The poacher has become the poachee.
New Zealand are often branded as exploitative thieves when it comes to rugby, ravaging the islands of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga for their best players to buttress their own playing pool.
Samoa took on the All Blacks in Apia yesterday morning and their starting team made for interesting reading. While many used the fixture as a chance to once again throw digs at the All Blacks for stealing islanders, the Samoan XV actually contained nine players who were born in New Zealand.
15 Tim Nanai-Williams
14 Alofa Alofa
13 Paul Perez
12 Johnny Leota
11 Alesana Tuilagi
10 Tusi Pisi
9. Kahn Fotuali’i
8 Ofisa Treviranus (c)
7 Jack Lam
6 Alafoti Faosiliva
5 Kane Thompson
4. Teofilo Paulo
3 Census Johnston
2 Ole Avei
1 Sakaria Taulafo.
While it’s true that some of New Zealand’s top players over the years weren’t born in their country, if you were to look at it from the other side, Samoa would be FAR worse off if they were made play without their contingent from the Land of the Long White Cloud.
It’s interesting that since New Zealand are the front-runners and are generally smug in everything they do, fans and pundits are often quick to point the finger at them rather than see the bigger picture.
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