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Do New Zealand All Blacks Owe Samoa a Home Test Match?
Published: July 19, 2014
The answer is that New Zealand should play the Pacific Island nations away anyway. If New Zealand are playing a Test against the USA in Chicago prior to their European tour this autumn, they can certainly play Samoa. But this is about respecting Samoa as a rugby nation, not the fulfilling of a charitable act.
New Zealand have benefitted from numerous high-quality players from the Pacific Islands. From Samoa in particular, they have valued the services of the likes of flanker Michael Jones, fellow back-rowers Pat Lam and Jerry Collins, and winger ‘Inga’ Tuigamala.
Less known, however, are the Kiwis who have represented Samoa. Stade Francais full-back Paul Williams, son of 38-cap All Black Bryan Williams is one, and Northampton’s scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i is another.
But whilst it is important to note that New Zealand-born players have represented Pacific Islands, these are not players the All Blacks miss, whereas they have gained world-class talent from Samoa.
New Zealand have a duty to play in Samoa. In the disparate world of rugby-playing nations, they are geographically proximate and efforts should be made to develop rugby around the globe.
But this duty is not as a result of Samoan-born players representing New Zealand. Whilst protection from poaching players once they have developed into stars should be provided, the International Rugby Board (IRB) and the rugby community cannot reverse trends in global migration.
A more worrying case is that of 5-cap Steffon Armitage, who, after an England exile because of his move to Toulon, may play for France in the 2015 Wo...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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