Samoa name strong squad to tour SA,,,

Rugby | Springboks

Manu Samoa have named a very strong squad – comprising just two locally based players – for their tour of South Africa next month.

Boasting a range of players who are active in English, French and Japanese leagues, as well as in Vodacom Super Rugby, coach Stephen Betham will bring probably the strongest squad ever assembled outside a World Cup to these shores for the four nation tournament involving the Springboks, Italy and Scotland.

Buoyed by the IRB’s help in securing their overseas-based players for the tour, the Samoans have loaded their squad with players based abroad and will give the first glimpse of the side they intend to take to the World Cup in England.

While old hands such as Alesana Tuilagi, Cencus Johnson and former Blues fullback Paul Williams are all there, the squad also boasts the Pisi brothers – George and Tui – with George now with Northampton while Tui is in South Africa at the moment with the Hurricanes squad.

Other Super Rugby players named to tour include Canes flanker Jack Lam, hooker Manu Leiataua and Canes winger Alapati Leiua while lock Kane Thompson, who now plays for the Canon Eagles in Japan, is also no stranger to local television screens.

The British based contingent includes Leceister Tigers porp Logovii Mulipola, Newcastle’s Taiasina Tuifua and Sale’s Johnny Leota while Sevens circuit regulars Alafoti Faosiliva and Ofisa Treviranus also make the grade.

Hooker Tii Paulo (Clermont), lock Daniel Leo (Perpignan) and former Crusaders halfback Kahn Fotualii will also be no strangers to South African shores.

In announcing the team Samoa Rugby Union chairman, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, said two players will be added to the squad later. They will be a loose forward and a winger. A captain has yet to be finalised as well.

There has been some speculation that last year’s captain David Lemi may be the winger added to the squad when concerns over his availability have been cleared up.

The Samoans will play both Italy and Scotland in curtain-raisers to Springbok tests in June, and depending on how they do, may well face the Springboks in the third and final week of the mini tournament.

They will also kick off their tour with a friendly match against the Lions at Ellis Park.

Samoan squad to tour South Africa

Hookers: Tii Paulo – ASM Clermont France Wayne Ole Avei – Bordeaux Beagles
Manu Leiataua – North Harbor NZ

Props : Cencus Johnston – Tolouse France
Logovii Mulipola – Leicester Tigers UK
Sakaria Taulafo – London Wasp UK
James Johnston – Harlequins UK

Locks: Kane Thompson – Canon Eagles, Japan Iosefa Tekori – Casters Olympic, France
Daniel Leo – Perpignan, France
Teofilo Paulo – Cardiff Blues, Wales

Loose Forwards :
Taiasina Tuifua – Newcastle Falcons UK
Alafoti Faosiliva – Bristol Rugby Club
Ofisa Treviranus – London Irish, UK
Jack Lam – Hurricanes, NZ
Maurie Faasavalu – Harlequins UK
Faalemiga Selesele – Moata’a, Samoa ** (one to be added) **

Halfback: Kahn Fotualii – Ospreys Wales
Jeremy Sua – Canterbury Crusaders UK
Auvasa Falealii – Thas Newcastle Australia

First Fives: Tusiata Pisi – Wellington Hurricanes Ki Anufe – Marist Auckland

Midfields: George Pisi – Northampton Saints UK
Johnny Leota – Sale Sharks UK
Isaia Tuifua – Vigo Rugby Club, Spain
Brandon Vaaulu – Tokyo Gas, Japan

Wings: Alesana Tuilagi – NTT Shining Arcs Japan
Alapati Leiua – Hurricanes NZ
Robert Lilomaiava – Vaiala Rugby Club Samoa **(one more to be added)**

Fullbacks. Paul Williams – Stade Francais, France James Sooialo – Wellington Norths, NZ

