Islanders’ captain fancies Ireland’s Cup chances

SIMON RAIWALUI, the Saracens and Fijian lock, captain of the Pacific Islanders, will be forever grateful for the opportunity to play against Wales, Scotland and Ireland on a whistle-stop tour of northern Europe.

Raiwalui, at 33, is coming to the end of his career, but he still believes there is a place for a united team from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, in fact all of the other islands as well, in the rugby pecking order.

“I think the first thing is that we must concentrate on our own nations, but it’s brilliant to be able to get a team like this together. We have had a good time; it has been a new experience for a lot of the players who have been more used to challenging one another on the pitch. OK, the results didn’t go our way, but with more preparation and more time together, I’m sure the Pacific Islands team could be a force to be reckoned with on future tours,” said Raiwalui.