SPORTS IN APIA
Samoa Sevens name squad for Las Vegas and Vancouver on HSBC World Sevens Series
Damian McGrath has named his Samoa Sevens squad for the Las Vegas and Vancouver legs of the HSBC World Sevens Series
Samoa have so far not lived up to their lofty past this season with a failure at the Oceania qualifier for the Olympics followed by struggling to get out of the groups on Day One so far this season in Cape Town, Wellington & Sydney. The Pacific Islanders will be again looking to improve on the North American swing of the series with only 6 tournaments remaining between now and the Olympic qualifier in Monaco that they will be so targeting.
Englishman Mcgrath is looking for the likes of Samoa Toloa to show his experience in a squad that is not full of world series caps.
The biggest issue for Samoa is due to their struggles they find themselves in the never ending cycle of tough groups and it's going to take a serious performance for that to end following Las Vegas as they are grouped with World Series leaders Fiji alongside two sides who have made semi-finals this season in Argentina and France with the former making the Cup final in South Africa.
France have not performed brilliantly since defeating Fiji in Cape Town but a victory against the Pumas and/or Pacific Island rivals who have not lost on Day One for over a year is going to be a big ask which could see Samoa once again in a tough group in Vancouver, Canada the following week.
Samoa 7s squad for Las Vegas and Vancouver
- See more at: http://ur7s.com/news/samoa-sevens-name-squad-for-las-vegas-and-vancouver-on-hsbc-world-sevens-series#sthash.tHRlWThW.dpuf
Samoa have so far not lived up to their lofty past this season with a failure at the Oceania qualifier for the Olympics followed by struggling to get out of the groups on Day One so far this season in Cape Town, Wellington & Sydney. The Pacific Islanders will be again looking to improve on the North American swing of the series with only 6 tournaments remaining between now and the Olympic qualifier in Monaco that they will be so targeting.
Englishman Mcgrath is looking for the likes of Samoa Toloa to show his experience in a squad that is not full of world series caps.
The biggest issue for Samoa is due to their struggles they find themselves in the never ending cycle of tough groups and it's going to take a serious performance for that to end following Las Vegas as they are grouped with World Series leaders Fiji alongside two sides who have made semi-finals this season in Argentina and France with the former making the Cup final in South Africa.
France have not performed brilliantly since defeating Fiji in Cape Town but a victory against the Pumas and/or Pacific Island rivals who have not lost on Day One for over a year is going to be a big ask which could see Samoa once again in a tough group in Vancouver, Canada the following week.
Samoa 7s squad for Las Vegas and Vancouver
- Faalemiga Selsele
- Alefosio Tapili
- Alamanda Motuga
- Belgium Tuatagaloa
- Tele'a Seumanutafa
- Savelio Ropati
- Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa
- Tila Mealoi
- Alex Samoa
- Samoa Toloa
- Eddie Fidow
- Tomasi Alosio
- Coach - Damian McGrath
- Asst. Coach - Muliagatele Brian Lima
- Trainer - Luke Stephenson
- Video Analyst - Junior Narayan
- Manager - Tupuola Masunu Talapusi
- See more at: http://ur7s.com/news/samoa-sevens-name-squad-for-las-vegas-and-vancouver-on-hsbc-world-sevens-series#sthash.tHRlWThW.dpuf
Blue Sky announces the Manu Samoa Squad for the USA Sevens Tournament
The Bluesky/SIFA Manu Samoa 7s team for Las Vegas and Vancouver was announced yesterday. The 12 man squad includes some new faces who stood out at last weekend's Vailima Marist International 7s.
MANU SAMOA 7s FOR LAS VEGAS & VANCOUVER
1. Faalemiga Selsele
2. Alefosio Tapili
3. Alamanda Motuga
4. Belgium Tuatagaloa
5. Tele'a Seumanutafa
6. Savelio Ropati
7. Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa
8. Tila Mealoi
9. Alex Samoa
10. Samoa Toloa
11. Eddie Fidow
12. Tomasi Alosio
Coach - Damian McGrath
Asst. Coach - Muliagatele Brian Lima
Trainer - Luke Stephenson
Video Analyst - Junior Narayan
Manager - Tupuola Masunu Talapusi
The management and team were hosted by Bluesky earlier this afternoon for a farewell lunch, where they were given the company's best wishes before they leave on Saturday.
