Those who have got to know Ray Ofisa since he arrived in Connacht five seasons ago know that he usually keeps his own counsel, so when the Samoan offers an opinion it is usually bang on the button.

No surprise then when Niva Ta'auso, his old schoolmate from St Joseph's College in the Samoan capital Apia, contacted him as he weighed up the possibility of moving to the other side of the world in Galway, Ofisa dealt with the most important thing first.

"He laughed and told me I was coming to the rain," recalled Ta'auso this week.

The pair have settled in Galway and have taken to life in the west of Ireland every bit as much as Connacht people have warmed to them.

Both would have been so proud to take to the Sportsground on Tuesday night when Samoa visit Galway but, in a cruel twist, Ofisa and Ta'auso are sidelined for weeks after picking up horror facial and head injuries in Treviso last week.

It is a particularly cruel blow for Ofisa who might have played himself into the reckoning for a World Cup call-up next year, even though he is 30.

That long-shot though is not a prospect for Ta'auso, a few weeks younger than his compatriot, as he played for New Zealand at junior level, following the only really pathway which exists for young Samoans to make it in professional rugby.

Like many of his compatriots in a country where there are no professional structures and Sevens rugby is stronger given the logistics, the dream is to play well enough to get invited abroad.

"I have no regrets about playing for the All-Blacks at junior level. You have to take all your chances. The window opened for me in New Zealand and I was very unlucky not to make it.

"I was really at my peak playing for the junior All-Blacks, but unfortunately injuries meant that it didn't happen for me," he said.

Ta'auso played under-19 and under-21 rugby for Samoa but his call-up to the junior All-Blacks ruled out a return to play at senior for the country of his birth.

"Rugby really is the main sport in Samoa. Both Ray and I were in the same school team when we were young, and we played with St Joseph's College, Apia.

"I played schools rugby for Samoa but I received a scholarship to go and further my education with Wesley College in Pukekohe, New Zealand. I was 18 years old and I went there because it was going to be way easier for me to get to university from there.

"The rugby there was very competitive and I liked that and that is really when I started to take rugby seriously. I got a scholarship but then I didn't really know that the school was that big into rugby, but Jonah Lomu and a few other big stars went through there. And going to a really big rugby school in New Zealand gave me the opportunity to use my rugby talent as well.

"Then I got a contract with Counties in the NPC and after three or four years there I got called up to the Chiefs squad from the second division so that was quite big for me," he said.

A persistent knee injury thwarted further advancement but his career has been revitalised since moving to Connacht where he is now in his third season and is one of the first-choice centres.

"Samoan rugby is really tough. The skill level with all of the Sevens rugby we play is really good but it is very physical.

"It is not very professional at club level but the Sevens side is doing very well at the moment. Their skills are improving all the time and they have some really good trainers helping them out now, which is a real positive for them.

"The local players are improving a lot, but once we get someone good they get offered an overseas contract from Australia or New Zealand or Japan. That is the main problem with Samoan rugby: we have so many good players but it is not professional. Players don't get paid there and players have families that they have to look after. There is a lot of pressure on them, but also on the rugby union as well," said Ta'auso.

He knows that he will not play for Samoa again unless the IRB change the laws. But while red tape stops him for playing for Samoa, a clash of heads has stopped him from playing against them as he nurses a fractured eye socket and cheekbone.

"It's a huge disappointment for Razor [Ofisa] and myself but injuries are part and parcel of this game and you just have to deal with them," said Ta'auso, who is still looking forward to meeting up with his compatriots on Tuesday evening even if he can't go into battle with or against them.

Tour game: Connacht v Samoa, Sportsground, Tuesday, 7.05, Live, RTÉ Two, 7.00

Test match: Ireland v Samoa, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 2.30, Live, RTÉ Two, 2.00