RugbyPass presents 'Tonga: Road To Japan'
Tonga skipper Siale Piutau has called on World Rugby to review its eligibility rules to enable Pacific Islanders capped by major Test-playing nations to eventually be allowed to play for tier two nations.
Piutau’s younger brother Charles was capped on 17 occasions by the All Blacks, but the 27-year-old has been in the international wilderness since heading to Europe in 2015 to play his club rugby.
Earning his living away from New Zealand, Piutau has been ineligible the past four years for All Blacks selection. However, the legacy of his 25-month Test career under Steve Hansen means that hasn’t been allowed to link up with his brother and represent the country of their parents together.
Speaking in the exclusive RugbyPass documentary that went behind the scenes in August as Tonga prepared for the World Cup in Japan, Piutau said: “It is something that frustrates me to see a lot of these kids that have played one, two Tests for tier one nations to be used in that way and then go overseas and not get to represent any other nation.
“You look at the other sport of rugby league and the hype that has been created around top players playing for their home nations. A lot of younger players growing up once thought of playing rugby league for New Zealand and now they want to play for Tonga.”
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RugbyPass spent a week with the Tongans in the run-up to their World Cup campaign, beginning in Nuku’alofa where they played Western Force and then following them to Auckland where they took on Pacific Island rivals Fiji at Eden Park.
What unfolded was a stark insight into how a country with the smallest population and the smallest budget of the 20 World Cup finalists has fought against the odds in preparing to face England, France and Argentina at the 2019 tournament in Japan.
Sunday's clash with Tonga in Sapporo is a real family affair for England's Billy Vunipola https://t.co/PTpa33KQZd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 19, 2019
Coach Toutai Kefu, the 1999 World Cup winner with Australia, has nothing but the utmost admiration for the resolve of his players despite the huge shortfall in resources compared to their Pool C tier one rivals.
“It does frustrate me and it annoys me but I try and keep that to myself. Having that situation occur quite regularly builds a certain amount of resilience within the group and these boys are fantastic. They encounter obstacles all the time and they are able to put that aside and keep pushing forward.”
WATCH: The RugbyPass Lego World Cup
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments