifano said.

“Not only a former coach there in Michael Cheika but just the challenge that lays ahead for this team, this group to play a tier-one nation that historically did really well at a World Cup.”

The Samoa – Argentina clash kicks off at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint Étienne at 3.45am (NZ Time) or 4.45am in Samoa on Saturday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Samoa team:
1 James Lay, 2 Seilala Lam, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 4 Brian Alainu’u’ese,5 Chris Vui (c), 6 Theo McFarland, 7 Fritz Lee, 8 Steven Luatua, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Ben Lam, 12 Tumua Manu, 13 Ulupano Junior Seuteni, 14 Nigel Ah-Wong, 15 Duncan Paia’aua.
Reserves: 16 Sama Malolo, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, 20 Sa Jordan Taufua, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Alai D’Angelo Leuila, 23 Danny Toala.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Lekima Tagitagivalu knows too well how the French are rugby crazy and wasn’t surprised about the support shown to the Flying Fijians in last weekend’s Rugby World Cup match against Australia.

Playing for Pau in the Top 14 competition, the 27-year-old flanker is a favourite in the French competition.

He is one of several Fijian players in the Flying Fijians squad who plays in France. Like in the match against Wales, the French turned out in numbers to support their second favourite team — Fiji.

Their cheers and those of Fijians who travelled from around the world to the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint Etienne on Monday, rang through the stadium.

“That [French support] means a lot to us,” said the man from Marou, Naviti, in Yasawa.

“A lot of the boys play here in France. It means so much knowing that they are behind us too. It’s more like a home game for us.”

He said the win against Australia would rejuvenate spirits in the team camp for the rest of their RWC campaign — matches against Georgia and Portugal.

“I’m really proud of the boys for the performance and being able to create a part of Fiji rugby’s history.

“It was a tough game and we stuck in there for the whole 80 minutes,” said Tagitagivalu, adding that the win meant a lot to their World Cup campaign.

“Georgia is next and we won’t take any team lightly because they have all been preparing well for this world cup. We’ll take one game at a time, learn from our mistakes and move on to the next mission.

“I would like to dedicate this win to my family, to all the families in Fiji and all our supporters around the world who have been messaging us. We’ve been receiving all videos.”

Fiji plays against Georgia on October 1.

Rodney Duthie is a Fiji Times journalist. republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji has dedicated its Olympic rugby sevens win to the people back home who are struggling amidst the country’s covid-19 health crisis.

Fiji defeated New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s sevens final in Tokyo to defend the title they won in Rio five years ago.

Captain Jerry Tuwai said the win is very special for the team and all of Fiji.

“Everything that’s been going on in Fiji and all the expectation – as the coach and myself know is that all Fijians want only the win,” he said.

“So I think winning this gold medal will be a very very good day for Fiji today.”

Tuwai was also a part of Fiji’s gold medal winning team in 2016 but said this win holds extra meaning.

“I think it’s more special because we’ve been away from our family for about five to six months so I think this one is special.”

Only the athletes receive Olympic medals and Fiji coach Gareth Baber revealed his captain actually tried to give him his newest prize.

“Jerry was trying to give me his medal,” Baber laughed.

“I said ‘I’m not going to be taking that off you’ and he said, ‘no, no I won one, you have this one’…because that’s the man that he is. He would never take the credit for what he has done and he has achieved.

“It’s a phenomenal feat to have done what he’s done.”

??Congrats to our only DUAL ?gold medalist.
The captain JERRY TUWAI #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #TosoViti #Olympics #rugby pic.twitter.com/tCRYqEmf4G

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 28, 2021

Baber said it had been a difficult year for the Fiji team and the country.

“We were locked down in Fiji, then we went to Australia where we were quarantined for a period of time and I’ve got to pay a special mention to the players and staff who have done this,” he said.

“They came into a training camp on Easter Monday thinking they were going back on on Friday. On the Tuesday they were told they couldn’t go back and they haven’t seen their family since.

“I think what you saw out there over the last three days has been the resilience of the group dealing with whatever’s been thrown our way.”

?Congratulations?

OUR ?CHAMPIONS??? #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #rugby #Olympics #TosoViti pic.twitter.com/m3GSN5pLYk

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 28, 2021

Baber also paid tribute to the impact of newcomers Jiuta Wainiqolo, Sireli Maqala and Iosefo Masi, who only made their international debuts last month.

“This is their first international tournament they’ve ever played in, apart from an Oceania tournament we played some three weeks back in Townsville,” he said.

“To think that we’ve done that behind the closed doors of Fiji and it pays testament really to the quality of rugby that is played in Fiji, particulary the quality of sevens rugby… that’s where the expectation comes from, because we know we’ve got super talent in Fiji.”

They’ve done it again!

