The equation for Manu Samoa is quite simple. Beat Japan on Sunday morning and they live to fight another day, lose and their Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign is finished.
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Coach Stephen Betham admitted that much last night when he named his starting team for the all-important World Cup clash.
“This match is do or die for us,” he said. “We do not for one moment assume anything. Japan threw this pool wide open and they have clearly become one of the favourite teams of the tournament.
“We’re in no doubt that this Test match will be a massive challenge for us.”
But the selection of Betham’s playing 23-squad will again raise eyebrows, especially with the decision to exclude loose forwards, Alafoti Faosiliva and Maurie Fa’asavalu.
Among the positional changes made include moving captain Ofisa Treviranus to blindside flanker and TJ Ioane rewarded for his form last week.
He will start at open side flanker with Faifili Levave slotting in at 8.
Jack Lam is on the bench.
Betham said selectors had a difficult task in choosing the final team. “After reviewing our loss to South Africa, we were able to find some really positive aspects to our game – it can be easy to overlook these in the face of a very clinical Springboks side,” he said.
We’ve also identified the areas where we needed a boost.
“This week has definitely been the most difficult week in terms of selections.
“We have some very experienced, and very capable players – but in the end you can’t select everyone.
“We’ve selected the team that we believe has the best combination of skills, strength and experience to deliver us the results we are looking for against Japan.
“We have ten players with between 20 and 51 Test caps so we also know we will have some very experienced men out there.” Among that experience are veteran lock Kane Thompson and explosive midfielder Johnny Leota both coming in for their first run in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Tusi Pisi returns at first five-eight, and hooker Ole Avei swaps with last week’s starting hooker Motu Matu’u.
Other changes see Lam, Mike Stanley and Rey Lee-Lo on the bench.
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