Scotty Stevenson: Proud men of Manu Samoa deserve to be listened to

The Samoan Rugby Team limber up at North Harbour Stadium. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Never before has a team so at war with itself gone into battle at Twickenham. Manu Samoa, that great conundrum of a rugby nation, will (or maybe will not) come out to face England this weekend in what should have been a moment to cherish for the men in that famous Pacific blue jersey.

Instead, the words of the Siva Tau, that great challenge laid down to the opposition by fearsome men like the late Peter Fatialofa, and the still very much living Mahonri Schwalger, have this week echoed and boomed through the administrative hallways. Ia e faatafa ma e soso ese: make way and move aside.

Condemnation came swiftly when these players dared to speak out. "The opinions of little kids," was how Samoan Prime Minster and head of the Samoan Rugby Union Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi summed up the players' grievances, many of which date back a number of years.

Samoan rugby has, in recent seasons, dealt with the concerns of players simply and succinctly: it has made them former players. The suggestion from the Prime Minister that the current players would be welcome to join their ranks is flabbergasting.

The IRB, which conducted talks with the Samoan players and the International Rugby Players' Association (IRPA), yesterday confirmed that in their opinion there was no risk of the England test this weekend not proceeding. That might be good news for the Twickenham crowd, and Samoan Rugby's balance sheet, but what happens after the weekend when the international season comes to an end and the players return to their clubs? Will anything change?

That is doubtful. As IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset said on the matter, "Our first priority was to get the game in place at Twickenham, and that has been achieved." In other words, further down that priority list come "the opinions of little kids". In their hearts, none of these players would have wanted to boycott this test match - they are proud men who represent proud people - but if things have got so bad that this idea was even mooted (and subsequently leaked) then we should all be taking them seriously.

The fear, of course, is that no one will take them seriously - least of all their own union. And how can that be? With a historic All Black test in Apia to look forward to, a Rugby World Cup to attend, and a chance for Samoa to book their place at the Rio Olympics, Samoan Rugby should be entering a period of unrivalled renaissance as a major force in the game.

Instead, the union is riven with political infighting, selection interference and a blase attitude towards the very men who can carry the country to consistent and considerable achievements.

The players entered into a high-stakes game this week. They knew they didn't have a winning hand, but went all in all the same.

Some who have long questioned the inner workings of the Samoan union believed that only by seeing through the boycott threat could any significant change be made. Others, those who sat around the negotiating table, believe the consequences - potential bans, a revocation of test status, and a withdrawal of funding all allegedly among them - outweighed the action.

The players should feel no shame in leaving the table empty-handed. Their actions were based on principle and a desire for fairness and transparency. They have spoken; they deserve to be listened to. Theirs are not "the opinions of little kids", they are the pleas of proud men.

Let's hope they deliver as proud men at Twickenham this week.

After all, Leai se isi Manu oi le atu laulau: there is no other Manu, anywhere.

3 things to ponder

History beckons
Twickenham shapes as one of the tests of the weekend with Samoa yet to taste victory over the English in six previous attempts. This will be the fourth match between the two sides at Twickenham and the first since 2010. That was the closest test between the two, with England prevailing 26-13.

What problem?
No wonder the rest of the rugby world looks at the All Blacks with a mixture of awe and envy. How many international teams could go into a test week with four legitimate world-class first-fives to choose from? Not Wales, that's for sure. Their back-up spent the week recovering from being booed by his own fans.

Well played, ladies
Congratulations to Anna Richards and Farah Palmer on their inductions into the IRB Hall of Fame. Richards is still coaching the game while Palmer is a lecturer in management at Massey University. Of her time as Black Ferns captain, Palmer says, "I tried to be authoritative, but the girls just laughed at me." Looks like she got the last laugh.