Manu Samoa

Deidre Fanene

Promising national rugby 7s player, Siaosi Asofolau, walked away from court during the week with a clean record when he was discharged without conviction on assault charges.

Judge Fepulea’i Ameperosa Roma gave the ruling on Friday afternoon.

He will, however, have to come up with $600 by next Wednesday at 2.00pm to pay court and prosecution costs.

Maybe Japan was the better team on the day when they bowled our Manu upside down but there was another factor.

A non-playing rugby fan who traveled all the way from a country in Europe where the sport is not played told the media this story.

"We were coming back from the Wallabies vs Uruguay match, I went back to Fukuoka at my motel and I ended up watching Japan vs Samoa in a bar and that was awesome.

By: Sir Clive Wooward . Stuff.

COMMENT:

Japan are a team who we have all fallen in love with at this year’s Rugby World Cup and who can make rugby a better and more inclusive game — one with genuine worldwide appeal.

The Manu Samoa maybe in a serious need of a reality check whether it can be competitive at the international level in future, including the next World Cup in four years time.

The overall set back that is a major worry  is the lack of funding for the development and promotion of rugby at home.

Rich and stronger unions are also starting to emerge and are at the point, in a few cases, where they are stronger than the Manu Samoa.

You know Stui is hurting when he recently fended off his microphone troubles in Parliament, with complaints of his visit to Japan.

 “This is what happens when the team [Manu Samoa] loses,” the great man complained as he fumbled with his troubling microphone.

His Japanese mate, PM Abe, invited him over to watch the rugby and sign off on a new ‘Lady Samoa III’ replacement.

Japan is again gifting a new boat for Samoa.

The odds of a Manu Samoa win over Ireland are not a safe bet.  Lets just keep it simple like that.

If we do upset the Irish we are still not going to the quarterfinals – even with a bonus point win.

So for us this week it is ‘sayonara’ Japan and World Cup 2019.  Should we say back to the drawing board?  Not quite.

We know already what is there.  Quite frankly everyone in the world of rugby knows it too.

It could have been 100-nil or 5- nil, but it would not matter in the least to the reaction of Manu Samoa angry home fans.

Let’s face it, the 34–nil clobbering by Scotland of our boys was an embarrassment for the proud fans.

For most who sat up waiting for the midnight live telecast, it was a pride shattering moment.

Did Stui enjoy watching the Manu Samoa versus Wallabies test match with Australia’s PM Morrison at the weekend?

The question jumped out of a photo of the two leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with huge warm smiles on their already well known faces.

If a picture is worth a million words, the one showing these two is worth a couple of billions.

KYODO NEWS By Anna Watanabe

Mahonri Schwalger remembers the exact moment he realized he wanted to represent his country on the rugby field.

It was the 1991 Rugby World Cup and the small Pacific island nation then known as Western Samoa beat Wales 16-13 on their opposition's home turf in their first match of the tournament.

A Manu Samoa friend and legendary former All Blacks captain and coach, Sir Brian Lochore has died, following his battle with cancer. He was 78.

Sir Brian Lochore spend time in Samoa helping to fine tune the Manu Samoa squad for the 1979 South Pacific Games hosted by Fiji.

He worked closely with the national coach at the time the late La’auli Alan Grey and the local coaching staff right up to the time the team left for Fiji.