New Manu Samoa head coach, Tusi Pisi, has confirmed his teaching employees and captain as they put together for a busy 12 months of World Cup qualifiers.
Pisi, who’s an assistant coach with Japanese Second Division leaders Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, has known as on the providers of two former Manu Samoa teammates in Census Johnston (scrum and total forwards coach) and Kane Thompson (lineout and call abilities coach) and in addition Tai Lavea (defence), the dual brother of one other former Manu Samoa worldwide of his technology, Tasesa Lavea.
Former Saracens and Toulouse prop, Johnston, is scrum coach of Auckland within the ITM Cup and has labored with the Blues Ladies, whereas Thompson, who was assistant coach with Manu Samoa in 2024, has been head coach of NOLA Gold in New Orleans since December 2021.
Ex-Counties Manukau coach Lavea received the Japanese Rugby League One title with Toshiba Courageous Lupus final 12 months, as a part of Todd Blackadder’s teaching group.
“You will need to have individuals round you who you may belief, and in addition you will need to have individuals round you who’re competent and might do their job. I’ve labored with all these guys earlier than, and they’re all in high-performance environments. I imagine that this can be a nice combine for us shifting ahead,” Pisi stated.
Saracens free ahead Theo McFarland led the crew finally 12 months’s Pacific Nations Cup and retains the armband beneath Pisi.
“He’s a famous person, he’s an incredible chief of males in our crew, and it’s nice to see him again enjoying,” stated Pisi.
“He leads by his actions, he is aware of what to say on the proper instances, and he has performed with nice leaders in that Saracens crew, so he has skilled being in a high-performance surroundings for an extended interval – and he’s simply nice across the group.”
Pisi loved a distinguished enjoying profession, which noticed him win three caps for the Pacific Islanders in 2006 and 42 for Samoa, from 2011 to 2019, together with appearances at three World Cups.
Showing in a fourth match, this time as head coach, is the subsequent aim. With three automated qualification locations obtainable and Fiji and Japan already certified, all of the groups besides the one which finishes backside on this 12 months’s PNC will get a direct ticket to the subsequent match in Australia in 2027.
“The earlier we nail that qualification, the higher it’s for us. That’s positively one in every of our quick objectives, and we’ll be working arduous to get that outcome.”
Pisi’s first match in command of Manu Samoa might be towards Scotland at Eden Park on July 18th. Simply over a month later, they start their PNC marketing campaign towards Tonga on August twenty third.
The PNC clashes with the ITM Cup in New Zealand, which might current challenges with regard to participant availability. However Pisi takes a constructive view that it might assist him uncover some in any other case unseen expertise, constructing as much as the World Cup. “I suppose from the place I sit, if a participant isn’t obtainable, then it’s a nice alternative for another person, and we’re all the identical mindset – myself and the opposite coaches,” he stated.
