Manu Samoa left the World Cup with their heads held high after they finally hit form against Scotland but according to Census Johnston, their Toulouse based prop, there is also a burning sense of injustice at the way they have been treated.
<script async src="http://www.samoaobserver.ws///pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>
{/googleAds}
For him the Alesana Tuilagi incident when the wing was banned, initially for five weeks reduced to two on appeal, summed up the way Tier Two nations, specifically the Pacific Island ones, are treated. Tuilagi was found guilty of bringing his knee up into the head of a Japan player who was trying to tackle him but according to the Samoans was only running with his natural high-knee action.
"It is just a preconception, Island rugby – Tier Two rugby – is dirty," said Johnston.
"As in Alesana's [Tuilagi] case, we have been hard done by.
Everyone has been talking about it all week, and to get five weeks for something he naturally does is bullcrap.”
“We spoke about it, he did not get a decision [on the appeal] till the night before and that disrupts the team. It is that kind of thing we have to keep fighting against, I hope one day it will change.”
"There were a couple of decisions [in the Scotland game] that went against us; you know with any other team, it would have been different. We are used to it now, we are used to getting the hard end of the stick, we just have to learn from his process.”
"Tier Two nations as a whole, we always feel we are getting the back end of a stick. There was one incident where the guy [Ryan Wilson, the Scotland flanker] stood on Maurie [Fa'asavalu] and I think if it was the other way it would have been a red card. We always feel we get hard done by. I am hoping World Rugby tries to help us out a bit."
Johnston feels that apart from the well publicised financial woes of the Tier Two sides, and issues around scheduling at the World Cup, the reputation of Pacific Island rugby means they have been targeted by officials.
"We come to these tournaments with no budget and all we want is a fair go. We put in as much work as the Tier One nations and all we want is the same treatment," he said.
"We are passionate about playing rugby and rugby is supposed to be a physical game but it seems we are always getting picked on."
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}