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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
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen 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.
28 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….
28 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….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments