England will see someone familiar faces lined up against them in the World Cup curtain-raiser on September 18th. Fiji named five British-based players to their 31 man squad, the BBC reports.
The most notable absence particularly for Brits who watch Premiership rugby will be Seremaia Bai, 36, a veteran of 49 tests, who ply’s his trade in England with Leicester Tigers. Bai was only named as an injury reserve. Tigers team-mate winger Vereniki Goneva was included.
Fiji will play in group A with Hosts England and Wales as well as Australia and Uruguay. Fiji included Ospreys centre Josh Matavesi who be a familiar face to some of the welsh line up. Montpellier flanker Akapusi Qera will captain the team that also has two Fijian-based amateurs.
Coach John McKee was confident in his selection “With this talented group of rugby players, fiercely proud of representing their country, I believe we have a team of players who will bring their best game to the biggest contest in international rugby,” McKee said.
“After the successful Pacific Nations Cup campaign and current training camp here in Fiji the squad is working well towards the challenges ahead.”
Fiji- ranked 9th in the world are the highest ranked pacific nation going into the World Cup. Qera and company will go in on a high after beating Samoa to the Pacific Nations Cup.
