Samoa sweat on trio
Samoa are still sweating on the availability of injured players Tusi Pisi, Taiasina Tuifu’a and less so on Sailosi Tagicakibau for the World Cup Pool D match against Fiji this weekend.
Goalkicking flyhalf Pisi (hamstring) and flank Tuifu’a (ribs) were hurt in the tournament opener against Namibia a week ago and were named in the 22 to play Wales but were withdrawn hours before the game on Sunday.
Tagicakibau, the right wing, also left the Wales match with a tight hamstring.
Coach Titimaea Tafua said on Wednesday he expected Pisi and Tagicakibau to be 100 percent by this Sunday, when Samoa faces Fiji at a sold-out Eden Park, but Tuifu’a was still in doubt.
Samoa had moved on from the disappointment of losing to Wales 17-10, captain Mahonri Schwalger said.
“The team will bounce back,” Schwalger said. “At the moment the boys are trying to forget about the game last week. This is a big game this week, so we’re looking forward to it.”
He said they were friends with the Fijians “but when we come on the field it’s a different story.
“This game is the clash of the islanders, so it will be a big one. There are a lot of islanders around here so I don’t think there’s enough tickets for everybody to see the game.”
Meanwhile, center Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, who got in trouble this week for mentioning slavery, apartheid and the Holocaust to complain about the unfair scheduling for the second-tier teams compared to the big ones, wasn’t sanctioned by his team, which warned him to be more responsible with his Twitter comments.
The Samoa Rugby Union apologised on his behalf on Tuesday to World Cup organisers.
SAPA-AP
