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Samoa roll out big guns for World Cup opener

Steven Luatua of Samoa poses for a portrait during the Samoa Rugby World Cup 2023 Squad photocall on September 05, 2023 in Montpellier, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

After a season of chopping and changing, Samoan head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has settled on a strong match-day 23 for the side’s opening World Cup clash with Chile.

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Three weeks following an impressive showing against the world’s top ranked side, Ireland, in Bayonne, Mapusua has made just three changes to the starting line-up that came within a whisker of knocking the Irish off their perch.

Regular captain Michael Alaalatoa has been reinstated to the No 3 jersey in place of Paul Alo-Emile and will partner James Lay and Seilala lam in the front row.

The back five all retain their spots from the previous match, with Chris Vui and Theodore McFarland named as locks and Taleni Seu, Fritz Lee and Steven Luatua rounding out the forward pack.

In the halves, Jonathan Taumateine retains the No 9 jersey while the experienced Christian Leali’ifano comes into the starting line-up in place of former All Blacks Lima Sopoaga, who performed admirably in his Manu Samoa Test debut against Ireland.

Leali’ifano is one of three players in the team, alongside Luatua and Sopoaga, to have previously played Test rugby for another nation. While Luatua and Sopoaga represented New Zealand, Leali’ifano was Australia’s top points scorer from the 2019 World Cup.

Tumua Manu and Ulupano Junior Seuteni hold down the midfield while Danny Toala’s introduction on the right wing is the sole change to the back three. Nigel Ah Wong holds his spot on the left while France-based Duncan Paia’aua will don the No 15 jersey for the second match in a row after spending the earlier Tests in the midfield.

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Samoa’s battle with Chile will kick off at 3pm CET on Saturday from the Stade de Bordeaux.

Samoa: Duncan Paia’aua, Danny Toala, Ulupano Seuteni, Tumua Manu, Nigel Ah Wong, Christian Leali’ifano, Jonathan Taumateine, Steven Luatua, Fritz Lee, Taleni Seu, Theodore McFarland, Chris Vui, Michael Alaalatoa, Seilala Lam, James Lay. Reserves: Sama Malolo, Jorday Lay, Paul Alo-Emile, Samuel Slade, Jordan Taufua, Ereatara Enari, Lima Sopoaga, Ed Fidow.

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Stuart 559 days ago

Good luck Samoa! Let the rugby world know you have arrived

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EllenMoody 4 hours ago
Great moments in Lions tour history – JPR’s drop goal and the All Blacks' brutal revenge

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JWH 5 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Do you hear yourself? Do you have any concept of world view? Have you tried looking into why people call Ireland ‘arrogant’? Obviously not.


We started calling you arrogant when you called our captain a ‘shit Richie McCaw’. In New Zealand. On our turf. Don’t think that kind of behaviour really calls for respect, does it.


NZ don’t really talk ourselves up, if anything the rugby does it for us. No kiwi goes in the media and says: ‘We are gonna win the RWC’. However, I have found many instance of IRISH media saying that the Irish should win, without a doubt. THAT is disrespectful.


The All Blacks have played good rugby, even some of the best rugby ever, at many points in history, but I don’t think you could find a single instance of one of those players, or the NZ media, saying that they should whitewash their opponents. Ever.


Now, onto your analysis. Ireland DID choke the QF. They beat the champions, they were ranked first coming into it, a lot of players at the peaks of their powers. Its hard to say that they didn’t choke. Obviously, their preparation was just not as good as NZ, and thats all there really is to it.


If Ireland had repsected that ABs team and that QF more, maybe they would’ve prepared properly for it and won. But they didn’t.


Maybe if Ireland had won their QF last RWC, they wouldn’t have to be in the same pool as SA and Scotland. I mean, its called a draw for a reason. NZ got third last RWC, so of course they should get a reasonable pool, and they were ranked pretty highly too. If you want to talk about easy pools, look no further than Pool 3 with England, Australia, Fiji, and Georgia I think?


Now, obviously you don’t remember how that QF ended, so I’ll go ahead and rectify that. Ireland reclaimed the ball off kickoff and marched for 20ish phases into the opposition half. Savea then won a turnover, but the referee refused to give it, so play went on. Finally, at the NZ 22, after not giving up a single penatly in 25 phases of hard defense, Sam Whitelock, the most capped All Black of all time, wins the game with an incredible steal.


Now, NZ players having a go at Ireland. Do you cry when you get hit after making the first swing? We all know Sexton is a prick on the field, its just the truth. And Ioane never backs down from a clash, so he thought he should humble a player who has never won an international knockout game who thought he was all that. Don’t really see the issue, its poetic justice really.

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