News

Weak Samoa umming and ahhing

Wednesday 27th August 2008

Semo Sititi: One of few experienced players

Samoa came within an ace of cancelling their one-off Test against the All Blacks next week, with too many of their players unable to get out of club commitments to make the game.

The Pacific Island side has secured the release of just three of its regular players from their professional clubs, the Japanese-based trio of captain Filipo Levi and loose forwards George Stowers and Semo Sititi, for the match in New Plymouth next Wednesday.

Most of Samoa's first-choice players are contracted to European clubs, and with the test not an IRB-window one, the clubs are under no obligation to release their players.

SRU chief executive Peter Schuster said it would be a huge challenge putting together a side that could be competitive against the All Blacks, and that they had considered whether there was any point in the exercise.

"We were thinking about it, how are we going to meet the expectation?," Schuster told Yahoo!Xtra.

"That was the difficult part for us.

"We are doing our best to having a team available to compete against New Zealand next week. That is the biggest challenge for us, especially against the All Blacks who have gone from strength to strength.

"(We were thinking) around about three or four weeks ago, exploring other options. But it was a bit late on our behalf because the IRB had already given their approval for sanctioning the game.

"There is nothing much we can do about it now. People have purchased tickets. So it would be hard for us to pull out of it."

The Samoan team will be confirmed following a trial at Auckland's Western Springs on Wednesday.

"We do have some boys available back home. Most of them are involved in the Sevens," Schuster said.

"We just have two areas of particular weakness. We are having a game today in Auckland to sort out that issue, getting those positions sorted out.

"Unfortunately the players have a say, but the bottom line of the final say are the clubs.

"The organisation that runs the premier competition (in England) indicated that they should give their first priority to their club.

"It is an 'off-game', it is not part of the international schedule that comes out making the clubs release the players. We do understand that and respect that."