And so there you have it ladies and gentlemen. David didn’t quite conquer this time but boy didn’t Goliath get rattled!
More to the point, the next time, Goliath is not just going to rock up to Apia two days before the game and expect to walk all over David.
Respect is earned and if anything, that’s what has been achieved by Samoa this week – on and off the field.
For that, take a bow Samoa. You’ve done it.
Indeed, our people have shown how we are such wonderful hosts by embracing the world champions and making them feel so much at home.
The truth is that it has been such marvellous week, a show of the best of Samoa – in everything. The colours, friendliness, pride, traditions and warmth, it has been amazing. And that’s not all.
We have also proven that when it comes to passion and pride, we are a class above most countries. We thought New Zealand is unmatchable when it comes to passion for rugby.
Apparently not, according the All Blacks skipper, Richie McCaw. Samoa tops the Kiwis.
On the field, the All Blacks defeated Manu Samoa. It was disappointing, gut-wrenching in fact. We know. We came so close and for a moment there towards the end of the match, we actually believed we could pull it off.
Alas, it wasn’t to be. A margin of six points became nine too far and in the end, the mighty All Blacks scraped home bruised and battered. The admission by McCaw that this is how test matches should be played is a credit to the fighting spirit within this Manu Samoa team.
On the front page on this newspaper, captain Ofisa Treviranus spoke about the David vs Goliath battle. He wasn’t wrong. On every level, Samoa is David. We are a small country, we have limited resources and when it comes to rugby, our budget is peanuts compared to New Zealand.
On paper, the All Blacks should have won by a big margin. The problem was the test match was not played on paper. It was played at Apia Park in front of sea of blue who came to the party to embrace the occasion and support their David.
It was a fabulous test match, one of Samoa’s best for a long time.
The All Blacks can argue that they were a bit rusty because it was their first game of the season. But so was the Manu Samoa. If anything, the weather would have favoured the visitors. The heat and the sun we so desperately wanted deserted us.
But it was the heat from the Manu that was a pleasure to watch. They never gave up. They kept hanging in there, confronting the giants and putting their bodies on the line for their country.
They delivered the big hits, they showed courage and they stood up against a very experienced All Blacks side.
There is no doubting the ability of the All Blacks.
They are a world-class outfit and they showed that by withstanding the barrage from the home team. I guess you can the difference in the scoreline really came down to the experience of Dan Carter. The kick he used to set up George Moala’s try doesn’t just happen instantly. It takes years and years of practise and that’s what Carter has been doing.
To be fair to the All Blacks, our discipline cost us in the end and when you have a kicker like Carter who can bang them over from everywhere, that is always the risk.
Still, it doesn’t matter. Much has been achieved during the past couple of days to warrant a celebration.
The result feels like a victory for Samoa in every sense. The people at Apia Park knew it, thousands of Samoans who watched the game at home experienced it and the millions from around the world would testify that you have outdone yourself Samoa. So take a bow.
To the All Blacks, New Zealand Rugby Union and our friends back in the land of the long white cloud, thanks for the memories and the fellowship for the past couple of days.
To the Manu Samoa, well done. Fa’amalo le tauivi, fa’amalo le lotonu’u. Ua malie mata e vaai.