1
Israel Folau, Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa headline Tonga squad
Former All Blacks and Wallabies stars Israel Folau, Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa headline the newly-named Tonga squad to compete in July’s Pacific Nations Cup and World Cup qualifier.
ADVERTISEMENT
All three players were included in Toutai Kefu’s 31-man ‘Ikale Tahi squad to face Fiji, Samoa and Australia A in the Pacific Nations Cup, which precedes a World Cup playoff match against either Hong Kong, South Korea or Malaysia.
The inclusion of Folau, Piutau and Fekitoa marks the return to international rugby for all three players under World Rugby’s new eligibility laws introduced on January 1.
Those laws allow test-capped players to represent a second country that they are qualified for via birthright following a three-year stand down from international rugby.
Folau, Piutau and Fekitoa qualify for Tonga under those regulations as all three players have been absent from test rugby for at least four years.
After playing the last of his 73 tests for the Wallabies in November 2018, Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia the following year after he published an Instagram post that said hell awaited “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers” and others.
Since then, the 33-year-old has flitted between rugby union and rugby league, but has found a home for himself at the Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in Japan Rugby League One this year, scoring 10 tries in 12 matches.
ADVERTISEMENT
Folau is expected to start in an all-star ‘Ikale Tahi backline alongside Piutau and Fekitoa, both of whom last played for the All Blacks in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
Piutau and Fekitoa players have starred for their respective clubs since departing New Zealand for the riches of Europe, and will provide Tonga with plenty of star power in a squad that also features former two-test All Blacks halfback Augustine Pulu.
Pulu last played for the All Blacks in 2014, and joins Folau, Piutau and Fekitoa as four of 13 players primed to make their ‘Ikale Tahi debuts.
All but one of the other uncapped players named in the Tonga side are from Moana Pasifika, the new Super Rugby Pacific franchise that has provided Kefu with a total of 13 players in his latest squad.
ADVERTISEMENT
The uncapped Moana Pasifika players in the Tonga squad are props Tau Koloamatangi and Joe ‘Apikotoa, lock Veikoso Poloniati, loose forward Lotu Inisi, halfback Manu Paea, first-five William Havili, and wings Tima Fainga’anuku and Anzelo Tuitavuki.
Koloamatangi, a one-test Hong Kong international, and Inisi were both part of the Tonga squad named to face the All Blacks, Samoa and the Cook Islands last July, but never took to the field.
All of those players are joined by former Highlanders and Chiefs prop Siate Tokolahi, now plying his trade in France for Pau, as the uncapped contingent in the ‘Ikale Tahi squad.
A further five Moana Pasifika players – hooker Sam Moli, loose forwards Solomone Funaki and Sione Tu’ipulotu, midfielder Fine Inisi and wing Solomone Kata – have also been named by Kefu.
Toulon halfback Sonatane Takulua, Bordeaux prop Ben Tameifuna, Highlanders midfielder Fetuli Paea, Scarlets lock Sam Lousi, Harlequins loose forward Viliami Taulani and Pau prop Siegfried Fisiihoi are other notable inclusions in the Tonga set-up.
Other former internationals, such as ex-All Blacks midfielder George Moala, are also now eligible for Tonga selection but haven’t been included in this squad, while more are expected to become available in the coming months.
That could see former Wallabies duo Sekope Kepu and Adam Coleman, as well as ex-All Blacks pair Vaea Fifita and Atu Moli, added to the ‘Ikale Tahi squad for the November test window.
Tonga will open their Pacific Nations Cup campaign against Fiji in Suva on July 3, which will be followed by matches against Samoa and Australia A in Lautoka on July 10 and July 17, respectively.
The ‘Ikale Tahi will then play their World Cup qualifier against the winner of next month’s Asian Rugby Championship in Australia on July 23.
The winner of that playoff match will join South Africa, Ireland, Scotland and Romania in Pool B at next year’s World Cup in France.
Tonga Pacific Nations Cup and World Cup qualifier squad
Loosehead Props: Siegfried Fisiihoi, Tau Kolomatangi, David Lolohea
Hookers: Sam Moli, Siua Maile, Jay Fonokalafi
Tighthead Props: Siate Tokolahi, Ben Tameifuna, Joe ‘Apikotoa
Locks: Sam Lousi, Leva Fifita, Veikoso Poloniati
Loose Forwards: Tanginoa Halaifonua, Viliami Taulani, Lotu Inisi, Solomone Funaki, Sione Tu’ipulotu
Halfbacks: Sonatane Takulua, Augustine Pulu, Manu Paea
First-Fives: William Havili, James Faiva
Midfielders: Malakai Fekitoa, Afusipa Taumoepeau, Fetuli Paea, Fine Inisi
Outside Backs: Solomone Kata, Charles Piutau, Tima Fainga’anuku, Israel Folau, Anzelo Tuitavuki
Comments on RugbyPass
It will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to comments