Rugby: Rokocoko backs more Pacific clashes

All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko was born in Fiji. Photo / Getty Images

Joe Rokocoko was Fiji's most vociferous supporter among the All Blacks contingent when his homeland drew with Wales last weekend - and now he's making noises about second-tier southern hemisphere nations gaining greater exposure to rugby's elite.

Rokocoko could be heard urging on Fiji across the corridor of the team hotel in Dublin by Keven Mealamu last Friday - and made no apology for disturbing his fellow guests.

"I loved it. I was the loudest," he said.

"It just proves the more games the smaller southern hemisphere nations get over here the better they're going to get."

The Nadi-born wing, capped 68 times by New Zealand, was immensely proud of Fiji's performance in securing a 16-all draw at Millennium Stadium - an outcome inspiring dread in Wales given the All Blacks are looming on Sunday (NZT).

And Rokocoko was also impressed with the efforts of fellow Pacific Islanders Samoa after they held Ireland and England to 10 and 13 point margins respectively on their end of year tour.

"The results have shown in the past few weeks... It used to be a 50-plus score, now it's down 20-plus max and even closer.

"The more these guys get exposed to the bigger teams... They'll get used to the pace of the game, they know what to expect in set pieces at international level."

Fiji and Samoa have developed a habit of embarrassing Wales - Western Samoa, as they were then known, stunned the crowd at the Arms Park when winning 16-13 at the 1991 World Cup; two tournaments later they triumphed 38-31 at Millennium.

In the last World Cup in France, it was Fiji who had the rugby-loving nation mourning when a 38-34 victory in Nantes condemned Wales to exit before the knockout stages.

The Fijians were ultimately upstaged by Tonga, the darlings of the competition, who pushed champions South Africa perilously close before succumbing 25-30. They were also competitive against the other Pool A heavyweight before losing 20-36 to beaten finalists England.

Sadly, since those heroic defeats in 2007 Tonga has been confined to matches against Japan, Samoa, Portugal and Fiji - not the quality of opposition Rokocoko would envisage in a perfect rugby world.

- NZPA