Debut on the cards for young prop as Canada name team for Tonga

"In NZ, the population with Samoan heritage is 185,000 people, or just under 4%.

Tongans in NZ are around 85,000 people, or just under 2%."

How does that tie into naturalizing Samoans - did we import 185,000 Samoans for rugby purposes?

Or how about the comment about Polynesians -Nah, basically, show your complete ignorance around the Pacific and it's people....

Then to show real ignorance - your comment, "You are not" - well actually, I'm pretty much reflective of NZ really - I have Irish (including former IRA members - back in the 1920s, I might add), Scottish, and English heritage - oh and a little bit Maori as well, then in my greater family (cousins) we have Samoan as well.

Appears according to your views - NZ is still part of the British Empire, NZ is composed of just two peoples - white settlers and pesky Maori and everyone else in the country is not really a Kiwi.

Can you confirm again how many Polynesians are in Ireland - it must be heaps, given you have 20% of your team composed of people with that heritage.

Let's face it - you come from a country that set up a scheme called "project players" - namely to identify foreign professional players who could be signed up and under the 3-year residency play for Ireland.

How you compare "project players" to NZ being a natural home and destination to people of the Pacific - well can't help you if you are that ignorant.

Hi Nick, to what extent do you think that JON sacking Richard Marks and dismantling his national coaching structure in the mid 90s caused these problems? Seems to me that his system produced some of the best coaches in the world.

Phil Larder once told me there were 7k League accredited coaches back in 1983. That has paid dividends, can Union say the same?

Thanks for some great stories!

You are right though. He needs to have a big game. With all the lock stocks coming back online soon, he needs to prove himself as a Bok. He’s been unlucky with injuries.

Did you know he is only the second ever player to captain both the SA Schools and Springbok team? Definitely has pedigree. (Also captained the Junior Boks).

The other player is Corne Krige. And both captained Paarl Boys too.

Rassie rates him very highly as a captain. Check out the article written about him on Supersport:

LEGACY: Moerat's appointment as captain is destiny fulfilled

I didn’t know about his family’s history until now. I’m rooting for him!