Church, kava - and a test match

Four Auckland footballers are plucked from their clubs to become internationals. One of them has beaten even bigger odds than that, reports John Landrigan.
After church and then kava, spirits are high and rugby league team-mates' ribbing echoes over the phone from Samoa.
Toa Samoa rep Louis Peau is facing a wall to try to shield the distractions but fellow international Francis Leger has too good a story to pay any heed.
They are two of four players plucked from near obscurity in the Auckland club competition to represent Samoa against an Australian selection in the islands and possibly start against the world champion Kiwis in October.
Leger's rise to the international ranks is particularly incredible because doctors had said he would never play league again.
The former secondary school and Warriors under-20s rep was playing for his Richmond Bulldogs club in August 2008 when he was tackled by two opponents.
The pair tried to drag him to the sideline. Leger dug his feet in and landed on his head, pushing his neck forward and "smashing" his C4 spinal disc.
"There was no more bone, just a speck of bone floating in my neck," says the 21-year-old utility.
"My C5 and C6 slipped out ... I was fortunate it did not cut my spinal cord."
Leger says he didn't feel so lucky at the time. "My worst fear was I might not be able to play the game I love. On the field they thought I was paralysed. I could not move my legs and arms."
With the love and support of his family and partner he underwent a gruelling 12 months of rehabilitation before he could start training and prove the doctors wrong.
Leger, who had been hoping for a start in the senior Warriors team within a season, was confined to bed for two weeks and bolted into a halo brace. The halo is a metal ring circling the head with pins screwed into the skull, connected to a plastic vest.
He wore the brace a second time after corrective surgery to fuse his neck together when it was discovered it was not mending properly.
"I was told a dozen times I'd never play footy again. This happened for a reason. I will never take what I have for granted. The opportunity to represent my country and play at this level is amazing."
Leger is capable of playing all backline positions and known to be an excellent finisher with great footwork.
After ending the phone conversation with The Aucklander, Leger scored a try against the Australian Affiliate States selection team. Samoa won 32-18.
Louis Peau - oldest son of former New Zealand heavyweight boxer Jimmy "Thunder" Peau - was plucked from his Mt Albert Lions club when selectors dropped by to watch other players.
"I was pretty shocked when I first found out," Peau says. "It is a very big jump. One I am willing to work for. I have a good work ethic."
The 22-year-old engineer (he graduated with honours from Auckland University) is a second rower with ball skills and is known for his solid defensive game.
"I can mix it up and play in the forwards or at centre. The player I most resemble is Australian rep Sam Thaiday. He is relentless with the ball. He is a workhorse, which is something you can't teach."
Mix Peau's enthusiasm with Leger's determination to overcome adversity, add the renowned skills and aggression of Samoan teams and the Kiwis will have a real battle on their hands in October.
League of extraordinary gentlemen
Toa Samoa convincingly beat the Australian Affiliate States, made up of NRL players, 32-18. In the second game, the Australians got revenge 12-6.
Players selected from Auckland clubs are: Francis Leger: Auckland Vulcans, Richmond premiers, Vodafone Warriors Juniors. Louis Peau: Mt Albert Lions, Ponsonby Ponies premiers. Karl Semiti (injured): Richmond premiers, Auckland Bartercard Cup 2009. Tuli Ah Voa (injured): Mt Albert Lions, North Harbour Bartercard Cup 2007-8.
Toa Samoa plays New Zealand at Mt Smart Stadium on October 16. The game is being promoted as "a war".