Rugby League: Skipper defends selection of Saints' Fa'asavalu

Oct 23 2007 by Ian Laybourn, Liverpool Daily Post

NEW Great Britain captain Jamie Peacock has defended the decision to include Samoa-born forward Maurie Fa’asavalu in the Lions squad for the Gillette Fusion Test Series against New Zealand.

The 27-year-old Fa’asavalu played for Samoa in the 2003 rugby union World Cup but pledged his allegiance to Britain after qualifying through residency, having spent the last four seasons with St Helens.

He was chosen ahead of Andy Coley, Nick Fozzard and Andy Lynch in coach Tony Smith’s 25-strong squad for the three-match series, which gets under way in Huddersfield on Saturday.

Peacock, who was formally appointed as captain after deputising for the injured Paul Sculthorpe for the last two years, gave his wholehearted support to his coach over the contentious decision.

“We’ve got some great traditions in this country but sometimes we fail to move on,” he said. “The rest of the world moves on but we don’t.

“The fact is sport has changed and you don’t always have to be born in the country you want to represent. That’s just the way of life nowadays and it’s about time we took advantage of it.

“And what a player to take advantage of it with. I can’t wait to play with him.

“Instead of handing me off in the face and sitting me on my backside all the time, I’m waiting to see him do it to somebody else so that I can cheer him on.”

Smith admitted he agonised over the selection of Fa’asavalu but insisted it was the right decision. “It was a big call and something I’ve thought long and hard about,” he said. “He is a bit of a special case. For him only ever having played his rugby league in this country is quite a unique situation.”