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Win Was Ours For The Taking - Coach Tuala

Written by Pio Sioa
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Coach Tuala Niko Palamo, unhappy with the loss but inwardly proud of the big improvements in performance as the young Manu Samoa continues with their rebuilding programme. Australia A walked off the Manu Samoa lair at the Apia Park yesterday, grateful to escape with a 20-15 win, leaving Coach Tuala to lament an intercept try that cost his young team the win. “The win was ours for the taking if not for that intercept try,” Coach Tuala said after the Manu Samoa was pipped by the visitors in wet and slippery conditions, that kept the fans at home. The overall performance by the national side was a marked improvement from the shambles in their first outing against Fiji last week in Lautoka. “I think our forwards is starting to come right, they competed very well in the lineouts and the scrums. “I was very pleased with our defence, they were right up there against Australia all the time. I can also see the big hits starting to come back again, and I’m talking about legal tackles.” Coach Tuala believes that the backline too is starting to get their combinations together, especially in the mid field, but they need much more work to improve on their performance. “We do have key tactical positions that needs brushing up, but that is a work in progress right now. “We do have several new players who will be joining the team soon so we will be trying them out for combinations.” Australia A led 10-8 at the half and hung on for the last 40 minutes to eke out a hard win against the host team. Team captain Morgan Turuni admitted disappointment afterwards with the way his team played and felt that the wet conditions made it more difficult for them. The Australian side is drawn from the Wallabies and Super 14 players, and were widely favoured for a walk over win against the Manu Samoa, after handing Japan a trouncing last week to kick start their Pacific Nations Cup campaign. The Manu Samoa is in a process of rebuilding with an eye towards the 2011 World Cup, and despite the fans disappointment after the loss to Fiji, Coach Tuala and his coaching associates, Paepae Stan Toomalatai and Fepulea’i Selefuti, remains unfazed about the course they have set for the national side. “I am very happy with the way the boys played today and right now I don’t feel like we lost the game. The win was in the bag for us and I would prefer to think that we gave it away.” Coach Tuala added that one of the areas that his young side will have to learn is to be patient, but it is something that comes with the experience and of playing together as a team. “We are bringing along the team slowly, we have much to work on and I was happy to see some of the things we worked on during the week, starting to work. “ I don’t want to run these boys to the ground or they will burn up quickly. We still have a lot of games to play in the Pacific Nations Cup and we have to make sure that we pace ourselves.” The Manu Samoa rebuilding process will wrap up with a one off test match against the All Blacks in September, while the New Zealand side is on a bye week during the tri-nations tournament against South Africa and Australia. Coach Tuala is looking forward to the international as a test for the Manu Samoa longterm build up. Comments (1) Subscribe to this comment's feed M written by Poulava Moe Fonoti, June 16, 2008 Fa'amalo le tausinio i alo o le Atunuu... Fa'apitoa la'u fa'afetai i le tapuaiga a le Atunuu, e le gata i lea o le Faiaoga o le Manu Samoa le Afioga Tuala Niko Palamo. O lea foi ua tele faitioga i le faiaoga fou o le Manu, Samoa lou Atunuu, Ta'atia ia galuega i le e patino i ai le galuega, fa'amalo fai o le faiva i nai nei alo o le Atunuu, ua ofo ina o latou Tino aua se ai mo taua le tapuaiga... Manuia le alo atu o le Manu i le isi ana ta'aloga i le Vai aso fou..... Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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