MANU SAMOA 7s FOR LAS VEGAS & VANCOUVER
1. Faalemiga Selsele
2. Alefosio Tapili
3. Alamanda Motuga
4. Belgium Tuatagaloa
5. Tele'a Seumanutafa
6. Savelio Ropati
7. Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa
8. Tila Mealoi
9. Alex Samoa
10. Samoa Toloa
11. Eddie Fidow
12. Tomasi Alosio
Coach - Damian McGrath
Asst. Coach - Muliagatele Brian Lima
Trainer - Luke Stephenson
Video Analyst - Junior Narayan
Manager - Tupuola Masunu Talapusi
The management and team were hosted by Bluesky earlier this afternoon for a farewell lunch, where they were given the company's best wishes before they leave on Saturday.
Savaii teams take home trophies at 28th Maris Brothers Sevens tournament
Two teams from Savai’i won two of the main cups at the 28th Vailima Marist Sevens held at Apia Park last Saturday.
The Bowl went to the Sa’asa’ai team and the Shield to Vaito’omuli.
Vaito’omuli coach, Taufao said that this was a great achievement by his team.
“Our boys were really happy and we can’t wait to come back next year,” he said.
“Thanks to our village, Vaito’omuli Palauli, fa’afetai tapua’i”
“Our village back in the island sees the growing numbers of youths playing and I’m pretty sure that winning the shield today will motivate others to join in the game….and that is really good.
“It’s something to be proud of but we need to continue on with them until they reach their goals and aims - that is to represent Samoa at international level.
“It’s good to have a goal in whatever they’re doing because I believe a life without a goal, is a life without meaning.”
Sa’asa’ai coach, Saini Samuelu agreed.
“It’s because of that kind of dream (representing Samoa at international level) that keeps them going hard in rugby.
“And they understand that for them to accomplish it, they need to start from zero…and winning the Bowl today for the 28th Vailima Marist Sevens, is another step towards that goal.
“It takes time but we are encouraging them to be honest with themselves in whatever they’re doing and then they’ll take it from there.
“So going back to Savai’i with the shield we can really believe that ‘what is good for Upolu is good for Savai’i.
“Thanks Marist for opening the door to Savai’i teams, especially this great tournament.
“God bless!”
According to the Vailima Marist Sevens website, since the inaugural tournament in 1988, the Marist International Sevens has long been the foundation of the development of rugby sevens in Samoa.
It is even more so now with the inception of the Samoa 7s Series for the preparation of the IRB 7s Series.
Nowadays, the Vailima Marist Samoa International 7s, is the center stage to showcase the best and most exciting rugby displayed in Samoa. History has proven that the tournament has provided the international rugby arena with some of the most revered and renowned players in the country.
The Bowl went to the Sa’asa’ai team and the Shield to Vaito’omuli.
Vaito’omuli coach, Taufao said that this was a great achievement by his team.
“Our boys were really happy and we can’t wait to come back next year,” he said.
“Thanks to our village, Vaito’omuli Palauli, fa’afetai tapua’i”
“Our village back in the island sees the growing numbers of youths playing and I’m pretty sure that winning the shield today will motivate others to join in the game….and that is really good.
“It’s something to be proud of but we need to continue on with them until they reach their goals and aims - that is to represent Samoa at international level.
“It’s good to have a goal in whatever they’re doing because I believe a life without a goal, is a life without meaning.”
Sa’asa’ai coach, Saini Samuelu agreed.
“It’s because of that kind of dream (representing Samoa at international level) that keeps them going hard in rugby.
“And they understand that for them to accomplish it, they need to start from zero…and winning the Bowl today for the 28th Vailima Marist Sevens, is another step towards that goal.
“It takes time but we are encouraging them to be honest with themselves in whatever they’re doing and then they’ll take it from there.
“So going back to Savai’i with the shield we can really believe that ‘what is good for Upolu is good for Savai’i.
“Thanks Marist for opening the door to Savai’i teams, especially this great tournament.
“God bless!”
According to the Vailima Marist Sevens website, since the inaugural tournament in 1988, the Marist International Sevens has long been the foundation of the development of rugby sevens in Samoa.
It is even more so now with the inception of the Samoa 7s Series for the preparation of the IRB 7s Series.
Nowadays, the Vailima Marist Samoa International 7s, is the center stage to showcase the best and most exciting rugby displayed in Samoa. History has proven that the tournament has provided the international rugby arena with some of the most revered and renowned players in the country.
