THE HERALD REPORTS

Fa’atau focus on Glasgow
Lote Fa'atau sent Samoa on their way to a consolation victory in their final match at the World Cup, then quickly adjusted his sights to the next challenge of his career at Glasgow Warriors.

The winger, who turns 32 next month, was part of a Samoa squad that arrived in France full of optimism, but which failed to live up its own expectations as they lost their first three matches.

A 25-21 win over the United States went some way towards marking the departure of Michael Jones, the fabled All Black flanker who has coached them over the past seven years, and Brian Lima, Fa'atau's fellow winger who set a record that may never be equalled by playing in his fifth World Cup, but ended it banned from playing.

"It was very emotional," said Fa'atau, who scored the first of three first-half tries that put them on course. "We had a lot to play for. There was a lot on our shoulders. It was do or die for us and we had to make sure we took something home with us even though we were never going to achieve the goals we had set.

"To be able to go out on a high note was something we set for this match, to go out with a win celebrating Michael Jones' last game on the coaching staff and, even more so for Brian Lima. So it was a nice finish. It is the end of an era, but they have set building blocks for the next one."

He acknowledged that the campaign had been a disappointment, as some thought they had the capacity to go as far as the quarter-finals. "We set a few goals as a team," he said, " . . . to come in and go a bit further than where we ended up, but that's rugby for you."

Now, though, it is Glasgow Warriors supporters who can look forward to seeing the man who topped the 2006 Super 14 scoring charts in action.

"I'll head for Glasgow towards the end of next month," he said. "I'll probably go home for a couple of weeks and freshen up, then head over whenever Sean Lineen wants me over there. I'm keen to get over and get a new start.

"It's a totally different challenge. I've seen a lot of the matches and talked a fair bit to the boys I'm going to play with, as well as guys I've played alongside. It looks a lot different from Super 14. We'll be playing in wet conditions a lot more, although I'm hoping summer's going to come late for us. I guess a lot depends on what sort of track we're playing on and what sort of game Sean Lineen wants us to play."

That the son of an All Black who played centre in Scotland's 1990 grand slam- winning team is head coach at Glasgow was a major factor in Fa'atau's thinking.

"That was one of the reasons I chose to go to Glasgow," he said. "Sean is from New Zealand first and foremost, and played for Scotland, so the type of game he has drawn up is the type I like to play, especially being on the wing. It's always going to excite me to get in there and help out where I can. If it's just to be there as a senior player then I'm willing to play that role as well."

Having played provincial rugby with some of the greatest players attacking players in the sport's history - they include Jonah Lomu, Tana Umaga and Christian Cullen - the wing man has an enormous amount to contribute and is looking forward to passing on his knowledge. "Playing with the likes of Jonah and Tana, there's been so much to learn from and I'm always willing to give what I can," he said.

Whether the next generation of Samoans will also get to benefit from that knowledge remains to be seen.

"I haven't made any decisions yet," he said of his international future. "There's a lot of young guys coming through and I guess I am counting down the minutes, but whether it is time to hang up the boots on international duty and concentrate on Magners League is a decision that's still to be made.

"I'd like to see what Samoa have in mind for next year and the next couple of years, then we'll see how I go from there."

Another of the attractions of moving to Glasgow is that, as Justin Va'a, his Samoan team-mate, will confirm - there will be much less discouragement than at many English and French clubs to continue playing Test rugby.

Lineen appreciates what can be gained from having experienced, current international players in his squad. With talent like the Evans brothers and Colin Shaw on the books, raw but willing to learn, the benefit of that approach should become evident to all concerned within the next few weeks.

12:01am today



By KEVIN FERRIE

This article was posted on 28-Sep-2007, 06:11 by Hugh Barrow.