Previously the All Blacks and Wallabies with Samoa and Tonga

Paul Roget, Media365: Posted on Mon Jun 19 2023 at 11:36pm.

Thanks to the change in the eligibility rule, Samoa and Tonga selected several former Australian and New Zealand players for the World Cup in France.

While Toulouse’s Emmanuel Meafo, born in New Zealand to Samoan parents and raised in Australia, still hopes to play the World Cup in France’s fifteenth shirt, and can count on the support of the President of the Republic, other choices will take advantage of the change in the eligibility rule, which was adopted last year, To retain players who have played for other countries, but have not been called up for at least three years. Such is the case with Samoa and Tonga, who can count on strengthening New Zealand or the former Australian internationals.

Another Faumuina dance?

Samoa coach Silala Mapusua retained the club And my ex-fatherChristian Lilevano who will play for the second time in the World Cup after the 2019 World Cup in the Australian jersey. will meet Three former All Blacks players. Tolosan’s Charlie Fumoina (photo) was crowned world champion with New Zealand in 2015 and who is supposed to retire at the end of the competition, Lima Sopoaga, who was last seen with the All Blacks in 2017, as well as Stephen Luatwa.

Chivu: “It was very easy”

On the Tongan side, we shall find Three former Australian players, and five former All Blacks. A “huge X-factor” for their trainer, Totai Kifu. There will be former Wallabies Israel Folau, Adam Coleman and Lopeti Timani, as well as Charles Piutau, Vaea Fifita, Malakai Fekitoa, Augustine Pulu and Clermontois George Moala, who previously defended the colors of New Zealand. “Honestly, it was very easy,” Kefu told the Sydney Morning Herald. “They all wanted to play for Tonga. Most of these guys, like Piutau and Fekitoa, grew up in Tonga until they were 14 or 15 before they left, so they were really excited.”