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by Falaniko Vitolio
Manu Samoa played their first game of a three-match tour of Australia last night against New South Wales Country team at Wollongong Stadium. This was the Samoans' lead up match toward a confrontation with Australia's Wallabies on Friday, Samoan time in Sydney. Details of last night's match and the Samoan test team will be published in Friday's Samoa News publication (June 10).
Hooker, Jonathan Meredith, a veteran of the 2003 World Cup Samoa campaign, captained the team that played last night. Others in his group were; props: Donald Kerslake, Cencus Johnston, Locks - Luti Pese, Pelu Taele, No.6 - Daniel Farani, No. 7 - Simaika Mikaele, No.8 - Faasuaga Taua, H/B - Notise Tauafao, 1st 5/8 - Roger Warren, 2nd 5/8 - Faletoese Talapusi, Centre - Elvis Sevealii, Wings - Alesana Tuilagi, Lome Faatau, Fullback- Apoua Stewart.
Reserves were Justin Vaa, Trevor Leota, Paul Tupai, Iva Motusaga, Lualua Vailoaloa, George Leaupepe, and Tanner Vili.
Samoan coach, La'auli Michael Jones has decided to rest his best players for the test match against Australia. Lome Fa'atau who missed the trials in Auckland because of his commitment to the Jonah Lomu's ceremonial game in England last week has been brought into the squad and got his starting role last night. He replaced another winger, Anitele'a Tuilagi who was named in the original Manu Samoa squad last week. Tuilagi broke his arm in the match against the Auckland Samoan Barbarians before the Samoans left for Australia.
Fa'atau is another experienced player in the Manu Samoa team. Another winger that might get a call from the Manu Samoa coach is Sailosi Tagicakibau who has recovered quickly from a broken leg during the late stages of the now defunct Super 12 competition. He played for the Waikato Chiefs Super 12 team.
Tagicakibau has represented Samoa in International Rugby Board (IRB) sevens and in the Manu Samoa 15 team. He played for the 2003 Manu Samoa World Cup team. On Tuesday night, Samoan time, the Samoan Fijian player represented Taranaki against the British Lions who are currently touring New Zealand. He and another Samoan, Chris Masoe who was a regular in the New Zealand sevens team played in the Taranaki team that lost to the Lions in New Plymouth, 36-14. That triumph makes it two wins in a row for the Lions who opened their New Zealand tour last week against the Bay of Plenty in Rotorua with a 34-20 victory.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Maoris have included nine All Blacks in their team that will play the Lions at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Friday, Samoan time. The Maoris were lucky to have escaped the wrath of Fiji's Teivovo national team last Friday in Suva. The Maoris sneaked through the Fijians , 29-27 when Fiji's goal kicker , Nick Little failed with his two-point conversion of Fiji's touchdown that could have tied the game at full time.
Fiji has named its test team to play the All Blacks this evening at 6:30 Samoan time at North Harbor Stadium in New Zealand. But the Fijians will play without one of their best wingers, Rupei Caucau who was dropped by Fiji coach, Wayne Pivac from his squad. Caucau did not show up for practice in Suva after arriving from England where he plays his rugby. One Maori Samoan player is named in the Maori starting lineup. He is Ross Filipo who plays for Wellington.
Meanwhile the new All Blacks team picked after trials held last week have nine Samoans in the squad. The youngest and new Samoan bred All Blacks player selected is Sosene Anesi from Vaimoso, Samoa. He is on the bench with two other Samoans Keven Mealamu and Mose Tuiali'i. There are five Samoans in the New Zealand starting lineup against Fiji. They are;Tana Umaga who will captain the All Blacks, Mils Muliaina will play in the fullback, Aaron Mauger will wear the #12 jersey, Rodney So'oialo will anchor the New Zealand scrum at #8, and Jerry Collins has won the confidence of the New Zealand coach, Graham Henry and has been given the starting role in the flanker position at #6.
