Manu Samoa's Wayne Ole Avei (left) swaps jerseys with All Black Keven Mealamu. Photo / Dean Purcell
Manu Samoa's Wayne Ole Avei (left) swaps jerseys with All Black Keven Mealamu. Photo / Dean Purcell
Passionate, engaging hosts nail everything bar one, writes Gregor Paul in Apia
The tiny island nation with a big heart had its day yesterday and provided not one single reason Samoa can't become a regular destination for the established rugby world.
New Zealand, so reticent to come to Apia for fear of how the whole occasion could be too much for Samoa to handle, were given a lesson " abject " on how to be superb and engaging hosts.
It was the near perfect day for Samoa. From the streets being flooded early with blue-clad revellers to the effortless, drama-less logistics of getting everyone in and out of Apia Park, to the good natured, inclusive post-game celebrations ... Samoa nailed everything bar one.
The Manu didn't get the win they were after. They were brave, inspiring, relentless and with just five minutes more composure and cohesion, victory could have been theirs.
Image 1 of 12: Samoan fans arriving at the Otahuhu Rugby Club. Photo / Greg Bowker
And victory would have been no less than the nation deserved. New Zealanders talk of their passion for rugby, but perhaps they need to re-think the benchmark.
Apia was flooded from sun-break to sun down. Flooded with colour, with noise, with flags, with people, with cars, with police. There were entrepreneurs everywhere selling what they had, what they could and if it was royal blue, had Go Manu written on it, the deal was clinched.
The traffic may have looked chaotic " a lawless jumble of cars, trucks and motorbikes setting their own road rules ... but it flowed and it flowed with good humour, endless horn peeping and bodies leaning out of windows to shout something, anything about the Manu.
Fans revel in the game. Photo / Dean Purcell
A party on the streets after the match. Photo / Dean Purcell
"Personally, I think so yes," said Samoa's high performance director and former All Black Alama Ieremia.
"The whole occasion of bringing the All Blacks here and the way we have hosted and the way we have got behind the actual event, I think the performance of the boys certainly made the country proud."
The All Blacks, once accused of having all the gaiety of gravediggers, were clearly moved by their whole Samoan experience.
Their post-match reaction of spontaneously inviting Samoa to be pictured with them was a welcome touch. So too was their decision to adapt their formal wear to Pacific-styled patterned shirts and lava-lavas.
They faced an awkward challenge yesterday. As much as they wanted to be seen to be good ambassadors and respectful of the significance of the test, it's World Cup year and they needed to play well and win.
"Being home, playing in front of family and friends, it was hard to put a lid on it [the emotion]," All Black Jerome Kaino said.
"Since we arrived it has been amazing and hopefully we will have plenty more visits here."
