About this episode
I was joined by content creator Chris Setu to deep dive Samoan rugby. One of the sport's most beloved nations, Samoa has given the game icons and iconic moments. What's more, they have the best record against Six Nations and Rugby Championship sides of any T2 nation. However, the last 12 months have been painful for the Samoans. They barely scraped through to World Cup 2027 with a draw against Belgium after embarrassing losses to USA and Chile. Despite the quality of player available to them, they are underperforming badly. Chris and I discuss their performance and the possible reasons for it from selection to the alleged corruption. We then go on to contrast Manu Samoa with the rise of the rugby league team and discuss the roll of social media in the modern game. --- Get 15% Ellis Rugby stash with my code “HG15” - #ad Doddie Jersey: https://ellisrugby.com/product/doddie-weir-lions-shirt/ Jonah Jersey: https://ellisrugby.com/product/jonah-lomu-1995-rugby-shirt/ --- Follow me on twitter: https://x.com/HuwGriffinRugby Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580910041103 Samoan Rugby Is A Problem… Inside Samoa’s Rugby Survival… Inside Samoa’s Rugby Survival… The Pain And Pride Of Samoa... Why Samoa's Rugby Survival Is At Risk... The Pain Of Samoa Rugby. minus 47 seconds anything post 14 mins post edit Chapters 0:00 Samoan Rugby Culture 7:10 Fiji & Tonga Rivalry 9:20 Samoa Diaspora 15:42 World Cup Qualification 20:00 Building a Squad 24:30 Corruption Allegations 30:12 Bringing Big Names Back 33:20 World Cup Expectations 37:10 Painful Memories 38:40 Theo McFarland 40:45 Moana Pasifika Impact 43:50 Threat of Rugby League? 49:20 Being a Social Media Admin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices