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Lote Tuqiri said:Islanders will be Test for all - April 17, 2004
The decision to give immediate Test status to the Pacific Islander-Wallabies fixture is a huge boost for rugby. The news has made for a great week, what with us - the NSW Waratahs - finally being back at home in Sydney to play our first game at Aussie Stadium in six weeks.
I just hope it ends as "great" by us turning around our run of four consecutive losses against the Hurricanes tonight.
But back to the Pacific Islanders ... Fiji, Tonga and Samoa don't play a lot of Tests. Even then it is often against each other.
As last year's World Cup showed, there is so much individual talent there. And with the pick of their crop put together to take on the Wallabies (July 3) in Adelaide, and then the All Blacks (July 10) and Springboks (date to be confirmed) we are in store for some top games.
A big challenge for the Pacific Islanders will be forging three different groups into one - as it often is with the British and Irish Lion squads.
The first step will be to ensure each island is represented in the coaching and management staff.
That way, the process of team cohesion can be handled with respect to everyone's interests.
Fiji, Tonga and Samoa are not too different culturally. But there will still be some cliques when they first come together because of the familiarity between them in the past.
It will be really important before they play that a lot of time is spent on team building - off the field as much as on it.
It can't be done in a week. They will need at least two to three weeks together before playing.
The one thing that may bind them as one could be the traditional Pacific Island drink, kava. All Pacific islanders love it.
The ritual for the drinking it may be different in each island - different languages and words used and ways in how to hold the bowl. But I've got Fijian and Tongan mates who drink kava together. And they all get on pretty well.
Saying all that, the challenge will not be just their's. For the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks it will a task to win.
As players, they are all very athletic and are pretty much ball runners from numbers one to 15.
The Samoans love playing it wide. Remember the scare they gave England in Perth at the World Cup? We should expect the same again - although hopefully we will be prepared for it.
They will also get better with the more playing time, whether it be at Test level or with mid-week build ups against sides like NSW and Queensland as they are reportedly wanting.
They should play an open game. They love running the ball wide. It is going to be 'hot potato, hot potato' rugby.
But first things first.
We have a big task with the Waratahs tonight.
It was nice to feel the paddock at Aussie Stadium under our feet at training this week.
It gave us a chance to take in the atmosphere, imagine the stands filled with a packed crowd that we hope comes tonight.
Yes, Super 12-wise we are in a critical situation.
We must win if we are to make the finals. But to do that we must think more of the process than outcome. Saying that, the win is still paramount.
And to my West Harbour club rugby teammates ... best wishes for today's Schute Shield opener against Gordon at Chatswood Oval.
The Daily Telegraph
I wish he was talking about Rugby League...