Isitolo Maka announces Tonga’s revamped side for encounter against Canada – Rugby World Cup
The Tongan national Rugby Union team’s head coach, Isitolo Maka, has announced his match day 22 for their upcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) encounter against Canada. Tonga will take on the Canadians at Northland Events Centre, Whangarei, on Wednesday, September 14.
Maka has announced 11 changes in his starting xv as compared to the Tongan lineup which took the field against the All Blacks in the 2011 RWC opener on Friday, September 9 at Eden Park, Auckland. In addition to the change in the players, Maka has also made four changes in the positions of the players.
Finau Maka, Kurt Morath, Siale Piutau and Taniela Moa are the only unchanged players in the squad but their positions have been changed.
Finau Maka will start Wednesday’s game from the number seven position. Kurt Morath and Taniela Moa’s positions are also changed. Morath will start the match at the full back position while Moa will take the field as fly half. Siale Piutau has been moved from the left-winger position to the outside centre position for Wednesday’s encounter against Canada.
The rest of the backs line comprised of new faces. This includes right-winger Fetu'u Vainikolo, inside centre Alipate Fatafehi, left winger William Helu and scrum half Thomas Palu. Palu will form the new half back combination with Taniela Moa, while the duo of Piutau Fatafehi will form the new centre combination.
Tongan opening match winger, Viliame Iongi, has been moved on to the bench, while the rest of the players have been dropped from the match day squad.
In the forward group, besides Tonga captain and flanker Finau Maka, the rest of the lineup has been updated. Four Tongan replacement players for Friday’s encounter against the All Blacks wills start the match in the starting XV.
These players include Ephraim Taukafa, Kisi Pulu, Sione Timani, and Samiu Vahafolau. Taukafa will take the field as hooker, and he will be joined in the front row forwards bunch by Kisi Pulu in the prop position. Samiu Vahafolau will form the flanker pair with the captain Maka, while Sione Timani will take the field in the second row forward position.
The duo of Sione Vaiomounga and Tukulua Lokotui, have been added to the playing squad. The pair will start the match from the flanker and lock position respectively.
The Tongan squad for their upcoming encounter against the Canada consists of,
Tonga: 15 Kurt Morath, 14 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 13 Siale Piutau, 12 Alipate Fatafehi, 11 William Helu, 10 Taniela Moa, 9 Thomas Palu, 8 Samiu Vahafolau, 7 Sione Vaiomounga, 6 Finau Maka (c), 5 Tukulua Lokotui, 4 Sione Timani, 3 Kisi Pulu, 2 Ephraim Taukafa, 1 Alisona Taumalolo.
Replacements: 16 Aloisio Ma'asi, 17 Soane Tonga'uiha, 18 Halani Aulika, 19 Viliami Ma'afu, 20 Sione Kalamafoni, 21 Viliame Iongi, 22 Alaska Taufa.
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