Samoa have an Aussie at the helm

Australian Adrian Thompson has been appointed head coach of the Samoa national team, the Samoa Rugby Union (SRU) announced on Thursday.

Thompson, a former Australia A coach who has also worked in Japanese club rugby, joins the Pacific Islanders from the Australian Rugby Union’s high performance unit.

He will aim to rebuild Samoa after a disappointing performance at last year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, where the team only managed third place in their pool behind South Africa and Wales.

Samoa’s sevens coach, Stephen Betham, has been appointed as Thompson’s assistant coach, the SRU said.

AFP