Restless islanders merit World Cup lifeline

We are at that point in the World Cup build-up when kick-off gets closer and
the integrity of the competition, every day, is increasingly compromised.


Early selections are being made for training squads and in many nations,
most glaringly in the Pacific Islands, the question is not so much, “Am I in
the squad?” but more, “Can I afford to be?”

In most sports, players tend to retire after a World Cup.

Rugby union has a
worrying trend of retirements accumulating just before.

Census Johnston, the
Toulouse and (former) Samoa prop, is the case study here.

The island
nations, though,…