The Toa Samoa took a day off from training yesterday ahead of Saturday’s historical test match against the Fiji Bati at Apia Park.

The players used the opportunity to do some shopping in town, swim in the crystal clear waters of To Sua and truly experience Samoa.

At the Return to Paradise Resort where the team is staying, the Samoa Observer caught up with Head Coach, Matt Parish, Team Manager, Andrew Farrar, and the management team.

While the players were out, they spent the day strategically preparing for the match. 

One obstacle they are working on dealing with is the high level of humidity that may affect the player’s performance. 

Farrar said they have had to take into account the effect of the tropical climate and how that will impact on the kind of game plan they wish to use.

“The team needs to acclimatize themselves for Saturday’s game because kick off is at 4:30 and it’s going to be pretty hot,” he said. 

“They have to get used to playing in this heat.”

Since the entire Toa Samoa team is based overseas, most of them may not be used to the hot Samoan sun.  

Therefore, the team has been heavily training during the hottest part of the day at Apia Park to adjust to the heat. 

Even with a well deserved day off, the preparations for the match is coming along well and management is leaving no stone unturned. 

“So far, so good,” Farrar said.

The Toa Samoa team will be in front of the Samoa Tourism Authority Village today to have a meet and greet with fans at 4p.m.