1
Great seeing 4 rapid rugby names in Tonga's PNC squad. Also great to see Onehunga there as well
Tonga Pacific Nations Cup squad 2019:
FORWARDS
Paea Fa’anunu (Castres), Siegfried Fisi’ihoi (Stade Francais), Toma Taufa (Bayonne)*, Paul Ngauamo (Agen), Elvis Taione (Exeter Chiefs), Sefo Sakalia (Asia Pacific Dragons), Ma’afu Fia (Ospreys), Siua Halanukonuka (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Tameifuna (Racing 92), Leva Fifita (Grenoble), Onehunga Havili (Exeter Chiefs), Sam Lousi (Hurricanes)*, Steve Mafi (Castres), Zane Kapeli (Bay of Plenty), Fotu Lokotui (Kagifa Samoa), Nasi Manu (Benetton Treviso), Sione Vailanu (Saracens), Ma’ama Vaipulu (Castres).
BACKS
Sami Fisilau (Auckland Marist), Leon Fukofuka (Kagifa Samoa), Tane Takulua (Newcastle Falcons), James Faiva (SilverStorm El Salvador)*, Latiume Fosita (Kagifa Samoa), Otumaka Mausia (Auckland)*, Siale Piutau (Bristol Bears), Nafi Tuitavake (Northampton Saints), Viliami Lolohea (Papatoetoe), Afa Pakalani (Eastwood), Cooper Vuna (Bath), Tevita Halaifonua (Coventry), Fetuli Paea (Tasman).
Last edited by volvo; 08-07-19 at 13:45.
Steve Mafi also spent some time here in WA at
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
And Onehunga Havili. Ex Force too.
Elvis Taione has connections with WA rugby doesn't he?
C'mon the
Wiki says he played 6 games for us in 2012 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Taione) although it was from the EPS. We had Nathan Charles and Ben Whittaker as our main hookers that year.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
Sydney will play host to a mouth-watering weekend of World Cup primers after the grand old dame of club rugby, Randwick, secured a blockbuster clash with Argentina on the same day the Wallabies play Samoa at Bankwest Stadium.
The match, the finer details of which are still to be finalised, is earmarked for September 7 in the traditional club rugby time slot of 3pm.
Home away from home: Argentina have developed a close link with Randwick and their Coogee Oval training base.
Home away from home: Argentina have developed a close link with Randwick and their Coogee Oval training base. CREDIT:BROOK MITCHELL
It would set up the prospect of a top-flight double header – albeit on different sides of the city – with the Wallabies hosting Samoa at the new Parramatta venue at 7.45pm.
Randwick hope to stage the match at Coogee Oval but have not yet secured agreement to do so, with groundskeepers usually focused on preparing the seaside venue for the coming cricket season at that time.
Advertisement
The news has left Australia's Pacific Island neighbour and World Cup rival Fiji nonplussed.
Sources told the Herald that the Fiji Rugby Union had offered to play the Pumas anywhere on the east coast on the same weekend as the rising nation looked for a tough primer before they faced Australia in the sides' opening World Cup pool game on September 21.
Flying Fijians: The Pacific Island nation upset France in November last year and beat the Maori All Blacks two weeks ago.
Flying Fijians: The Pacific Island nation upset France in November last year and beat the Maori All Blacks two weeks ago. CREDIT:AP
The potential fixture had even been approved by World Rugby, who approached the UAR on Fiji's behalf, and had interest from promoter Bart Campbell.
Pumas coach Mario Ledesma, who has booked his side in for a two-week pre-World Cup camp in Sydney, made no mention of Fiji's offer in an interview on Wednesday, telling Rugby Australia news site rugby.com.au that the team had considered a clash with the Western Force in Perth but ruled it out because of the extra travel.
Fiji are ranked ninth in the world, one spot ahead of Argentina. The clash would have pitted two rising Test teams against each other in a tough match, something Fiji believed would stand its team in good stead before facing the sixth-ranked Wallabies in Sapporo.
Argentina play France in their World Cup opener in Tokyo on the same day.
The Pumas were contacted for comment.
Randwick, meanwhile, were delighted to secure the game. Galloping Greens and Wallabies great Simon Poidevin said the news was a coup for the proud club, which also hosted the All Blacks in a famous 1988 clash featuring the likes of Michael Cheika, Eddie Jones, David Campese and the Ella brothers for Randwick and John Kirwan and Gary Whetton for New Zealand.
"For the Australian rugby public to have the opportunity to see Argentina close up on the eve of the the World Cup is phenomenal," Poidevin said.
"Argentina finished in the top four in the last World Cup and they're a formidable world power now."
Iconic match: David Campese runs the ball with the All Blacks' John Kirwan in pursuit at Coogee Oval on June 22, 1988.
Iconic match: David Campese runs the ball with the All Blacks' John Kirwan in pursuit at Coogee Oval on June 22, 1988.CREDITYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Ledesma developed close links with the club during his time as an assistant with the Waratahs and Wallabies and deepened the connection when he took over coaching Argentina's Super Rugby team, the Jaguares.
Now under guidance of Gonzalo Quesada, the Jaguares continue to call Coogee home whenever they come to Australia, training at the oval and staying in the nearby Crowne Plaza.
The Pumas have also stayed there this week, opting to use Coogee Oval as their training base before flying to Brisbane on Thursday night ahead of their Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies on Saturday.
The September 7 game could feature Randwick products Ben Donaldson and Will Harrison, who starred for the Junior Wallabies at the Under-20 World Championship in Argentina last month.
There is also the chance Randwick could pick up fringe Wallabies, although the game will also clash with the opening round of the National Rugby Championship.
Bummer! What a great match that would’ve been!
Wonder why Rugby Australia’s journalist felt the need to put that bit in......
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Let's see how the Wallabies perform against the Pumas.
The long sobs of autumn's violins wound my heart with a monotonous languor
I'm tipping the Pumas to win this one.
Randwick pantsed by los Pumas, Wallabies smashed by Samoa a la 2011
The long sobs of autumn's violins wound my heart with a monotonous languor