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What current All Blacks make of Malakai Fekitoa switching to Tonga

(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks midfielder Malakai Fekitoa has opened up about the support he has received from current and former New Zealand players who have backed his decision to change allegiance and represent Tonga. Despite playing 24 Test games for the All Blacks between 2014 and 2017, the 29-year-old became Tongan-eligible when he took advantage of a sevens rugby loophole that allowed him to play for the country of his birth last June in an Olympic qualifying event in Monaco. 

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That freed up Fekitoa to represent Tonga at Test level in the recent Autumn Nations Series only for injury with his club Wasps to put that opportunity on hold. When he does eventually get to play in 2022, the allegiance rules will have changed anyway following last month’s seismic World Rugby council decision.

A three-step criteria will now be applied for a Test capped player to change countries from January 1: The player must stand down from international rugby for 36 months, the player must either be born in the country to which they wish to transfer or have a parent or grandparent born in that country, and a player may only change union once. Each case will be subject to approval by the World Rugby regulations committee to preserve the integrity.

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Ihaia West on the possibility that he might play for France

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Ihaia West on the possibility that he might play for France

The change of allegiance has been a thrill for Fekitoa and in an in-depth interview in the latest edition of the Rugby Journal magazine, he has spoken about how the switch to Tonga has been received. “Everyone is really happy for me, even the current All Blacks, guys back home and past All Blacks because I am good friends with a lot of them,” he explained.  

“The guys in the current team are supporting my decision. They wish me well and they are all happy for me. A lot of them are islanders as well. There is a lot of Tongans in the current team and Samoans and they know what it is like. 

“They know it is all about the families and the culture. I don’t gain anything from going back – we don’t get paid a lot of money or anything. But I am going for the right reason, to give back, and I think those guys are happy for me,” added Fekitoa, who represented Tonga as a 16-year-old at the Wellington Sevens when he was offered a life-changing scholarship to Wesley College which set him on the path to go on and play for the All Blacks.

Reflecting on his week on sevens duty in Monaco earlier this year, Fekitoa said: “After all these years, it felt the same. The whole place, how they treated us, the whole environment. It’s still the Tonga boys. Island guys, laid back, some of them never on time. The feeling was the same but for myself, I feel a lot of responsibilities now. 

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“I just feel the weight of representing my country now. I am so experienced. I’ve done everything. I have got a lot of people to represent so in a way it feels a lot different to last time.”

His hope now with the eligibility rules having changed, other players whose Test careers with the leading nations are over will follow suit and step back into the international arena for a tier-two nation. “I understand some guys are Kiwi at heart, or Australian born and raised, but I think if you haven’t played 100 games, why don’t you (switch)? Especially some very talented guys who are still under 30.

“I wanted to come out and lead the way, so hopefully they follow that. It’s okay to play for tier two nations and it’s okay to change. You can use your talent when you are still young. You are under 30, you have still got ten years left in the game and you can use that to inspire another generation to play the game.”

    

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
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CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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