Tonga coach Kefu names Tonga team to face England

Tonga coach Toutai Kefu has named his team for the Pool C match against England at Sapporo Dome on Sunday, 22 September.

Only four players in thie match-day squad (Sanatane Takulua, Kurt Morath, Siale Piutau and Sione Kalamafoni) were in the match-day 23 against New Zealand in their last Rugby World Cup match four years ago.

Flyhalf Morath is currently Tonga's all-time leading points scorer at the Rugby World Cup (73 points) as well as in test rugby (340), no other player in the squad has more than 10.

The veteran first five is on 18 test wins and can equal the record for most wins for Tonga in test matches. Nili Latu Langilangi (19) and Vunga Lilo (19) holding the record for the team.

Sione Kalamafoni, Kurt Morath and Siale Piutau will play their ninth Rugby World Cup match, two shy of the team record being 11 (shared by Soane Tonga'uiha and Vunga Lilo).

Seven from the Starting XV are currently attached to Premiership Rugby sides in England: Siale Piutau (Bristol Bears), Daniel Faleafa and David Halaifonua (Coventry), Sonatane Takulua (Newcastle Falcons), Kurt Morath (Doncaster Knights) Cooper Vuna (Bath Rugby) and Sione Kalamafoni (Leicester Tigers)

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