A big congratulations to the #FIJ team on their second #gold in a row in the men’s #rugby sevens! ?#StrongerTogether | #Tokyo2020 | @WorldRugby | @fijirugby pic.twitter.com/t6HA8eIvEn

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 28, 2021

Fiji Rugby chief executive John O’Connor said they were extremely proud of the players, who have sacrificed a lot on their Olympic journey.

“The boys have been together for the last several months from April, away from their families, and there is so much commitment they have given to this journey,” he said.

“That made us confident and I know all of them proudly represented their families and the struggles of Covid-19 that we’re going through and they were playing for their families and for Fiji.”

Fiji recorded 1057 new cases of covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8am Wednesday.

There are now more than 19,168 active cases in isolation, with 218 deaths – 216 of them from this latest outbreak that began in April.

The Fiji team had to separate from their families when the outbreak began and O’Connor said the plight of everyone back home had motivated the team in Tokyo.

“We had to get special permission for them to train in a bubble and I think they all understand the struggles that every Fijian is going through,” he said.

“In their message this afternoon they said they were going to play for all the families who have lost loved ones and all the people who are going through covid-19 – all the frontliners and every Fijian who has been through challenges during this time.”

With covid-19 restrictions in force, Fijians were unable to gather together to watch the gold medal match but it didn’t stop the locals from celebrating.

O’Connor watched the game at home in Suva and said he could hear drums and fireworks throughout the capital after the full-time whistle.

Five years ago thousands of fans lined the streets to welcome the Fiji team home from Rio, but O’Connor said things would have to be different this time around.

“I think the players understand that it’s tough times,” he said.

“We will see them come home and in the meantine we will have discussions with all the stakeholders and see how we can celebrate their victory.”

The Fiji squad departs Tokyo on Thursday and will arrive home on Friday morning, before spending 14 days in quarantine.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji health authorities have reported an additional 10 deaths from covid-19 over the past week.

In his daily statement on covid-19 cases, Health Secretary Dr James Fong said there were 634 new cases for the 24 hour period ending at 8am yesterday.

All of the dead were aged from 42 to 90 and nine had not been vaccinated, with the 10th having had one dose of vaccine.

Another two deaths of covid positive people are being investigated as they also had pre-existing medical conditions.

There have now been 69 deaths in Fiji from covid 19, 67 of those since the latest outbreak began in April.

Fiji now has 10,033 active cases.

As of Tuesday the government reports that 370,219 people had received their first dose of vaccine and 70,917 had had both doses, meaning just over 12 percent of the population is fully innoculated.

Dr Fong said people are still dying at home or coming into medical facilities in the late stage of severe illness, so reducing the chances of recovery.

Fiji to wear vaccinate jersey
The Fiji rugby team have agreed to wear jerseys supporting covid-19 vaccinations in this weekend’s second test against the All Blacks in Hamilton.

In a statement, Fiji Rugby chief executive John O’Connor said that after “comprehensive and productive discussions” with the Flying Fijian players, the team has agreed to wear the playing jersey featuring the “Vaccinate Fiji” message.

The team were supposed to wear jerseys with the words “Vaccinate Fiji” on the chest in last Saturday’s 57-23 loss to New Zealand in Dunedin, but the idea was ditched because of opposition from some team members.

Flying Fijians coach Vern Cotter said the jersey idea was “sprung” on the players at late notice without the necessary consultation.

“As you can imagine, it’s a delicate subject for some and so it was probably better to just have a clean jersey and then spend some time on how best we want to communicate on this matter and how comfortable the players and everybody are around that communication.”

That discussion has now taken place.

“We have listened to the concerns raised by some members of the squad regarding the message, and the perspective that individuals have different choices when it comes to vaccination,” O’Connor said.

“In turn, we explained FRU’s position and support for the vaccination programme in Fiji, which will help save lives and assist our health authorities in the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak.”

With not all the players fully on board, a compromise was struck.

“The squad has settled on the “Vaccinate Fiji’ jersey, with an additional “It’s Your Choice” message alongside it,” O’Connor explained.

“We thank them for their understanding and participation in this process.”

There will also be “Vaccinate Fiji” signage at the Hamilton game.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji’s rugby team is set to have another round of covid-19 testing today as they seek to salvage what is left of their Autumn Nations Cup tour of Europe.

Over the weekend it was announced the Flying Fijians would have their third consecutive test match cancelled due to a coronavirus outbreak in the squad.

The team’s match game against Scotland, originally set for November 29, has been cancelled like the other two other matches.

Fiji’s clash with Italy was supposed to be played last Saturday gone, but was called off after 29 members tested positive for covid-19 last week.

A test against France was cancelled the week before as it became evident the virus was present among the touring party.

Fiji Rugby CEO John O’Connor told RNZ Pacific there would be more coronavirus tests today.

The BBC reported organisers saying halting the Scotland match was “unavoidable” due to the 10-day isolation period for players.

There is still hope that Fiji would still be able to play their final scheduled match against the fourth-place Pool A side on December 5.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz