Rugby: Ikale Tahi look strong on paper

Sonatane Takalua in action for Tonga against Italy last year. Photo / Getty Images.

The Ikale Tahi have one eye on next month's Rugby World Cup qualifiers but their immediate focus is on creating history in this Friday's Pasifika Challenge against Wales at Eden Park.

Thirteen plays eight in the world rankings, but Tonga, who have assembled a strong-looking squad on paper, have a royal show of toppling Wales for the first time, given the Red Dragons are missing 12 front-liners with the Lions.

Two current Super Rugby players - Crusaders halfback Leon Fukofuka and Highlanders prop Siua Halanukonuka - are in the mix, with the latter due to join the squad tomorrow in Auckland after riding the pine in tonight's franchise clash with the Lions in Dunedin.

There is a plethora of talent and class in the Tongan squad, with veterans such as captain Siale Piutau and loose forward Nili Latu mixing with seasoned campaigners but relative newcomers to the Ikale Tahi such as threequarter Nafi Tuitavake and prop Ben Tameifuna, the latter whom will make his long-awaited test debut on Friday night.

Coach and former Wallaby great Toutai Kefu, the man who caused Wayne Smith to have doubts about his role as All Blacks head coach after his match-winning try in the 2001 Sydney Bledisloe, is assisted by Grant Doorey, who assisted John Kirwan during his tenure at the Blues.

"Ikale Tahi doesn't have a lot of opportunity to play against tier one nations - this is our only tier one test this year - and Tonga have never beaten Wales, so there is an opportunity to create history," says Doorey, in his first campaign with Tonga.

Motivation will be high, especially as this is the key lead-in test match to Pacific Nations Cup/RWC qualifiers fixtures against Samoa and Fiji. The squad is sure to get a rousing homecoming as it will be their first matches in Nuku'alofa in nine years. But time is short to meld players from the UK, France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

"Five days is not a lot of time to prepare for a test match, so it's all about maximising your time together and coming up with a simple game plan," says Doorey.

He does not buy into the theory that Wales are ripe for the plucking.

"They'll be looking at this group of players that may project them forwards to RWC 2023. Some will want exposure for 2019. Guys like Gareth Anscombe, Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert may have been reasonably close to Lions discussions, so we are not underestimating their quality at all," adds Doorey.

Tonga won all three of their November tests against Spain, USA and Italy after a winless 2016 PNC. They will name their match-day 23 tomorrow.