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Wallabies' starting props celebrating rare link dating back to their fathers' front row days for Manu Samoa

August 23, 2018

Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa’s dads packed scrums for Samoa in the 1991 World Cup.

The Wallabies could be relying on some Manu Samoa power to help them claim a win tomorrow night – even if coach Michael Cheika didn’t realise it.

There was always going to be a reshuffle in the beaten up front row after last week’s 38-13 Sydney shellacking and when the Tongan Thor Taniela Tupou was again ruled out, a couple of Samoan childhood mates were reunited in the starting side.

Scott Sio and Allen Alaalatoa have been named to start in the front row on either side – something their fathers did for Samoa during the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Tavita Sio and Vili Alaalatoa were the props for Samoa’s historic quarter-final run in 1991 and now their sons are continuing the front-rowing partnership for Australia.

Sio admitted it’s a special occasion.

"It's pretty unreal experience for us to be able to link up at Test level," he said.

"For our fathers to do it for Samoa and us to do that for the Wallabies is a huge achievement for both our families."

It’s just the second time it’s happened in Sio and Alaalatoa’s careers – the first was in 2016 against the All Blacks in Sydney when Alaalatoa made his Wallabies debut off the bench.

They’ll be hoping for a different result from that match though, with the All Blacks winning 42-8.

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