2008 Pacific Islanders rugby union tour of Europe

The 2008 Pacific Islanders rugby union tour of Europe was a series of test matches played by the Pacific Islanders team in England, France, and Italy during November 2008.

2008 Pacific Islanders rugby union tour of Europe
Summary	P W D L
Total	03 01 00 02
Test match	03 01 00 02
Opponent	P W D L
England	1 0 0 1
France	1 0 0 1
Italy	1 1 0 0

The team lost the first two test matches against England and France, but won the final test against Italy.

The head coach for the tour was former Tongan player Quddus Fielea, after Ilivasi Tabua withdrew from the tour. The captain for the tour was Fijian Mosese Rauluni while the vice-captain was Tongan Nili Latu.

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Tani Fuga Hooker Samoa Sunia Koto Hooker Fiji Aleki Lutui Hooker Tonga Tonga Leaʻaetoa Prop Tonga Census Johnston Prop Samoa Kas Lealamanua Prop Samoa Kisi Pulu Prop Tonga Justin Va'a Prop Samoa Paino Hehea Lock Tonga Kele Leawere Lock Fiji Filipo Levi Lock Samoa Hale T-Pole Lock Tonga Nili Latu (vc) Flanker Tonga Semisi Naevo Flanker Fiji George Stowers Flanker Samoa Viliami Vaki Flanker Tonga Sisa Koyamaibole Number 8 Fiji Finau Maka Number 8 Tonga

Player Position Union Sililo Martens Scrum-half Tonga Mosese Rauluni (c) Scrum-half Fiji Seremaia Bai Fly-half Fiji Pierre Hola Fly-half Tonga Seilala Mapusua Centre Samoa Seru Rabeni Centre Fiji Epi Taione Centre Tonga Vilimoni Delasau Wing Fiji Napolioni Nalaga Wing Fiji Sailosi Tagicakibau Wing Samoa Kameli Ratuvou Fullback Fiji Gavin Williams Fullback Samoa

Two further players were originally included in the squad Sireli Bobo and Soane Tongaʻuiha; Bobo later became unavailable, and Tongaʻuiha withdrew from the tour.

Results

England

8 November 2008

England	39–13	Pacific Islanders
Tries: Sackey (2), Cipriani, Kennedy, Mears Con: Cipriani (4) Pen: Cipriani (2)	Report	Tries: Rabeni Con: Hola Pen: Hola, Bai

Twickenham, London Attendance: 55,427 Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)

Team details

FB 15 Delon Armitage RW 14 Paul Sackey OC 13 Jamie Noon IC 12 Riki Flutey LW 11 Ugo Monye FH 10 Danny Cipriani SH 9 Danny Care N8 8 Nick Easter OF 7 Tom Rees BF 6 Tom Croft RL 5 Nick Kennedy LL 4 Steve Borthwick TP 3 Matt Stevens HK 2 Lee Mears LP 1 Andrew Sheridan Substitutes: PR 16 Dylan Hartley HK 17 Phil Vickery LK 18 Tom Palmer FL 19 James Haskell FL 20 Michael Lipman SH 21 Harry Ellis FH 22 Toby Flood FB 15 Kameli Ratuvou RW 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau OC 13 Seru Rabeni IC 12 Seilala Mapusua LW 11 Vilimoni Delasau FH 10 Pierre Hola SH 9 Mosese Rauluni N8 8 Finau Maka OF 7 Nili Latu BF 6 Semisi Naevo RL 5 Kele Leawere LL 4 Filipo Levi TP 3 Census Johnston HK 2 Aleki Lutui LP 1 Justin Va'a Substitutions: HK 16 Sunia Koto PR 17 Kisi Pulu LK 18 Hale T-Pole FL 19 George Stowers SH 20 Sililo Martens FH 21 Seremaia Bai CE 22 Epi Taione

France

15 November 2008

France	42–17	Pacific Islanders
Tries:Tillous-Borde, Szarzewski, Heymans, Picamoles, Medard Con: Skrela (4) Pen: Skrela (3)	Report	Tries:Taione Pen: Bai (4)

Stade Auguste Bonal, Montbéliard Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Team details

FB 15 Maxime Médard RW 14 Julien Malzieu OC 13 Yannick Jauzion IC 12 Benoit Baby LW 11 Cédric Heymans FH 10 David Skrela SH 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde N8 8 Imanol Harinordoquy OF 7 Thierry Dusautoir BF 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo RL 5 Lionel Nallet LL 4 Romain Millo-Chulski TP 3 Nicolas Mas HK 2 Dimitri Szarzewski LP 1 Lionel Faure Substitutes: HK 16 Benjamin Kayser PR 17 Benoit Lecouls LK 18 Sébastien Chabal N8 19 Louis Picamoles SH 20 Sebastien Tillous-Borde FH 21 Damien Traille FB 22 Alexis Palisson Pacific Islanders: FB 15 Gavin Williams RW 14 Napolini Vonowale-Nalaga OC 13 Seru Rabeni IC 12 Epi Taione LW 11 Vilimoni Delasau FH 10 Seremaia Bai SH 9 Mosese Rauluni N8 8 Nili Latu OF 7 Sisa Koyamaibole BF 6 Hale T-Pole RL 5 Kele Leawere LL 4 Paino Hehea TP 3 Kisi Pulu HK 2 Tani Fuga LP 1 Kas Lealamanua Substitutions: HK 16 Sunia Koto PR 17 Census Johnston LK 18 Filipo Levi FL 19 Viliami Vaki SH 20 Sililo Martens FB 21 Kameli Ratuvou CE 22 Seilala Mapusua

Italy

22 November 2008

Italy	17–25	Pacific Islanders
Tries: Ghiraldini 16' c Mauro Bergamasco 65' c Con: Marcato (2) Pen: Marcato 6'	Report	Tries: Delasau 3' c, 29' m Ratuvou 40' c Con: Bai (2) Pen: Bai 18', 42'

Stadio Giglio, Reggio Emilia Attendance: 13,595 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Team details

Italy: FB 15 Andrea Masi RW 14 Kaine Robertson OC 13 Mirco Bergamasco IC 12 Gonzalo Garcia LW 11 Matteo Pratichetti FH 10 Andrea Marcato SH 9 Pietro Travagli N8 8 Sergio Parisse OF 7 Mauro Bergamasco BF 6 Josh Sole RL 5 Marco Bortolami LL 4 Tommaso Reato TP 3 Carlos Nieto HK 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini LP 1 Matias Aguero Substitutes: HK 16 Fabio Ongaro PR 17 Andrea Lo Cicero PR 18 Salvatore Perugini N8 19 Alessandro Zanni SH 20 Pablo Canavosio FB 21 Luke McLean CT 22 Gilberto Pavan Pacific Islanders: FB 15 Kameli Ratuvou RW 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau OC 13 Seilala Mapusua IC 12 Epi Taione LW 11 Vilimoni Delasau FH 10 Seremaia Bai SH 9 Sililo Martens N8 8 Sisa Koyamaibole OF 7 Nili Latu BF 6 Viliami Vaki RL 5 Paino Hehea LL 4 Filipo Levi TP 3 Kisi Pulu HK 2 Tani Fuga LP 1 Justin Va'a Substitutions: HK 16 Sunia Koto PR 17 Tonga Leaʻaetoa FL 18 Semisi Naevo LK 19 Hale T-Pole CE 20 Seru Rabeni FB 21 Gavin Williams SH 22 Mosese Rauluni

See also

• 2008 end-of-year rugby union tests