Islanders need a united game plan [1]
Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 16:21. Updated on Monday, May 5, 2014 - 10:19.
A David and Goliath encounter, is how John Boe, the coach of the Islanders describes the coming international matches between the first combined Pacific Islanders rugby team, the Islanders, against the Wallabies, All Blacks and the Springboks in early July.
"It is a wonderful coaching challenge, and I have a tremendous belief in the island boys." In Nuku'alofa for the weekend John said that the three Southern Hemisphere rugby giants have a huge advantage, "when you are playing in Super 12, you are playing in such intensity, week in and week out and the intensity is so high, it is so fast. Our boys play club rugby all over the place but they are not playing at that intensity. I am sure if we played Super 12 we would be able to develop to that level, and it is such a shame that the SANZAR countries voted not to allow an island team into the Super 12."
John said that the team would be announced immediately after the game between Fiji and Manu Samoa in Suva on June 12, "and we will come together on Sunday. We have not got time to do a lot of things like fitness testing. We have to get in as quick as we can and establish a game plan, a combination and we've got to get our scrummaging and line out going. There is so much to do in such a short time. We have to make sure that the team is a team and it is not three different countries putting on a game in three different ways. We have to make sure that it is only one team, united and they have to become a family, and they have to really work together and that is the biggest challenge of it all." John said that each country had a lot of things in common but there were also a lot of differences. "We have to make sure that we have a game plan that will suit all three."
After the Fiji/Tonga game in Nuku'alofa on June 5 John said the selectors, himself, Wayne Pivac, Michael Jones and Viliami 'Ofahengaue were closer to completing their selection, "but there are still a few gaps, most of them in the forwards, loose forwards. There are a couple of very good loose forward, and there are still a few positions there and a lot of players are pushing hard for those positions."
John said that most of the team would come from the three national sides of Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, and there will be a few New Zealand-based players, Super 12 players. "We do have some professional players, but compared to our opposition, they have got the best of the Super 12. We will have two or three Super 12 players, but most of our players have not played in that top level. So it is a bit of David and Goliath situation for us. I must admit I was very disturbed and disappointed by the Manu Samoa's 3-38 score against Scotland on Friday. It was very alarming and obviously we have to do a lot of work to compete, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. But once again it is wonderful coaching challenge. We must play attractive rugby, we must play our style and we must excite the public, we must be discipline and show that we are a team worth supporting," he said.