Digicel Pacific Islanders - Media Update from Team Announcement 23 November 2006

Digicel Pacific Islanders coach Pat Lam has made five changes for Sunday's historic encounter with Ireland at Lansdowne Road, four of them in the pack.

Justin Va'a and Aleki Lutui come in to the front row, while Ma'ama Molitika and Hale T'Pole are named in the back row.

Viliami Vaki misses the game after he was suspended yesterday for three weeks.

Kemili Ratuvou is named on the left wing with Seru Rabeni named in the centre.

As with the Scottish game last week there are five Fijians, five Samoans and five Tongans in the run on side announced by Lam at this morning’s press conference. Lam described this quirk as:

“Purely coincidental – we are all one team and we pick those who we think will be the best team on the day.

Captain Simon Raiwalui also at the press announcement reiterated his previous comments about captaining this side:

“It is a great honour to captain this squad - our confidence in one another is growing day by day and we are getting better day by day.

“We’ve scored seven good tries and we will be getting better”.

Raiwalui was also ecstatic about the reaction of fans in the Islands:

“We have had great support from back home through emails and faxes – please keep them coming as they mean a great deal to everybody concerned”.

There were a number of other comments from Pat Lam at the press announcement.

On slow starts

“To give ourselves a chance we need to have a good start – really we have been playing second half rugby.

“The leadership boys and senior boys have sorted out our slow starts and have worked very hard all week on the video - we’ve addressed this as a team as we do everything.

“It is only silly mistakes like coming out of our systems that are causing the slow starts.

“If we can tidy up these areas then we will be very competitive.

“We’d love to coach these guys for a whole season – we have a lot of talent here.

“We will definitely be doing things differently this week than we have done in the last fortnight”.

On Ireland

“Ireland were outstanding in their last two games.

“They have a number of world class players but also some talented young guys coming through.

“Sunday’s game is a huge challenge for the whole team.

“We are looking forward to Sunday afternoon immensely – it is the last ever rugby international at Lansdowne and we want to be part of the action”.

On the concept of the Pacific Islanders

“This gives an opportunity for the best of the best to play higher representative rugby.

“Pacific Islander rugby is an add on to the rugby played by our individual nations - it will certainly never replace it.

“The ultimate plan could be for Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to play in the Super 14 and then the best of the best come together as the Pacific Islanders for the Tri Nations.

“We need tough competiton for the Islands week in, week out.

“Things are on the up in the Islands – the new competitons are already having a great impact.