Samoans 'rebuild' against Wallabies

SYDNEY - Samoan rugby coach Michael Jones is preparing to unleash a new generation of players on the international arena, but says his team are very much the underdogs for the test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

The 28-man squad for the three-match tour includes 14 uncapped players, but also a smattering of familiar faces. The old guard includes veteran backs Brian Lima and George Leaupepe, who played in Samoa's last test against Australia in 1998, and a nucleus of the team from the 2003 World Cup.

Jones said Samoa were in a rebuilding stage and looking toward the 2007 World Cup, with qualifiers against regional rivals Fiji and Tonga scheduled in coming months.

"We've just got to make the most of it as an opportunity to grow our players," former All Black Jones said. "What better way to grow players than to put them up against the Wallabies as a benchmark."

Jones has called up players from around the globe, including Britain, Ireland, Japan, Italy and New Zealand, as well as seven based in Samoa. The test against Australia will be Samoa's first in 12 months and Jones has only had the bulk of his squad together for a few days before arriving in Sydney on Saturday.

Two players - hooker Trevor Leota and winger Lome Fa'atau - will not arrive until tomorrow after lining up in Jonah Lomu's team against Martin Johnson's side in England yesterday, while Lima and captain Semo Sititi also joined the squad late after playing for the Barbarians in Britain.

The test falls between fixtures against New South Wales Country in Wollongong on Wednesday and a Northern Territory Invitation 15 in Darwin on June 17.

"We recognise we're huge underdogs," Jones said, looking ahead to the test.

"For us, it's about playing to our utmost potential. I've always been of the firm opinion that if you get 15 Samoans on the day and they are on top of their game, anything can happen."

Jones stressed Samoa would not deviate from their traditional style.

"We don't try to turn our boys into robots. There's flair, but we've got to be smarter and intelligent with it."

- NZPA