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'It has left a sour taste': Lima Sopoaga hits out at changes in Samoa
Lima Sopoaga doesn’t know if his rekindled Test rugby career will continue in 2024 following the recent sacking of Seilala Mapusua, the Samoa coach for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Samoan officials told Mapusua earlier this year that he wouldn’t be kept on and the position has since been given to Mahonri Schwalger.
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It’s a development that hasn’t pleased the 33-year-old Sopoaga, the 16-cap former All Blacks player who qualified through his ancestry to play for Samoa following a three-year stand-down period.
Mapusua paid the price for the team winning just one of its four matches at France 2023, beating Chile but losing to Argentina, Japan, and England.
Based in Japan with Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks, who have secured promotion to the second division for next season, Sopoaga, who was player of the match against the English in Lille, has now outlined his dissatisfaction with what has unfolded with the Samoans since the finals.
Aside from the firing of Mapusua, he alluded to other things allegedly going on in the background that had left a sour taste in the mouth ahead of a Test season featuring the newly structured Pacific Nations Cup which will culminate with the tournament’s two final weekends taking place in Japan in September.
Asked by RugbyPass if he would be playing Test rugby later this year, Sopoaga said: “I’m not too sure, to be honest. Obviously, the coach being fired.
“There’s been a few disappointing things happen that people sort of don’t know about behind the scenes that have really angered a lot of the boys from the World Cup and it’s kind of typical of sort of island rugby set-ups, I guess.
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“Things, stories that would have heard in the past still going on in the background so it has left a sour taste in my mouth. I’m not too sure if I can put my hand up and it’s not because I don’t want to, but sort of the powers that be or those running Samoa are sort of rotten to the core and corrupt. We’ll see how it all plays out.
“There has been some ongoing chat, quite a few group chats but like I said there have been a few off-field things that have sort of affected that and it will be interesting to see who puts their hands up now going forward.”
Sopoaga’s current feelings are in sharp contrast to his memories of the World Cup itself. “It was truly humbling and special, things I was able to learn on that tour and connect with was something that I will never, ever forget.
“Although we never got the results we would have liked, I do think Samoa rugby was on a good trajectory after that campaign.
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“It’s not easy playing these tier-one nations with big budgets and things like that but we gave it a good crack and gave it a good shake and we were a bounce of a ball here or a drop goal there away from winning a few important games and going through to a quarter-final, but that’s just the way footy goes.”
Aside from Samoa, Sopoaga, in an exclusive soon-to-be-published interview with RugbyPass, also talked at length about his new life in Japan after five years in Europe, his reflections on his All Blacks career, what he makes of Super Rugby in its current guise, and the steps he is taking for a new career after he finishes up playing.
"A few disappointing things behind the scenes have angered a lot of boys from the World Cup…"
– COMING SOON ON RUGBYPASS: Exclusive Lima Sopoaga interview with Liam Heagney ?? on Samoa, helping @Bluesharks_2020 win Japanese promotion, and much more #RWC2023 @LeagueOne_JP pic.twitter.com/Bnvl7ZIPky
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 16, 2024
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments