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'We still can do something special and upset a team like England'
Michael Alaalatoa looked quite the picture strolling through the mixed zone in Toulouse on Thursday night. Samoa’s hopes of making the quarter-finals for the first time since 1995 had just been dashed, Japan taking advantage of Ben Lam’s 47th-minute red card to go on and edge the Pool D fixture 28-22, but the squad were all fetchingly decked out post-game in their traditional lava-lava dress which was accessorised by an eye-catching red beaded necklace that meant the world to those wearing it.
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“This is called an ula fala,” explained the tighthead proudly in an exclusive chat with RugbyPass, the clock nudging towards one in the morning and the capacity crowd long since gone out the exits and back into the ‘Pink City’.
“It’s a necklace that is worn by the chiefs back home in Samoa. It’s now become a customary item of clothing that you wear for special events, so for us as representatives of Samoa, we wear this to represent our culture.
“Culture is everything to us. It’s who we are and, to be honest, it’s a thing that is easy for us. It comes naturally to us because, as Samoans, it’s ingrained in our language, in our song and dance, and in our culture with our ceremonies and things like that.
“Our players come from all over the world but when we come together we all have this in common, Samoan, and the connection is just natural. It’s not manufactured. A lot of club teams would have to create a culture for everyone to buy into. It’s quite easy for us. The next thing is for that to translate into winning big games.”
The benefits of ‘culture’ for the Australian-born Alaalatoa, whose father was part of the 1991 Samoan World Cup squad, were evident in a tricky second half against the Japanese. Samoa were down 8-17 when Lam was binned by referee Jaco Peyper for a tackle to the head that was upgraded to a red card offence by the foul play review officer and they could so easily have fallen away to a heavy defeat.
Instead, they ‘won’ the remaining 33 minutes 14-11, enough to net the losing bonus point that has them in third place before Saturday’s South American derby between Argentina and Chile in a pool where England have been declared uncatchable at the top. What did for Samoa versus the Japanese was only playing in fits and starts, similar to their frustrating 10-19 loss last week to Argentina in Saint-Etienne. So near yet so far.
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“I felt like Japan started the game very well,” reflected Alaalatoa, who 19 weeks ago was himself on the receiving end of a Peyper red card when Leinster lost the Heineken Champions Cup final to La Rochelle in Dublin. “They kicked very well, put the ball behind our forwards. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to exit our area clean enough, gave away a few penalties and a few tries that were well within our control.
“Credit to Japan for being able to capitalise on those opportunities but for us we need to be able to be an 80-minute team. We showed glimpses of what we could do today, as we have the whole competition, but it was disappointing that we weren’t able to do it for the full 80.
“To give ourselves credit we fought back well. The game was never lost (until the final whistle). We were always staying in the contest and in the end, it put us in a position to win the game but playing catch-up at this level of rugby is very tough. You need to be able to start well and play well for 60 minutes minimum. We seem to come right in the second half when our backs are against the wall. If we can start the way we finish we would be a different team.”
Samoa have one more opportunity to get it right, versus pool-toppers England in Lille on October 7, and although the second qualifying place from the group is now set to be a straight shootout between Japan and Argentina in Nantes, the Pacific Islanders know they can still generate big headlines if they grab an upset result against Steve Borthwick’s team.
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“The good thing is we don’t play until next Saturday week so we have the weekend to take the learnings from this game, let the disappointment digest a little and when we come back together on Sunday we will be able to look forward to England,” summarised Alaalatoa, the former Super Rugby title-winning Crusaders forward who has been based in Ireland since 2021.
“I’m fully confident we still have the team that is able to do something special and upset a team like England. It’s still a long way away, we have got a few days before we come together but I’m still confident we can do a job.”
RUGBY WORLD CUP NOVELTY: Rather than step off the bus in a tunnel, the stadium in Toulouse sees the Samoa and Japan players walk through a sea of fans – and mobile phone cameras – to get to the front door. ? #RWC2023 | #JPNvSAM pic.twitter.com/chb0n34rYt
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 28, 2023
Their efforts at France 2023 are being cheered every step of the way from very far away back home. “We played a few games in Samoa before we left so they have been following us. We have a great support base back home and we are disappointed and upset that we weren’t able to do what we set out to do for them. Samoa have been crying out for the team to make the quarter-finals for a long time.
“After tonight we have made it very, very hard for ourselves to do that unfortunately but we still have an opportunity next week to upset one of the best teams in the world and put a performance in that our people back home can be proud of.”
What has Samoa being together like a club team the past three-and-a-bit months mean to the 32-year-old Alaalatoa, who is squad co-captain at these finals along with fellow forward Chris Vui? There’s a noticeable pause before an answer comes. “It’s hard to put into words,” he admitted.
“Like, we very rarely get this amount of time together and it’s unfortunate that it’s only every four years that we get a big build-up to a competition like this. The more games against quality opposition like Japan, Argentina, England that we have the better we will be.
“The games up until this World Cup we have only played one tier one nation. I’m not making excuses for tonight, we should have been better and we weren’t. But I am saying I know with more games against quality opposition we would be a much better team.
“I am always hopeful (that will happen) but in saying that, if we can play well and upset these big teams, then teams are going to want to play us as well. I’m aware with that comes a responsibility to play well for these teams to want to play us as well. We still have a good opportunity next week to play England and play really well and cause an upset and then that would open doors for us in the future.”
"With the game the way it is now, you're working with milliseconds and millimetres in terms of getting it right and getting it wrong."
– Seilala Mapusua reviews the Rugby World Cup loss by his card-troubled Samoa to Japan in Toulouse. #RWC2023 | #JPNvSAM #Rugby pic.twitter.com/RZppbqNcYc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 29, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to comments