Rauluni set to skipper Islanders

Saracens scrum-half Mosese Rauluni has been confirmed as captain of the Pacific Islands for their forthcoming Tests against England, France and Italy.

Rauluni, who led Fiji to the quarter-finals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, will be supported by the dynamic Tongan loose-forward Nili Latu as vice-captain.

The Pacific Islands come together every two years and are embarking on a third tour since 2004 - but they are still chasing a first Test victory.

The three island nations boast a rich tradition of hard-hitting and free-running rugby but they only came together as a team in London last night.

Pacific Islands head coach Quddus Fielea said: "The rugby we play will be simple - we will run, tackle, play direct and go hard at them.

"It is a huge task but we can make our dreams come true if we stick to our game plan."

And what the islanders lack in preparation, tour manager and former Fijian prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka demanded they make up for in commitment.

"We represent many people but it doesn't matter where we come from. We stand together as Pacific Islanders," said Rabuka.

"Pacific Island nations provided the energy and the spark of the Rugby World Cup in France and we now have the opportunity to build on this tradition."

Fiji beat Wales to reach the knock-out stages of the World Cup last autumn and gave South Africa a scare in their quarter-finals, while both Tonga and Samoa proved bruising opponents in England's pool.