Tonga name RWC’s oldest team ever for match against Argentina

London – Tonga have named the oldest team in RWC history, with a starting XV whose average age is 31 years and 38 days, for their Pool C match against Argentina at 14:30 on Sunday at Leicester City Stadium.

This beats Samoa’s team against USA on20 September, which had an average age of 31 years and four days.

The team is also Tonga’s most experienced RWC starting XV with 349 caps, beating the record set against Namibia in their previous pool match. The team is the fourth most experienced in Tongan test history.

Coach Mana Otai has made six changes, with Elvis Taoine replacing Aleki Lutui at hooker and Halani ‘Aulika replacing Sila Puafisi at tighthead.

Second -row Tukulua Lokotui takes the place of Hale T-Pole, who picked up a knock against Namibia.

Tonga’s most capped player and skipper Nili Latu (pictured) returns at the expense of double try-scorer Jack Ram, who is not in the match-day 23.

 

Switching wings

In the backs, Tonga’s leading points scorer, Kurt Morath, returns and Latiume Fosita is named in the replacements instead.

Leading Tongan try-scorer Fetu’u Vainikolo also comes in for David Halaifonua, with Telusa Veainu switching wings. 

Soane Tonga’uiha will make his 10th RWC appearance – half of his test caps have come at RWCs. 

Fetu’u Vainikolo is now clear at the top of the list of Tongan try scorers and can extend that record further. Kurt Morath can do the same as Tonga’s all-time test points scorer.

The two players they overtook, Josh Taumalolo (tries) and Pierre Hola (points), only played together twice, against Japan on 4 June 2006 and Samoa on 23 June 2007, despite having test careers that overlapped between 1998 and 2007.

Vungakoto Lilo needs two tries to draw level with Taumalolo as joint-second all-time Tongan try scorer. He will also be starting his 10th RWC match.

Lilo will also become the joint-second most capped Tongan player of all time, drawing level with Elisi Vunipola on 41. Neither player was capped by the Pacific Islanders.