Samoa's Sevens Coach criticises Sevens travel scheduleSamoa sevens coach Damian McGrath has criticised the travel schedule forced upon his team following the Wellington leg of the World Series.
The Manu won the bowl final at Westpac Stadium on Sunday night, with their match completed shortly before 7:30pm. Samoa finished the tournament with only nine fit players and have been beset by injuries in all three legs so far this season. Damian McGrath said his players were exhausted after but were not able to get a good night's sleep or begin a thorough recovery because they had to be awake at 3am on Monday to catch a 6am flight to Sydney, where the next leg of the World Series takes place this weekend. He said to make matter worse, they are unable to check into their hotel in Sydney until 2pm local time, making the day effectively a write-off. McGrath later tweeted from the hotel saying his players only had a "couple of hours sleep because of ridiculous flight time to Sydney - then boys have lay on floor of lobby 5/6 hrs waiting for a room!!" Manu Samoa were not dominated by All Blacks in a evenly played contest in Apia. Final Score 25-16, but this maybe the preview of next World Cup Champion.Another indicator of how tough this game was was how the teams fared in line outs and scrums. Samoa won 10 line outs and New Zealand claimed 7 but New Zealand won 9 scrums while Samoa won 8 scrums and lost 2. Finally the game was a clean game with no red or yellow cards issued. The surprising stat was that New Zealand conceded more penalties than Samoa 12-9. In all the game met the expectations of both the teams and the fans. The level of competition was extremely intense and both coaching staffs must have felt a certain feeling of accomplishment after the game ended, even though one team lost. The level of competition sustained from start to finish was impressive and for Samoa it bodes well that they were able to play New Zealand so close and with such competitiveness.
New Zealand's coaching staff must have been thoroughly satisfied with the experience as it was the kind of game they needed for their team to be challenged on all phases of the game. The benefit for them is they may have been able to play and beat a team more dangerous than any other they will face on their way to defending their World Cup Title. This was a win-win situation for both teams and with no serious injuries resulting from the contest, the teams now have clearly identified their weak points and areas of concern. Now they will only get better. Is this a pre-cursor of the World Cup Final later this year? If these two teams face each other in the World Cup my guess is the winner will go on to win it all. By Albert Ainuu Photos by RTE Sport
The story of the game between Manu Samoa and the All Blacks was etched in the statistics. Numbers do not lie according to experts and the numbers from the close defeat by the All Blacks of the Samoan national team indicated how close this contest really was. The final score was 25-16 in favor of the visitors, a highly favored All Blacks squad which came to Samoa at relatively full strength. As much as they resisted this contest, for reasons other than rugby in the past, now the All Blacks have earned a new found respect for the Samoan team which consists of many players who play their rugby in New Zealand, Europe and Japan and reluctance to play them at home maybe more a concern for the potential for defeat at the hands of a very tough and seasoned squad. There are some local boys in the squad, but the level of play expected of the Samoan boys is no longer something the All Blacks can take lightly nor can they dismiss the Manu Samoa as a lower level team. Samoa has consistently been in the top ten Rugby powers in the world for the past 10 years. This contest was won, according to some, on the boot of Dan Carter who scored 20 points for New Zealand from 6 penalties and a conversion. This means the contest was defensively played to practically a draw. Samoa scored one try and New Zealand scored one try. Samoa gained 338 meters to the All Blacks 348. Samoa had 90 carries and New Zealand 96. Defenders beaten, Samoa 13 to New Zealand 17. They were even at clean breaks with 7 a piece. Number of passes 100 by Samoa to 149 by New Zealand. New Zealand beat Samoa with 17 offloads to Samoas 6. Samoa had more turnovers with 27 to New Zealand's 20. Tackling favored New Zealand at 108 to 69. Samoa missed 17 tackles to New Zealand's 13. In the kicking game New Zealand made 6 out of 7 while Samoa made 3 out of 4. This was a war of attrition and the rucks and malls were clearly indicative. Samoa won 89.7% of the rucks while New Zealand won 89.1%. Mauls were won by Samoa 3-2. |
Samoans win gold in World GamesPetelo Evile of Salelologa Samoa won a Gold Medal in Shot Put. 2015 World Games Los Angeles. Samoan Brett OLOAPU of Papauta has won a Bronze Medal in the 200m sprint at the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles. Samoan Sprinter Seigafo MAVAEGA of Afega has won a Gold Medal in the 200m Sprint at the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles. Kim PERENISE wants it all...His walking from Manase to Safotu paid off..Bronze Medal in 800m.. Malo Team Samoa!