In international results, six nation champion Wales (England, France, Ireland, Wales, Italy, Scotland) routed the Eagles of USA last week in Connecticut, 77-3. Wales scored 10 touchdowns while the Eagles goaled a three-point penalty in the first half. At halftime, Wales was leading the United States 30-3. The European champion will face Canada next. Scotland defeated Romania, 39-19 in Bucharest last weekend.
In International Rugby Board sevens circuit that was held last weekend in England, South Africa defeated England in the final, 21-12. But New Zealand captured another IRB circuit championship simply by reaching the semifinals because they were so far ahead on points accumulated from when the competition for the 2004-2005 series started last December in South Africa. This is New Zealand's sixth IRB sevens championship title.
Fiji thrashed Australia, 29-12 to win the Plate championship while Samoa defeated Tunisia 33-0 to take the Bowl title. Canada won the Shield over Kenya, 28-12.
Samoa produced an upset in its pool B games when it topped England 19-15. But it fell to France 24-19 but then England shutout France 29-0. Unfortunately for Samoa France and England advanced to the Cup championship rounds as they scored more points on a count back as each one of the three teams had similar win /lose records after pool games were played. Samoa beat Georgia, 22-10, England defeated Georgia, 35-5, while France blanked Georgia, 38-0 in the first day of the London sevens last weekend in their pool B matches.
Samoa routed Russia 45-0 in their Bowl quarterfinals match in the second day of competition, then stomped Portugal, 24-17 in the semifinals and beat Tunisia, 27-0 to win the Bowl championship in the final.
South Africa beat New Zealand , 35-26 in the Cup semifinals while England whipped Argentina 33-7 to reach the finals where it lost to South Africa. Waisale Serevi led his Fijian team and won all their pool games in pool C. But the Fijians lost in the quarterfinals to Argentina, 31-7 and were relegated into the Plate competition that they won.
The last IRB sevens tournament for this calendar year will be played in France at week's end. David Lemi of Samoa is the top try scorer in this IRB circuit with one more competition to go.
These are the results of the London Sevens :
DAY ONE RESULTS:
POOL A: (New Zealand, Scotland, Tunisia, Russia) New Zealand 27-0 Tunisia Scotland 26-14 Russia New Zealand 36-7 Russia Scotland 17-0 Tunisia Tunisia 35-14 Russia New Zealand 36-0 Scotland
POOL B: (England, Samoa, France, Georgia) England 29-0 France Samoa 22-10 Georgia England 33-5 Georgia Samoa 19-24 France France 38-0 Georgia England 15-19 Samoa
POOL C: (Fiji, Australia, Canada, Italy) Fiji 42-0 Canada Australia 21-7 Italy Fiji 49-0 Italy Australia 33-0 Canada Canada 26-14 Italy Fiji 31-5 Australia
POOL D: (Argentina, South Africa, Kenya, Portugal) Argentina 38-0 Kenya South Africa 33-7 Portugal Argentina 24-17 Portugal South Africa 24-12 Kenya Kenya 19-12 Portugal Argentina 21-24 South Africa
DAY TWO RESULTS:
Quarterfinal Bowl: Tunisia 33-0 Georgia Quarterfinal Bowl: Kenya 17-22 Italy Quarterfinal Bowl: Canada 0-26 Portugal Quarterfinal Bowl: Samoa 45-0 Russia
Quarterfinal Cup: New Zealand 21-12 France Quarterfinal Cup: South Africa 42-0 Australia Quarterfinal Cup: Fiji 5-31 Argentina Quarterfinal Cup: England 40-7 Scotland
Semi-Final Shield: Georgia 12-17 Kenya Semi-Final Shield: Canada 26-12 Russia
Semi-Final Bowl: Tunisia 19-7 Italy Semi-Final Bowl: Portugal 7-24 Samoa
Semi-Final Plate: France 12-19 Australia Semi-Final Plate: Fiji 21-10 Scotland
Semi-Final Cup: New Zealand 26-35 South Africa Semi-Final Cup: Argentina 7-33 England
Shield Final: Kenya 12-28 Canada
Bowl Final: Tunisia 0-27 Samoa
Plate Final: Australia 12-29 Fiji
Cup Final: South Africa 21-12 England
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