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MONTPELLIER - Fiji have questioned the fairness of the World Cup draw as former countryman Lote Tuqiri today urged big teams to play more tests against the rugby-mad island nations.
It's a poor reflection on Australia's relationship with Fiji that the Wallabies have played just two tests against their Pacific neighbours in the past 22 years.
Wallaby winger Tuqiri, on guard for the flamboyant Fijians to pull out some "freaky" play against Australia on Sunday, said tier-one nations had a duty to grow the game by playing low-ranked teams more regularly.
Tuqiri strongly opposed moves for a reduction of teams in the World Cup, which could cost Tonga, Fiji and Samoa a place in the tournament.
He said there was too much history, flair and pride in the islanders to lose them and called for more support of tier-two and three nations.
"You'd hate to lose any of them (the minnows) really," Tuqiri said.
"You've had Georgia and Namibia playing well against Ireland so there's a case for that.
"I think they have just got to play a lot more tier-one nations, whether or not that brings in gate receipts I don't know.
"If you want the standard of world rugby to go up you need to play against the lesser lights, at the moment and I think that's the only way to go."
Tuqiri went in to bat for the country of his birth as the Fijians were voicing disapproval at the Cup draw, which favours the top teams.
Most of the heavyweight teams get to play all their pool matches on weekends, allowing longer preparations, while the lower-ranked sides have to back up within four or five days.
Veteran five-eighth Nicky Little will be among a number of top-line Fijians rested from Sunday's pool B clash with Australia after playing Japan and Canada back-to-back.
"It's been quite hard playing these two games in (four) days," Little said.
"I wasn't impressed with that but tier-two nations like us have to take it on the chin.
"I'd like to see all the teams in the World Cup do it, but that's an office job that needs to be sorted out by the officials."
Despite the draw and the prospect of facing a second-string side, Tuqiri warned his Wallabies teammates to expect a difficult encounter at Stade de la Mosson.
The Sigatoka-born winger, who turns 28 on match day, captained Fiji in the Rugby League World Cup as a 21-year-old in 2000.
"Knowing the Fijian psyche a bit, they love playing against the bigger nations and playing well against them," Tuqiri said.
"Fiji are always unpredictable. It's whether they turn up (mentally) and I think they'll turn up for this one.
"We've just got to watch that they don't come up with anything too freaky or anything else, because you can't give them too much of a sniff.
"I certainly know from playing on that side of the fence that if you get a bit of a sniff, get a bit of a roll on, you start trying things and they come off."
Tuqiri is hoping his good form against the Fijians continues after he scored two tries in the 49-0 win over them in Perth in June.
That test was the first in nine years between the teams who played seven from 1976-1985.
- AAP
