Samu Ruled Ineligible To Face Lions In Mid-week Game

Rugby Australia and nan British and Irish Lions are astatine loggerheads aft Wallaby number 8 Pete Samu was prevented from appearing for nan First Nations and Pasifika XV successful nan upcoming crippled against nan visitors successful Melbourne connected Tuesday.

Samu, who won nan Champions Cup pinch French nine Bordeaux successful May and has 33 Australia caps, was initially named successful nan squad of players pinch First Nations aliases Pacific Island heritage.

But successful a unusual twist, nan backmost statement guardant has been withdrawn from nan crippled arsenic he does not meet nan eligibility criteria.

"We had people hoped he would beryllium playing successful this fixture," said a Rugby Australia spokesperson.

The crippled against nan First Nations and Pasifika XV, coached by erstwhile Australia number 8 Toutai Kefu, was arranged aft nan Lions' first opponents, nan Melbourne Rebels, went retired of business.

According to Lions sources, nan circuit statement stated that each players representing nan First Nations and Pasifika XV had to person played Super Rugby successful 2025.

Samu precocious moved to nan New South Wales Waratahs, aft finishing nan Top 14 play pinch Bordeaux.

"We are pleased pinch nan First Nations and Pasifika XV's mentation for their inaugural lucifer against nan Lions astatine Marvel Stadium connected Tuesday," nan Rugby Australia spokesperson said.

"Pete Samu is simply a weighted personnel of nan Waratahs and has added greatly to nan First Nations and Pasifika squad since entering camp."

Meanwhile, Kefu told nan Sydney Morning Herald he was bewildered by nan Lions stance.

"I still can't judge that they would do it, kick astir it. I suppose it is what it is, but it's other information for our boys," said Kefu, who played 60 times for Australia.

"We're a squad that's conscionable been put together, we're facing a monolithic situation arsenic it is, truthful he [Samu] would person decidedly strengthened us, there's nary uncertainty astir that.

"They must person been worried we were going to win. I don't cognize why they would do it."

The Lions insist Samu has not been blocked, but is simply not eligible for nan match.

"I deliberation it's much nan rules and regulations of what was agreed earlier nan tour," adjunct coach Johnny Sexton said connected Friday.

To adhd to nan confusion, Samu was allowed to play for nan Australia and New Zealand Invitational XV past weekend, a lucifer nan Lions won 48-0.

Over nan play nan Lions will alert successful nan Scottish brace Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland to play against nan First Nations and Pasifika XV successful bid to guarantee nary of nan Test squad person to play doubly successful 5 days.

Scotland winger Darcy Graham has besides been added to nan squad, arsenic has Leinster prop Thomas Clarkson, England hooker Jamie George and Leinster backmost Jamie Osborne, pinch nan Lions squad swelling from 38 players to 44.