Island strife frustrates Fa'atau

ONE OF the superstars of Southern Hemisphere rugby signed for Glasgow last year but then concocted a disappearing act that was worthy of Harry Houdini. All but the keenest Warrior watcher would have been forgiven for not even noticing the arrival of the Samoan speedster Lome Fa'atau on their doorstep.

The winger is one of the game's genuine quick men who, along with Thom Evans, gives Glasgow an abundance of pace out wide. He was the top try scorer in the 2006 Super 14 when the Samoan's nine touchdowns propelled the Wellington Hurricanes into the final where they were beaten by the Crusaders.

Things have not gone quite so smoothly in Scotland. At one point during the interview, Fa'atau claims to suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in his new country, which would at least explain a debut season he'll want to forget.

He was dropped from Glasgow's run-on XV and he suffered a hamstring injury which further restricted his appearances. The scourge of Southern Hemisphere defences managed just three tries for Glasgow, the same number as prop forward Moray Low, albeit in far fewer outings. The quietly spoken Fa'atau offers some interesting thoughts on exactly why he underachieved last year, with 18 months of uninterrupted rugby high on his list.

"I had a self-assessment and I was not happy with how last season went," says the islander. "I felt like I went from the Super 14 to the Pacific Six Nations to the World Cup and then to Glasgow right through with no break."

In the course of the interview, Fa'atau claims, "Scotland looks like New Zealand" but he quickly discovered that the similarities ended there. The flyer had to adjust to new team-mates, miserable weather and a whole new approach to the game that he had only come to late in life after playing basketball in his formative years. The man who was famed as one of the slickest finishers in the Super 14 found himself playing outside a kicking fly-half on the narrowest pitch to be found in professional rugby; little wonder that the winger accustomed to the pace and space of Super rugby found it hard to settle.

"Glasgow want to play a wide-wide running game," says the Samoan, "but the only time we can really do that is when we play away from home in places like Munster where the track (pitch] is wide. We don't get that at Firhill but we have to make do with what we've got."

There is another reason to explain why Fa'atau looked a little ordinary for Glasgow, although it's not one that will win him many friends. Asked what he thought was the single biggest difference between Glasgow Rugby and Wellington Hurricanes, the winger offered this: "If I'm honest it would be in the skill level and the whole professional set-up. It's a bit different from back home." In case you are confused, he is not suggesting that the Scots are light years ahead.

When asked whether he would like to expand on his chosen subject, the Samoan backs off. "I might already have dug myself into a hole."

And so he might, but a quick look at the Hurricanes roster should buy him a little sympathy, even from offended Glasgow team-mates. For most of his career Fa'atau played outside one of the greats of the modern game in Tana Umaga, who he lists as one of the biggest influences on his life. The very mention of the name is enough to have the notoriously laid back Samoan more animated than usual, transforming from half asleep to half awake in typical Pacific Island style.

"You've got guys like Tana, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith. Anyone would be spoilt playing outside of those guys. I say 'spoilt' but I was happy to be there to finish off for them because those guys did all the hard yards and made me look good!"

Little wonder that Glasgow's inside backs pale a little in comparison and the winger underlines the problem by complaining about colleagues whose idea of picking an angle is to run sideways across the field and eat into what little space Firhill affords him.

"There are great players here but in terms of skill levels there is a big difference. Trying to get the ball from left to right is probably a bit more difficult than it was back home."

This is said with a smile on his face but it is a damning comment on the state of Scottish back play. Fa'atau plays on the right wing and right-handed players find it more difficult to pass that way off their weaker left hands, especially at pace. It's a tricky skill but a vital one that should have been acquired at youth rather than pro-team level and at one point Glasgow's imported winger argues: "It doesn't matter how narrow the (Firhill] pitch is if we run better lines."

After a difficult debut season, the winger has looked in fine fettle for Glasgow this year, especially against the Scarlets when he manufactured a try from thin air with a clever little chip and chase, allied to his trademark pace which looks undiminished even as he approaches 33.

At what is a relatively advanced age for a winger, he may not get another chance to represent his country after stepping back from Test rugby to concentrate on helping Glasgow, a strange decision from a proud Samoan who flaunts his ancestry with traditional tattoos (pa'e) on his torso and legs. The Heineken Cup may be his last chance for one last hurrah so just how does the competition compare to the Super 14?

"It's a massive step up compared to the Magners League," Fa'atau says of Europe's showpiece event. "You not only play the best Welsh and Irish teams but you are up against the best from (continental] Europe and from England.

"Watching some of those games on TV you can see what a high level they play at. It is definitely closer to Super 14 level if not the same level."

Glasgow did well in last year's competition, beating Biarritz at home and coming close to a famous upset over the same opposition in France. They were still mathematically in with a chance of qualifying for the last eight going into their final pool match against Saracens but the last step up the ladder proved the most difficult. Can they go one better this time out?

"We had a really good pre-season in France," counters the ever-optimistic winger, "and the most important thing that came out of that was belief. We definitely have the players and we definitely have the game, we proved last week that we can throw the ball about and score tries, so the onus is on us. We know we have the potential, it's just a matter of putting it onto the paddock now."

As well as belief, Glasgow would do their Heineken cause no harm at all by manufacturing some space for their Samoan flyer; although that presumes that his team-mates are still passing him the ball.