Rugby

Five to debut for Flying Fijians

June 30, 2022 12:50 pm

Five players will make their debut for the Vodafone Flying Fijians against Tonga in the opening Pacific Nations Cup round.

Drua stars Isoa Nasilasila,Rusiate Nasove, Vinaya Habosi and Kalaveti Ravouvou are in the starting 15 while Seta Tamanivalu will come off the bench.

Waisea Nayacalevu will lead the side.

Article continues after advertisement

Head Coach Vern Cotter has injected a mixture of young and experienced players who have been in camp for the past two weeks.

Cotter says they need to give players opportunities and at the same time they need to give those who joined camp later time to stimulate what they’ve done and get the feeling of the group.

Looking at the front row, Haereiti Hetet gets the opportunity to start at loose-head prop, Tevita Ikanivere at hooker and Manasa Saulo at tight-head prop.

Young Isoa Nasilasila will earn his first cap at locks with Tevita Ratuva, Mesulame Kunavula at blinside and Rusiate Nasove will wear the number seven jumper while Albert Tuisue wpacks down at number eight.

Halfback Frank Lomani will guide the backline with Teti Tela along with a new midfield combination of Ravouvou and captain Nayacalevu.

Vinaya ‘Bossman’ Habosi and Olympian Jiuta Wainiqolo are on the wings and Setareki Tuicuvu at fullback.

The Flying Fijians will host Tonga at 3:30pm on Saturday at the ANZ Stadium in Suva.

You can watch the match LIVE on FBC Sports.

[Source: Fiji Rugby/ Facebook]