Ardie Savea to face the B&I Lions? Ex-Tonga boss reveals First Nations and Pasifika XV wish list
Toutai Kefu has revealed a shortlist of players he hopes to recruit for the First Nations and Pasifika XV.
Ardie Savea could face the British and Irish Lions again this year after featuring in all three Tests back in 2017.
Wallabies great Toutai Kefu has been named as the First Nations and Pasifika XV coach and has revealed some of the players that he wants to add to his roster.
Savea qualifies for both the Pasifika team as well as the AUNZ invitational XV, but with the All Blacks hosting France in July, it may be tricky to get the necessary clearance for the back-rower to play for either team.
Kefu’s wish list
But Kefu is still hopeful as he targets Savea as well as Wallabies veteran Kurtley Beale.
The back-rower has been crowned as the Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year after a brilliant first season at Moana Pasifika, and the former Tonga head coach hopes to add him to his squad to face the Lions.
“Geez I’d love to have a crack at him (Ardie Savea),” Kefu told reporters.
“He might be available to the (AUNZ Invitational XV,) but he’d be great to have for our team.”
Savea and Beale are not the only big names that Kefu is eager to get on board, revealing his wish list, which includes several Wallabies players.
“I don’t know if Langi Gleeson’s still hanging around but him, Rob Leota and Lukhan Salakai-Loto, but most of these players will probably be involved with the Wallabies,” he said.
“Brandon Paenga-Amosa, even Zane Nonggorr from the Reds, he looks promising. I think there’s plenty to choose from.
“I would love to see (Kurtley Beale) in my side … I’d love to see him at five-eighth.
“Hopefully, over the next couple of weeks, I can get my teeth in and start fleshing this team out and also the staff.”
Coaching staff
Kefu says that he will be prioritising Australian-based coaches when piecing together his backroom staff for the fixture.
This after he was asked about Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga’s potential involvement. The former All Blacks captain has been linked to a role in the staff.
“We’ve known each other for a while now so I’m sure he (Joe Schmidt) probably had something to do with it. Maybe it was him that mentioned my name,” Kefu said.
“My family was one of the first Polynesian families to come to Brisbane way back in the late 70s, and I’m sure other players would have a similar story about how they came to be in Australia.
“First Nations and Pasifika people contribute massively to the game all around the world, and the significance of this game in celebrating those ongoing contributions can’t be overstated.”
He added: “Tana’s name got mentioned earlier in the piece, but because the British & Irish Lions are visiting Australia, we’re probably going to focus on the Australians who have coached in Australia or overseas, they probably deserve the first right of reply.”
Wallabies great Will Genia has issued a ‘come and get me’ plea to AUNZ Invitational XV and First Nations and Pasifika XV, and could feature alongside Beale if he were to be selected.
Meanwhile, Les Kiss has been named as the AUNZ Invitational XV head coach and will be assisted by former All Blacks boss Ian Foster.
READ MORE: Will Genia issues come and get me plea ahead of British and Irish Lions tour
