Manu Samoa halfback, Kahn Fotuali’i, is one step away from achieving a lifetime dream.
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In fact, the popular Manu Samoa scrumhalf had two dreams.
One was to play for the Manu Samoa.
The other was to play against the All Blacks.
“Now, if I get selected, it would be a goal that I’ve achieved,” he told the Sunday Samoan yesterday.
But before selections are made, Fotuali’i and his colleagues have all got jobs to do, so it’s a matter of pushing on and training hard before then. The past week in Samoa, he says has been awesome.
“The spirit within the team is high,” he said.
“We’ve enjoyed each other’s company and seeing new faces and old faces within the team. We’ve just been working hard together and building on the fitness of the players. “
Fotuali’i has been based in England for the past four years, playing for Northhampton Saints.
Adjusting to Samoa’s heat has been a challenge for the boys who live overseas and it’s taken awhile to acclimatise.
However, being back in Samoa has been a lot of fun and is always an opportunity to learn more about his roots, the culture and language, Fotuali’Ii said.
“It’s a good learning curve for me to learn more about my heritage and the culture. The best thing of being part of the Manu and the family is it’s a learning experience and a lot of fun time we have together with the players and management.”
As for his ability to speak the Samoan language, Fotuali’i waves his hand laughing, “Feololo”.
“It’s okay. I understand more and more every day,” he said.
“I try and speak it amongst the boys just to help myself in learning to speak the language so those are the little things that I enjoy about being back in the islands and being back amongst the team.”
Being part of the Manu Samoa for Fotuali’i is special.
“To achieve that [in the past] was awesome and you just want more and more of it.”
And to get the support from your family and the people of Samoa is an added bonus.
“It’s nice just seeing how proud the people are of the Manu Samoa team. If we lose or we win, as long as we play well, they cheer us on no matter what.
Those are the things that keep us going.”
And as a professional rugby player, it’s about looking after your body, training well and doing all the little things that count to keep your body going.
Should Fotuali’i be selected for the All Blacks tomorrow, then it’s going to be full on. And after the Rugby World Cup, he’s back to England and straight into another season with Northhampton Saints.
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