Management Team:
1. Head Coach – Stephen Betham
2. Team Manager – Namulauulu Sami Leota
3. Assistant Coach Backs – Darryl Suasua
4. Assistant Coach Forwards – Gregory Smith
5. Scrum Coach – Michael Casey
6. Video Analyst – Junior Narayan
7. Strength & Conditioning Coach – Michael Deasy
8. Logistics Officer – Uitiriai Kapeteni
9. Team Doctor – Dr Navy Collins
10. Physiotherapist 1 – Jodie McCarthy
11. Physiotherapist 2 – Sue Pescud
12. Set Piece Skills Coach – TBC
13. Development Coach - TBC

Great side and good news rugby lovers...Sasuke if if ever there is a more capable tier 2 side (dare any one call them a minnow side) its Manu. They could be Achilles heel come RWC 2015 in our pool. My uttermost respect...look forward to games. I'm sure they will handle both Italy and Scotland...then they will play us??

man im impressed with this manu samoa squad and the Boks cant afford to fudge around with this lot, they need to feild their best team possible, otherwise they will go be like the 2011 wallabies who got smashed by a simila team.

very smart of the samoans to get all their players based overseas, when they do that, they are a team to be reckoned with, but the Boks No1 team should have no problems winning the game against them.

still theres some real good players in that squad, my team from the squad annopunced would be,,,

1 logovii mulipola, 2 tii paulo,  3 census jhonstone, 4 daniel leo, 5 kane thomoson, 6 maurie faasavalu, 7 jack lam, 8 taiasina taufua, 9 khan fotualii, 10 tusi pisi, 11 alesana tuilagi, 12 jhonny leota, 13 george pisi, 14 alapti leiua, 15 paul williams
16 manu leiatua, 17 james jhonstone, 18 teofilo paulo, 19 faalemiga selsel, 20 jeremy sua, 21 ki anufe, 22 james sooiolo

thats a mean team right there, with a huge forward pack, especially the jhonston bros with census 135kgs+ and his younger bro at 140, dont be fooled by their weight, both are remarkbly mobile for their size.

the hurricanes connections is strong too, with tusi pisi, alapati leiua, jack lam in the backs too, all will have huge impact.

same goes with khan fotualii who is familiar with SA playing with the crusaders all those years, his spent most of his time as the No2 halfback till he left and was filled with a lot xfactor.
kane thomoson is another name saffas should be familiar with, he was the chiefs incumbent No8 last year, so plenty of experience with this lot.

IMO the biggest thing the samoans have going for them is the coaching department. after the huge dramas caused by chiefs hooker with his lettler to the samoan prime minister about the state of affairs in manu samoa rugby, they have have taken huge steps to ensure that dosent happen again and things are now run more professionally.

looking forward to the Boks v manu samoa in june.

@ Sasuke...and the Boks cant afford to fudge around with this lot, they need to feild their best team.

Absolutely...if they do not take this seriously they could end up with egg all over their faces and incidentally so could any other side, irrespective who you are...these guys turned up the heat on Australia and had them eaten humble pie.

As much as I enjoy Super rugby I look forward to international games more and I 've wanted to see more of the Pacific Islanders in SA. I hope that these encounters will bear good fruit for rugby internationally in general terms.

 Thats some serious beef with a good running backline. 

Morne (assuming here he will be the flyhalf) better be on song that day or it will be a long afternoon. Territorial kicking, kicking for poles and lineouts will be the Boks advantage.

Imagine how good they'd be if ABs didnt poach all their players hey sauske..

Also - Wallabies fiedled a B team and got smashed - but Drongo Deans (to give you an insight into his lack of intuition) pitted an 80kg flyer (rob davies) against this beast winger pictured above.... Always going to struggle... 

Anyway hopefully DEans is history and wallabies can get Ewen in control...

Talking about being smashed.... did you see ABs last game v England...ahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha that was a smashing!!!!!  

Not the brightest idea inviting Samoa after the damage they did at the WC. 

A very physical team so expect multiple injuries . Given Bean Brain's Stormers have 50 players injured at any one time  i wonder wether the Boks can afford to risk their players.

But gotta admire the Boks for taking them on... even if it may turn out to be a big mistake...

A thoughtful post Brycy. I did notice however that last time they toured they actually played reasonably clean rugby. Usually they see their role as injuring as many Boks as possibly to assist the abs at WCs.

But dont worry - you forget we have the monsters Keegan Daniel, Brussouw, Chilli Boy, Aplon, de Jongh, Rhule, Kolisi, Seargel Pietersen, Ebersohn   and other board favourites to call up. Hahahahahahahaha

No Meyer will pick a very tough side I am sure.  Bok pack might weigh close to 940 kg and be mobile. 

Coenie, Strauss, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Du Toit, Louw, Arno (8), Vermuelen. Or a variation on this.

No show ponies is all one asks.  All backs must be able to tackle well. 

@redsneck,

arent u tired of getting pwned by me??? do u really want to talk about whsoe poaching who???

NZ born players in current manu samoa squad
tii paulo - christchurch
ole avei - wellington
census jhomstone - auckland
james jhonstone - auckland
sakaria taulafo
daniel leo - dunedin
filo paulo - auckland
kane thomoson - wellington
jack lam - hamilton
khan fotualii - auckland
jeremy sua - wellington
jhonny leota - palmerston north
brandon vaaulu - auckland
paul wolloams - auckland

non NZ born players in the last All Blacks squad
tarewa kerr barlow - melbourne
ben franks - melbourne

non OZ born players in the last and current wallabies squad
will guinea - papua new guinea
david pocock - zimbabwae
digby ioane - wellington
christain leilafano - auckland
sitaleki timani - tonga
cooper vuna - auckland
quade cooper - auckland
micheal harris - north harbour
radiki samo - nadi fiji
fotu auelua - wellington
jospeh tomane - palmerston north
pek cowan - wellington

as u can see u inbred hick, NZ have done a whole lot more for the pacifi islands and australian rugby then anyone else.
im pretty sure i could also come up with a 30+ list of non OZ born players playing in OZ super 15, thgat plus the enhanced banned drugs programmes that australian sport have has seen the reds and brumbies in surprisingly good form, coincdence??? hmmmmmmm, o_O.

every nation in the world is playing with a few memebrs of their team not born in their country, but i bet u cant find one person who was stolen and against their will and forced to play for that country, if so, as u can see, OZ really are living to their rep of a country of convicts.

hit a nerve again did sucker? New Zealand colonialism is the REASON that so many islanders are now born in NZ you twit. But you are a kwiwi so that is to be expected...

More long winded stats that who could be bothered even checking IF they are correct.... bottom line is kiwis have an extremely long history of taking the cream of the islands to play for ABs. case closed.

 @redsneck,
OMG ur so stupid, ur mother did u no favours by telling u that special needs school u were sent too was an elite school.
i may have to see my doctor as im worried ur posts may have a detrimental effect on my IQ, o_O

stop pretending u know anything about the history of NZ & samoa, cause colonialism??? jeez ur a numb nuts and half first its NZ stole their players from the islands, now its colonialism, tomrrow its the davinci code.

i can tell i pissed u off when i listed the foreign based players that australia are so dependant on and then u have the nerve to say who can bothered checking to see if they are correct??? how long could it possibly take redsneck??? we all know that u looked them up found out the horrible truth and decided instead to play im the thick inbred hillbilly who was nursed with XXXX, so that i can grow up to be smarter then the average lawnmower.

u should stick to ur broken record excuses and blame everything on the ref, cos when u start talking about anything else, u become nothing but a poster child for the long term effects of babies who were shaken by their parents.

Pedsman, you shouldn't use big words like Colonialism if you don't understand their meaning.

As Poly says, we didn't colonise the islands....their people migrated here and turned out to be handy rugby players. Good luck for us as the 2nd and 3rd generations continue to strengthen our rugby in general.

Colonising is what the Poms did to Oz & NZ, the difference being NZ got the cream and you lot got all the crap; most of them settling in Queensland.

Now get hold of Logic's email address and he will give you contact details for his English tutor. He's having daily sessions to bring him up to speed!