Vaea Fifita goes to Perth with the All Blacks despite the death of her brother

Striker Vaea Fifita travels with her team to Perth for Bledisloe I, despite the death of her younger brother, Albert John 'AJ'. Mapa, in a river accident in the United States.

Coach Steve Hansen confirmed, prior to Auckland's departure for Perth on Saturday morning, that Fifita was part of a reduced street contingent, along with fellow striker Luke Jacobson and the young five-eighth Josh Ioane (an addition to the team for development purposes). both were excluded because of concussion symptoms.

"Obviously, you have all heard the news of Vaea," said Hansen before taking the flight to Perth, at Auckland Airport. "It's incredibly sad that his brother is pbading in. We convey our condolences to his family, but he travels and we will bypbad him."

US media reported the death of Fifita's brother, Mapa, who drowned in the Provo River in Utah last Saturday. His funeral was scheduled to take place in Utah this weekend.

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According to ABC News, MPs from the Utah County Sheriff's Office said Mapa had jumped off a bridge but had never pulled it out of the river. The search and rescue teams found his body more than three hours later.

Fifita posted a personal message to his brother on his social networks. "I can not believe you're gone little brother, it hurts so much," he says. "You have been called by God to be with him, although it is difficult and we struggle to understand why you had to leave so young, but I know you are in a better place, I miss you so much, man," says it on Twitter.

The Mapa family told ABC that he had just returned from a mission to Tonga for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October. They said that he had an impact on many lives and that he had always put a smile on someone's face.

"If people were singing, he would just intervene, but he would deliberately mess around to get everyone's attention, he would start dancing, even when no one else would dance, so laugh at people or bring people to smile. " , "his brother, Ben Mapa, told the network.

The question of whether Fifita will be in the All Blacks standings in Perth this week is another matter. There is a place to fill in the second row after Brodie Retallick's dislocated shoulder, although Scott Barrett has returned from his hand injury to eventually get in if needed. Patrick Tuipulotu is the second possibility of starting second row.

It might have been thought that Fifita would start on the side of the blind side, although his best chance of being in Bledisloe's first game would likely have been a reserve, covering both the second row and sixth place. The All Blacks also have Barrett and Jackson Hemopo who can take on this role.

Hansen said that no replacement bulk attacker would be called to cover Jacobson who had detected symptoms of "mysterious head shot". The coach confessed his concern in the light of the concussions suffered by the brutal forward forward in recent years.

"We have enough players," added the All Blacks coach. "That's why we took the big team." Obviously, there are some concerns [about Jacobson]. It's like all concussions, you just have to take your time and when they're ready to play and train you bring them back. "

Hansen said that it was not known how Jacobson had raised his last problem. He suffered a prolonged concussion that excluded him from play for eight months, from 2018 to 2019, and also missed the Super Bowby Chiefs' last five games of the season with another blow to the head.

"We are not sure with Lukey, he does not remember anything, but he has already had a concussion, maybe it's a form that has decided to come back, we'll take our time with him and we'll let's sort and go from there. "

Ioane, who had been called into the team as an extra player to continue developing his game, was hit in the lead during the pre-season 54-19 Otago defeat against Tasman in Nelson.

It is hoped that both players will join the All Blacks team in Auckland for the second try of the Bledisloe Cup against the Wallabies, which will immediately follow the match against Perth.