France vs Fiji rugby squad with 11 Top 14 players, Digi Mart USA News (Lyon, France): Eleven of the 23 Fijian players selected to face France on Saturday at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon play in the French Top 14 championship, nine of them as starters. Fiji coach Jake White has assembled a squad that is heavily familiar with French rugby.
Behind the scenes, French fans will be on familiar ground. Lyon’s Jiuta Wainiqolo, the top try scorer of the last Top 14 season with 18 tries, will play on one wing.
Racing 92’s Selestino Ravutaumada will be on the other wing, while Bordeaux’s Salesi Rayasi starts at fullback.
In the center, Racing 92’s Vinaya Habosi will partner Iosefo Masi of Lyon Olympique Universitaire (LOU). Wainiqolo will also reunite with a Lyon teammate, Mickaël Guillard, while the second row promises interesting collisions.
The most notable inclusion is Nathan Hughes. At 35, the Racing 92 flanker will make his first appearance for Fiji after earning 22 caps for England.
He will start at number 8.
Simione Kuruvoli, now at Vannes, will direct play alongside young fly-half Isikeli Rabitu. Captain Tevita Ikanivere will handle the lineouts, while the pack will need to compete with France’s forwards in the set-piece battle.
On the bench, Jake White can count on Peceli Yato of Perpignan and Sireli Maqala of Bayonne, both accustomed to the demands of the French championship. Ben Volavola, also on the bench, will bring his experience at fly-half.
This familiarity with French rugby is an advantage for the visitors. The Fijians know the individual qualities of many French players but must contain a reunited Dupont-Ntamack halfback partnership.
With so many Top 14 players on the pitch, the contests may at times resemble a Saturday afternoon league match, except that this time the national jersey replaces the club colors.
