Sawt Falasteen - Fiji lead high Pacific island hopes at Rugby World Cup

The Flying Fijians were the last team from the region to make the quarter-finals when they downed Wales in France before losing to eventual champions South Africa in 2007.

No team from the Pacific islands have ever reached the semis.

This will be the first World Cup since new eligibility rules allowed star players from the Pacific islands or any country, but who had represented tier-one teams, to switch to play for their nations of heritage.

That change, combined with the strong form of especially Fiji and Samoa and a lop-sided draw, mean hopes are high that the islanders could make a serious mark on the tournament.

Fiji, who have Wales in their sights again for their opening Pool C game on September 10, are the second-highest ranked team in the bottom half of the draw behind Argentina, with the top five countries in the world rankings on the other side.

They clinched a famous 30-22 victory over England at Twickenham in their final World Cup warm-up game to further raise hopes of a deep run.

Fiji have won four of their five games this year, beating Tonga, Japan and Samoa to win the Pacific Nations Cup in August before losing a friendly to France.

"We are looking forward to a very tough match against Wales," said Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui. "It's going to be a great game."

Fiji are at an all-time high of seventh in the rankings, above all their Pool C rivals -- Australia, Wales, Georgia and Portugal.

Raiwalui took charge of Fiji in February after New Zealander Vern Cotter left seven months before the World Cup.

The Fijians are renowned for their flair with ball in hand, but Raiwalui -- Australia's forwards coach at the 2019 World Cup -- has fine-tuned the pack and improved their playing structure.

"We've been together for seven or eight weeks and you can see the benefits," Raiwalui added.

Toulon centre Waisea Nayacalevu captains a team packed with talent from the leading club competitions in England, France and the southern hemisphere.

"This group of boys is different, the bond we have is quite special. If we want to make history, we have to work hard for each other," said Nayacalevu.

- Samoa plump for Sopoaga -

Samoa have bolstered their World Cup squad with ex-All Blacks in fly-half Lima Sopoaga, loose forward Steven Luatua and prop Charlie Faumuina.

Ex-Australia outside-half Christian Leali'ifano, who played for the Wallabies at the 2019 World Cup, will rival Sopoaga for the Number 10 berth.

Sopoaga, 32, made 16 appearances for New Zealand.

He made his first Test appearance for Samoa in a hard-fought 17-13 defeat by Ireland in a World Cup warm-up.

Samoa hold realistic hopes of reaching the last eight for the first time since 1995, having been drawn against debutants Chile, Japan -- who they beat earlier this year, struggling England and Argentina in Pool D.

- Folau misses out with Tonga -

Tonga sit on the difficult side of the draw and lost all three matches at the 2023 Pacific Nations Cup.

But they have included five former All Blacks and ex-Australia forward Adam Coleman in their squad, although injury ruled out controversial ex-Wallabies star Israel Folau.

Tonga coach Toutai Kefu, a former Australia loose forward, has made the most of the rules allowing capped players to switch allegiance after a stand-down period of three years.

Full-back Charles Piutau, centres George Moala and Malakai Fekitoa -- a 2015 World Cup winner with New Zealand -- plus loose forward Vaea Fifita and scrum-half Augustine Pulu have all played for the All Blacks.

Moala is banned for Tonga's first three games against Ireland, Scotland and South Africa after being sent off in a warm-up win over Canada.

Coleman, whose late father Pau'u Afeaki captained Tonga, can boost the pack, but a knee injury sidelined Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 over a homophobic social media post.

Tonga have never reached the knock-out phase of a World Cup, but Kefu says his squad will bring something original to a very strong Pool B featuring South Africa, Ireland and Scotland.

"This is obviously a different class of side compared to teams we have had in the past and what it enables us to do, it provides us with some massive X-factor," he added.

U.AlSharif--SF-PST