Hardly, have you watched the IRB 7s this year? He just hasn't been on good form - He was one of the best players going, as seen by his winning the player of the year (or whatever it was) award, but this year he hasn't been playing to his usual standard
Your right, he has been out of form..he has since been dropped from the Samoa 7s team. I do believe theres still time for him as he is still 27 and that form he once had is nothing he cant get back.
That is not just Samoas but all of the Pacific Island teams biggest problem. They can get the names together especially at world cup...But lack of preparation wether it being their nature to be badly disorganized or only getting the team together within days of a test match or before a tournemant due to problems with securing the release of players. Its all good to have a team with the names and the talent...but you need proper time to get the players prepared and familiar with each other as it is crucial in getting a team to gel properly and for team unity off and on the field. This will always keep the Island teams from being able to compete and beat the top tier teams on a regular basis, as there is no question when it comes to their natural talent and skill levels.
Hey melhor, good to see a familiar face here. My old alias was Ws4life on here and you may remember me from the old IRB forum from a few years back..how you been ?
Interesting squad...though I'm astounded u left out Kahn Fotuali'i out of the starting line up..the guy was a star for Samoa when they picked him up for the end of year international tests. He could just about start in any international side and you have on the bench?...interesting. Salavea is one in your line up which has failed to impress me in his games for Samoa and i would have him on the bench at best...you are right though with Samoa having a decent stock of players available at number 6 and 8 but very thin at number 7. Lots of hard hitting runners and tacklers in the loose forwards but none that can reliably and consistently turn the ball over at the break down.We've lacked a true pilfering number 7 for god knows how long (I cant remember the last since I started following the Manu back in 2003). The one that comes to mind is Maurie Faasavalu. He could've been great but moved to league after the world cup in 2003. He has since moved back to union, but I feel its too late for him to develop into the pilfering open side flanker we've been searching for ever since he intitially left out. Salavea for me is not the answer. I would prefer Jack Lam or Faifili Levave if they make themselves available....if not George Stowers, or Ofisa Treviranus as our other options. One last player I'll touch on in your line up, David Lemi. I hear good things about him playing at club level, yet there hasn't been a game I've seen him play for Samoa which has had him standout for me. He has had amble chances to shine, but has yet to done anything spectacular. 5 tries in 25 tests just isn't enough for a wing at international level. I Feel Alesena Tuilagi and Sailosi Tagicakibau Are bigger impact players with more to offer and should be our starters, with An in form Mikaele Pesamino (I don't care what others are saying about him, but in last years PNC for me he was their player of the tournament) the next player down in our depth.
I do agree that Samoa will find it tough to beat South Africa, Wales and Fiji. Fiji will be a 50/50 game as both teams are pretty equal and I feel it just depends on whose day it turns out to be (hopefully Samoa)Wales I'm sure will be frothing at the mouth to avenge all their past world cup humiliations in one World Cup showing so I'm expecting them to come prepared and ready to fire. Samoa (or Fiji for that matter) will have to play at their absolute BEST for them to have a chance to topple the welsh. South Africa always tends to be too much of a handful for Samoa even at their best but who knows...fellow islanders Tonga proved anything is possible at the last world cup, with only the bounce of the ball in the dying seconds 5 meters out from them scoring a try denying them the greatest of all upsets. Namibia shouldn't be underestimated, but I feel Samoa should def come up tops there. For me I predict 1 guaranteed win, 2 crunch games against Wales and Fiji to decide who qualifies for the the next round at the world cup. Best I can realistically hope for is 3 outta 4 and a quarter finals berth.
Ask anyone who follows Manu Samoa..Polu is good, but Fotualii is DEF the man to start.
i'd still pick Fili ahead of him though i haven't seen how Lavea's been playing at clermont yet
another option at prop for samoa is James Afoa, who played for them in the 2010 PNC, samoa's scrumaging dominated at the PNC but its hard to tell from PNC how he would do against teams because he wasn't on the end of year tour, but Samoa had a lot of problems at the scrum in the end of year tour, maybe James Afoa's scrumaging will help. I still don't like Lavea either
Ive seen quite a bit of game tape from both. Ive seen Lavea at his best and his worst as I have Fili. Havent seen much of Lavea since his move to Clermont though but he played relatively well in his appearances for Samoa in the november tests. He wasnt making too many of the silly and basic mistakes I saw him make at times when he was in NZ. He was providing a decent passing platform putting or trying to put our outside backs into space as well as his defence and tactical kicking was ok. Fili I havent seen play for Samoa since the 2009 end of year tests were he didnt play too well. Ive seen a few of his games playing at club level for the Western Sydney Rams and for Wellington Lions. When I watch Fili play he reminds me alot of the pilot and main character 'Maverick' from the movie 'Top Gun' . Very unpredictable and at his best he is unconventianally Brilliant. Though he is far too inconsistant and on the flipside when he is not at his best he is absoloutly horrendous as he makes alot of stupid headscratching decisions or tries "What was he THINKING??" kind of plays which dont come off. Fili is an X factor type of player, but more inconsistant than from what Ive seen from laveas performances for Samoa...So Lavea gets my nod. If not I would have Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu at First five who has consistantly played well for Samoa at that position though Id probably prefer chucking him in at inside Centre to partner Seilala Mapasua.I still don't like Lavea either
really after such a good tri nations last year
Samoas set piece, particularly the Lineout, improved leaps and bounds during the end of year tests. We held our own in the scrum vs Ireland and Scotland (though the english smashed us) and we were winning 90% of our lineout throws, compared to maybe 30-40% in the past vs Tier 1 teams. I left Mahnonri Schwalger, Kane Thompson and Felipo Levi in my team because they have played with each other for Samoa for years now and look to finally start being familiar with each other, the calls etc to form a formidable lineout.
Its pains me to say but its just not viable to have the Pacific Nations into the Tri nations and here why...
They only lost 1 line-out from memory. The set-piece was nothing short of a miracle - Tom Coventry probably was the reason for such a dramatic improvement in that area.
Dont get me wrong...Lavea isnt consistant either...But moreso than Fili. I just said he was solid, while not great, when he played last year for Samoa.
