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Get Over It Boys - Fast

Written by Pio Sioa
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Yes it was a hard watch on Friday with Fiji haring across our Manu Samoa try line seemingly every time we drop the ball or missed a tackle. Whenever a white jersey sprints off on a runaway try, sprig marks from his speeding boots leaves behind a bleeding trail on our cheering pride. Yes, the agony was hard to bear. The bigger the pride we hold forth for our team the harder we bled, did we not? Bloody Friday indeed. The reactions starting to come through on our Samoalivenews.com website says it all. We posted a story headlined, ‘Manu Samoa goes down to Flying Fijians’ and one disappointed fan wrote; “Why? weren't we flying high enough......lets go manu lets go........go where? go home!!!’ Another wrote, ‘You know what, bring back the overseas players..no more locals.” Most however were positive with their assessments of the team’s strengths and weaknesses at Lautoka Park and they are probably spot on with Coach Tuala and his coaching staff. Armchair coaching is all part and parcel of sports regardless of what it is, and how it is played. It is the rights of the fans that cannot be denied or silenced. As a coach you willingly exposed yourself to all the negatives in the same way your praises are sung when the team does well, especially in a game where the stakes are stacked high. Many may believe that the work from here onwards is not going to get any easier for Coach Tuala and Co. But that should not be the case. We have to consider that these are players drawn from all over the rugby world, where they play to different patterns in combination with other team mates they have played together week in week out. The players we have in the team are plucked from England, France, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and locally. Last Friday was the first time they have played as a team. Fiji had 12 of its players from the World Cup last year, so they had the advantage of retaining a core group that set the platform for newcomers to adjust to. For the Manu Samoa coaching staff, this was the first time they have actually seen the players play together as a team and it definitely showed. Now that they have seen them play and more importantly, the players were in a position to read each other, a pathway is now open for the molding process to take. There is a popular rugby saying that most great players of the sport are fond of quoting when asked about their success; You are only as good as your last game. Where our Manu Samoa is concerned, hopefully they are only as bad as their last game. As far as team rebuilding is concern, the Pacific Nations Cup, offers the best start for grinding out a new Manu Samoa bound for the next World Cup. Coach Tuala and Co. are on notice in that respect as well. So too is the future of whether our locally bred coaching minds are up to the task of international success. Coaches, Fuimaono Titi Tafua and Galumalemana Rudolf Nauer may have already raised their hands on that account in 7s rugby, but it maybe an apples and oranges comparison for Coach Tuala. The shorter and faster version of rugby plays different from the 15-man game, that is an accepted fact. It does not however let the Manu Samoa coaching staff off the hook. Yes the pathway is more clearer now. Yes they will work to make it sparkling clear. Yes our emotions have survived the ordeal of last Friday. Yes we will be broken hearted once again if we lose this week. Yes we will understand. BUT. We will want to see some improvement. We are only asking for that. We can swallow losing on the scoreboard if we know that it was the best that we can do for now. REMEMBER. We as fans will always be armchair coaches. We cannot always be understanding or tolerant. We are a proud rugby nation. We are supposed to have a world class team. We were once feared as giant killers. We are in the Pacific Nations Cup to win, not make up the numbers. We are watching. You! Comments (3) Subscribe to this comment's feed toe sasa`a le fafao written by tai tuiafiso, June 10, 2008 ta`alo faatasi auale alu lava le tagata latou pei ole tama ale loomatua.....se alu i ai... ... written by Tama Samoa, June 11, 2008 True champions do not look for excuses,we know and the samoa rugby union know and you know all the excuses...from the last world cup..short time together as a team,did we not say that after the world cup?Did we work to fix it before this games?coaching problems?I thought we fixed that!!!we have alot of new players vs.fiji? We can look and believe me we'll find millions of reasons to lose each and every game..STOP IT...Think positive like the little train that kept on saying YES I CAN,YES I CAN...the super sevens did it....yes they are talented but so are all the other teams...What set them apart from the other teams was the mental ftness program in their hearts and heads...we need to think like hungry lions at all times...we need to be hungry enough for the win...we need to want it more than the other team and it will show in our actions,attacks and our defense all the way to the end,not for part of the game,NO!!!THE WHOLE GAME...I now use the manu samoa dvd of the game for motivational purposes...when I train I watch it...I look at these young men and I'm amazed at the size of their HEARTS...LOTO NUU...GO MANU..I follow you like a religion..oh by the way,I played 4yrs in NZ and in Fiji...I have played a bunch of times at churchhill park in Lautoka.Ia manuia le alo atu i le taaloga...think seven but play 15... Next Samoan Coach written by Ron, June 11, 2008 You don't have to be a genious to know why Samoa lost to Fiji last weekend. Why give a million reasons?? Here a some simple facts: Inexperienced midfield - I'm sure these guys are good players but there should have been someone there with more experience especially in the first game of the PNC. That would of eased the pressure off. Have two fresh new caps was always going to be a risk. Fijian midfield made mince out of midfield. Missed Tackles - I counted twenty missed tackles before the end of the first half. Very poor indeed for international level. Our midfield lacked the defensive punch that the Manu are proudly reknown for. (Frank Bunce, To'o Vaega, Fereti Tuilagi, Terry Fanolua & Brian Lima) All punishing tacklers. Ball Retention - How many times did we get in to their half then cough the ball up. We had as much possession as the Fijians but our ball control and retention was below average. Again, not accepted for an international team. Hoping this weekend the Manu will perform better because anything less will not be accepted. No excuses! This is the lowest ranking we have been since before the 1991 world cup, yet we have better players to choose from. We have the players to choose from: HOOKERS Mahonri Schwalger Tani Fuga Semisi Telefoni Muliufi Salanoa Loleni Tafunai PROPS Cencus Johnston Justin Va'a Hiroshi Tea Kas Lealamanua Fosi Palamo Philimon Toleafoa Evile Telea LOCKS Kane Thompson Filipo Levi Jo Tekori Daniel Leo Pelu Taele Chad Slade Ruperake Petaia FLANKERS 6 Daniel Farani Simaika Mikaele Johnathon Fa'amautuina Alapasa Cordtz FLANKERS 7 Ray Ofisa Alafoti Faosiliva Ofisa Traveranus Bell Sasulu Ray Stowers NUMBER 8 Henry Tuilagi Alfie To'oala Semo Sititi George Stowers HALF BACK Junior Polu Steven So'oialo Junior Senio Uale Mai Notise Tauafao FIVE EIGHTH Loki Crichton Tasesa Lavea Tusi Pisi Neli Sasulu 2nd FIVE EIGTH Seilala Mapusua Eliota Sapolu Samasoni Moala CENTER 3/4 Anitelea Tuilagi Gasolo Salima Elvis Sevealii Reupena Leavasa WINGS Alesana Tuilagi David Lemi Sailosi Tagicakibau Mikaele Pesamino Lome Fa'atau Henry Fa'afili Vae Tuilagi Esera Lauina FULLBACK Gavin Williams Lolo Lui Alatasi Tupou John Vui Have a go and choosing a team from those players.,....... 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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 June 2008 )

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