Manu Samoa team for All Blacks Test is being assembledSamoa Observer
The Manu Samoa selectors yesterday named 58 players in their wider training group and selection pool for the Manu’s 2015 campaigns including the Rugby World Cup. Head Coach Stephen Betham said that in addition to the 58 named yesterday, the coaching team hoped to add additional names closer to the squad selection date. Betham said the coaching team’s visits to UK based players had been positive with all players visited making themselves available for Samoa’s 2015 campaigns. Manu Samoa will play a historic match against the World Champion All Blacks at Apia Park on 8 July, before heading to the United States and Canada to play in the Pacific Nations Cup. “We had some very positive conversations with Samoan players in the United Kingdom and we have returned positive that we will be able to select a strong and experienced side from this group,” Betham said. “Like other Pacific Nations we are faced with the reality of trying to prepare for our campaigns with players who are largely now based in countries outside the Pacific, and including Japan. “The benefit for us, is that obviously the work ethic and training programmes for these players remains a strong focus which is important when you can’t always assemble them for training camps,” he said. Many of those players also contributed suggestions to the Manu Samoa’s preparation plans. “We’ve taken on board feedback from those players, and we think our campaigns will be much stronger as a result. We have also had positive conversations with the Pacific Island Players Association who have been incredibly supportive of our Samoan players and our desire to strengthen our relationships with them,” Betham said. The Manu Samoa squad of 38 to be considered for the All Blacks and the Pacific Nations Cup will be named about a month prior to those campaigns. The squad of 31 to travel to the US for the Pacific Nations Cup will be named on Thursday 9 July, the day after the All Blacks Test match. The Rugby World Cup squad will be named in early August. Meanwhile, the Samoa Rugby Union is in full swing with its preparation for the All Blacks Test match. Interim C.E.O, Faleomavaega Vincent Fepulea’i said while ticket sales were strong, there were still General Admission tickets available. Redevelopment of Apia Park was the biggest piece of work that was being undertaken and all efforts were being made to complete the project by the scheduled June handover of the venue. The extended squad: FORWARDS: Albert Anae (Treviso), Aniseko Sio (Leicester Tigers), Anthony Perenise (Bristol), Jake Grey (Samoa A), James Johnston (Saracens), Logovii Mulipola (Leicester Tigers), Sakaria Taulafo (Stade Francais), Viliamu Afatia (Agen), Andrew Williams (Samoa A), Maatulimanu Leiataua (Aurillac), Tii Paulo (Clermont), Wayne Ole Avei (Bordeaux), Teofilo Paulo (Cardiff Blues), Maselino Paulino (Samoa A), Kane Thompson (Newcastle Falcons), Iosefa Tekori (Toulouse), Faatiga Lemalu (Sannix Blues), Daniel Leo (London Irish), Alafoti Faosiliva (Bath), Faifili Levave (Toyota), Francis Ieremia (Samoa A), Jack Lam (Bristol), Maurie Fa’asavalu (Oyonnax), Ofisa Treviranus (London Irish), Oneone Faafou (Samoa A), Peter Saili (Bordeaux), Peter Semeane (Samoa A), Taiasina Tuifua (Bordeaux), Tala James Ioane (Sale Sharks), Vavae Tuilagi (Carcassonne) BACKLINE Jack Taulapapa (Wellington), Kahn Fotuali’i (Northampton), Peleifofoga Cowley (Auckland), Vavao Afemai (Samoa A), Michael Stanley (Ulster), Patrick Fa’apale (Samoa A), Tusiata Pisi (Suntory), Alapati Leiua (Wasps), Anitelea Tuilagi (Newcastle), Faialaga Afamasaga (Samoa A), Faleniu Iosi (Samoa A), George Pisi (Northampton), Johnny Leota (Sale), Reynold Lee Lo (Hurricanes), Winston Stanley (Northland), Ah See Tuala (Northampton), Alesana Tuilagi (Newcastle), Alofa Alofa (La Rochelle), David Lemi (Bristol), Ken Pisi (Northampton), Paul Perez (Natal Sharks), Sailosi Tagicakibau (Wasps), Sinoti Sinoti (Newcastle), Henry Suau’u (Samoa A), Faatoina Autagavaia (Nevers), Paul Williams (Stade Francais), Tim Nanai Williams (Chiefs), Titi Esau (Samoa A). |