Samu forced to withdraw from Lions' final midweek match
Wallabies-capped Samu was named in the First Nations & Pasifika XV squad for this game but has now been forced to withdraw.
The Lions were initially scheduled to play the Melbourne Rebels on Tuesday, but the Super Rugby franchise folded last year.
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That meant a replacement opponent for the Lions needed to be found, with Rugby Australia proposing the First Nations & Pasifika XV.
It's understood that the Lions insisted on strict regulations around the players who would be eligible for the game, specifying that they had to have played Super Rugby in 2025.
It's believed that was partly so the First Nations & Pasifika XV squad couldn't load up with international-calibre players from outside Australia, providing the Lions with a bruising challenge when the Test series was already underway.
33-year-old Samu played for Bordeaux in the French Top 14 this season but has signed for the Waratahs ahead of next season.
As such, it was hoped that he might be allowed to feature for the First Nations & Pasifika XV, but he is not eligible according to the regulations for this match on Tuesday.
Samu already played against the Lions for the AUNZ Invitational XV last weekend, with that match subject to different regulations.
News of Samu being forced to withdraw has gone down badly in Australia, given that Lions CEO Ben Calveley expressed concerns about the quality of the opposition in the pre-Test warm-up games soon after the tourists had arrived on Australian soil.
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