Fats calls on IRB to act

The International Rugby Board has been urged to review their eligibility regulations allowing the likes of one-test All Black Kevin Senio to line-up for Manu Samoa.

Samoan rugby icon Peter Fatialofa says the IRB could go a long way to helping the plight of Samoa, Fiji and Tonga by allowing players who had brief test careers with the likes of the Wallabies and All Blacks to go and later play for their homelands.

The IRB has knocked back previous attempts by the likes of Andrew Blowers, Dylan Mika and Ofisa Tonu'u to play for Samoa following the end of their brief All Black careers.

The game's ruling body is steadfast in the belief that once a player either plays test or Sevens rugby for one nation, they are locked into that country's high-performance structure.

But Fatialofa said it was time for that to change, especially in the current rugby environment when increasing international careers were short-lived.

"My nephew, Kevin Senio, I always talked to him about his options before he became an All Black for 20 seconds," Fatialofa told Yahoo!Xtra.

"My other nephew, DJ Forbes, well he is playing for New Zealand Sevens but looking at the players the All Blacks have, is he ever going to be an All Black?

"He would be a great player for Samoa. But the boy is now always going to known as a Sevens player at international level.

"There are a few of them."

Fatialofa was the face of Samoan rugby during the late 1980s and 1990s.

Despite being one of the bookends of the Auckland front row, he was unable to ever push his way into the All Blacks.

Instead he fashioned a strong international career with Manu Samoa.

The issue of player eligibility is again up for debate following the massively under-strength team rookie Manu Samoa coach Niko Palamo will field against the All Blacks in New Plymouth on Wednesday night.

The only player who has made the squad from Europe is lock Chade Slade, who plays for tiny English club Exeter.

Because the test falls outside of the IRB's test window, clubs are under no obligations to release imports for test duty.

The Japanese-based trio of Filipo Levi, Semo Sititi and George Stowers gained releases, as did Counties Manukau players Romi Ropati and Simon Lemalu.

The remainder of the team is made up of Samoan-based club players, including several members of the nation's Sevens squad.

Problems gaining players saw Samoan Rugby Union officials debating cancelling the test.

Fatialofa said that was an option which was not to his liking.

"For Samoa, we take what has been given to us," he said.

"You never turn down the chance to play New Zealand. That should be the last option, to turn it down.

"Whoever said 'Yes', must have known that they wouldn't be able to have the players from the UK."

A realistic Fatialofa said Manu Samoa would have the challenge of restricting the damage on the scoreboard.

While he hoped Palamo's untested squad could hold their own, he said they were on a hiding to nothing.

"I really hope New Zealand have an off day," Fatialofa said.

"But I think the All Blacks are the best team at the moment.

"They seem to peak when it matters and they will be keen to shrug off any cobwebs they might have from their week off."