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Two sevens stars poised to make Samoa debuts against Fiji

Lalomilo Lalomilo of the Samoa Men's National Team runs into a tackle by Santiago Alvarez of the Argentina Men's National Team in a Pool B match against Australia during day 1 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Alex Ho/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Mahonri Schwalger has named two uncapped players to start for Samoa on Friday against Fiji in the Pacific Nations Cup, with a further two on the bench.

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Both debuts will be made in the backline with Lalomilo Lalomilo set to start at outside centre in his first outing for Samoa. He will partner the experienced Alapati Leiua in the midfield in Suva in the opening round of the championship.

Lalomilo was part of the Samoan sevens team that finished tenth at the Olympic games earlier this month.

He will make his debut alongside another former sevens star Tuna Tuitama, who will start on the wing.

A further two more debuts could be handed out from the bench, with tighthead prop Brook Toomalatai and back row Jonah Mau’u both named among the substitutes.

Fixture
Pacific Nations Cup
Fiji
42 - 16
Full-time
Samoa
All Stats and Data

Elsewhere in the squad, Saracens’ Theo McFarland will continue to captain the side after guiding them to victories over Italy and Spain in July.

Samoa XV
1 Aki Seiuli
2 Andrew Tuala
3 Marco Fepulea’i
4 Ben Nee Nee
5 Samuel Slade
6 Theo McFarland
7 Murphy Taramai
8 OJ Noa
9 Melani Matavao
10 D’Angelo Leuila
11 Pisi Leilua
12 Alapati Leiua
13 Lalomilo Lalomilo
14 Tuna Tuitama
15 Tomasi Alosio

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Replacements
16 Sama Malolo
17 Tietie Tuimauga
18 Brook Toomalatai
19 Senio Toleafoa
20 Jonah Mau’u
21 Danny Tusitala
22 Afa Moleli
23 Stacey Ili

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C
CO 4 hours ago
Whose ship has sailed before the first All Blacks squad?

Based on last weekend there should be no Hurricanes loose forwards in the mix, they all seemed poor with the Brumbies once again fantastic at playing and executing as a team. The Hurricanes were also poor in the halves with the ten invisible and Cam Roigard trying to play up tempo, Helter skelter rugby which is what the Brumbies wanted.


Roigards passing was telegraphic with his running game and sniping non existent, Ratima also appears to be getting metronomic, devoid of flair and his ten went invisible as well.


If you can't step up at finals then you need to be punished, yes the blues were poor at times this season but they were right on either the last two games when it really matters.


CWL is a bit larger but both him and Lakai are down on size for an eight and aren't freaks like Savea. Sotutu has to be in the mix and Dalton, but only if they front this Friday night.


However six is an ongoing issue, Josh Beehre could be an answer to the lack of height in the loose forwards at Allblacks level, his driving try to ice the contest through a decent Chiefs pack was raw determination even with support.


As for the previous try being ruled out on the flimsiest of technicalities that highlighted everything wrong with the TMO, it wasn't ‘rabbiting’, his knees dropped one after the other and he then brought his shoulders forward to extend and score, big guys can do that, that's why Sotutu has to be in the mix.


Sititi looked short of a gallop and the Chiefs might be acting a bit too cute with their bench, the coach is saying all the right things but he's in the departure lounge and the signs are there that the Chiefs expected to be the best team in finals simply because they had the best bench.


They're now under the pump and the winner of this year's super final will almost certainly be whoever wins this Friday in Christchurch.

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