Manu Samoa

Chris Vui will be the match-day captain in place of Jack Lam, who is injured and unavailable for selection. Vui’s selection at blindside flanker also boosts Samoa’s options at the lineout.

Ten of the starting XV in Samoa's last game - a 34-15 loss against Australia - return to start against Russia. Logovii Mulipola, Motu Matuu, Dwayne Polataivao, Ah See Tuala, as well as captain Vui come in.

The side also features eight players who will make their Rugby World Cup debuts.

Fonoti Tafa'ifa Aufata raised the issue during yesterday's budget committee hearings for special programs administrated by the governor for the new fiscal year 2020.

Fonoti said she was trying to locate the $US100,000 the governor gave to the rugby team from Samoa.

The governor's chief of staff, Fiu Johnny Saelua, responded by saying it came from money allocated under the Governor's Contingency Fund and said it was up to the governor how this money was spent.

The Manu started 2019 with victory over Tonga in Apia but suffered narrow defeats by the USA and Fiji before pushing the Wallabies all the way in Parramatta, 34-15.

Samoa have not reached the quarter finals of the global tournament since 1995 and face a tough ask to advance from Pool A with Ireland, Scotland and hosts Japan all ranked inside the world's top 10. The Manu are 16th.

That makes Tuesday's opening game against Russia in Kumagaya an absolute must-win.

But the cover up will only go so far, it has been revealed.

The Samoan players will wear skin suits after the team consulted a Japanese cultural expert.

Captain Jack Lam said: “We had someone coming in and giving us a heads-up about what we could expect in Japan.

“There’s a lot of similarities in our cultures but when it comes to the tattoos we have obviously got a lot of tattoos, it’s quite normal in our culture.

“But we are respectful and mindful to what the Japanese way is. We will be making sure that what we are showing will be OK.”

Just over a week after a knock from a team-mate damaged his eye, Samoa's Jack Lam has fully recovered his sight.

In his team's final warm-up match against Australia on 7 September, the Manu Samoa captain took a blow from Alapati Leiua during a tackle. He had to leave the field, fearing that his participation at a second World Cup could be in danger.

"I was seeing about 30 different Wallabies players at the time, so I was a bit of a liability to my team. I had to make a call and come off the field," Lam said.

Lam has played a total of 35 international test matches, making him the second highest coming behind  Tusi Pisi who has played a total of 37 matches.

Lam was one of the two players that were called back for a last minute fitness test before flying out to Japan.

He was replaced  late in the first half of Saturday's 34-15 defeat by Australia in Parramatta after taking a knock to the eye while attempting to tackle Sekope Kepu, with Malolua following suit a couple of minutes later after dislocating his shoulder.

However, Lam passed the test.

The Australians defeated Manu Samoa 34-15 in Parramatta on Saturday, in the final test for both countries before departing to the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, made the invitation to the Australian PM, Scott Morrison, during bilateral talks between the two leaders in Sydney over the weekend.

Malolua made his test debut in Saturday's 34-15 defeat by the Wallabies in Parramatta but was substituted just before half-time after dislocating his shoulder, with replacement halfback Dwayne Polataivao scoring two tries in the second half.

"We're all gutted for Scott," said Manu Samoa head coach Steve Jackson. "He was playing some good rugby but we all understand that this is the nature of our game.

Flanker Lam was replaced before late in the first half of Saturday's 34-15 defeat by Australia in Parramatta after taking a knock to the eye while attempting to tackle Sekope Kepu, with Malolua following suit a couple of minutes later after dislocating his shoulder.

Head coach Steve Jackson said Malolua's shoulder was popped back in by the team's medical staff, but he remained their biggest injury concern before hopping on the plane to Tokyo tomorrow morning.

Australia wrapped up their pre-World Cup Test campaign with a 34-15 win over Samoa in Sydney on Saturday.

A good first-half display, which was rewarded with a 22-3 halftime lead, was offset by an unconvincing second-half performance, with Samoa scoring the first 12 points, before two late tries pushed the home side clear.

Cheika said the game had been a really good hit out for the Wallabies, who now have a 3-2 record this year.