Cook Islands on verge of history

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Cook Islands, ranked No.46 in world rugby and with only 500 registered players, will play the biggest match in their history when they meet Fiji in a knockout qualifier for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on Saturday.

The winner of the match at Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji, will take a place in Pool A at next year’s Cup alongside hosts England, Australia, Wales and a yet-to-be-decided team.

World No.11 Fiji have played in all but one of the seven World Cups since the tournament began in 1987, reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions. The home side can also call on professional players based around the world while the Cook Islands will depend on players who are mostly amateurs or part-time professionals.

“Playing in a Rugby World Cup is every little boy’s dream, and this is our chance to make our dream come true,” said Cook Islands captain Stanley Wright, one of the team’s few full-time pros.

“It’s now or never for the boys and we might not have this chance again so we will give it our best shot. We have never been in this situation before and it’s one game away from playing in the World Cup.”

The Cook Islands, who sit just behind Switzerland in the world rankings, reached the final qualifying match in the Oceania region by beating Papua New Guinea 37-31, the Solomon Islands 39-12 and Tahiti 38-5. Fiji, meanwhile, have to qualify after their early elimination at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Cook Islands got a sense of the magnitude of their task when they watched Fiji in action in recent Pacific Nations Cup matches against Tonga against Samoa; Fiji defeated Tonga 45-17 but lost 18-13 to Samoa.

“The Fijian team are fast, big and they have a very quality team,” Wright, a prop based in France, said. “We have a mountain to climb and it’s like the David and Goliath story.”

Wright was born in the Cook Islands’ capital Raratonga but played in New Zealand for Northland province and Auckland Blues before joining Leinster in Ireland then Stade Francais in France.

The Cook Islands squad also includes center Joel Rapana, who has played for Queensland Reds; hooker Francis Smith, who plays for Tasman in New Zealand’s ITM Cup; and Auckland winger Chay Raui.

Fiji are expected to field a full-strength side including a number of players based in France and New Zealand, but coach John McKee does not expect an easy game.

“There is no such thing as a walk in the park,” McKee said. “For us it is about focusing on our game and about what we need to do in the game that is where we can be very highly motivated.”

France-based winger Sireli Bobo, Fiji’s oldest player at 38, said it would be impossible to understate the importance of Saturday’s match. The winner will likely play the opening match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup against England, in front of 80,000 fans at Twickenham.

“This match is very important for us, even more than the Pacific Nations Cup,” Bobo said. “We can play Tonga and Samoa next year again but this match will make us qualify for the Rugby World Cup in England.”

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Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/story/219807.html

Cook Islands on verge of history