Four Flying Fijians have been named in the Rugby World Cup warm-ups Team of the Week after their impressive 30-22 win over England at Twickenham on Sunday.
Planet Rugby conducted the selection following an action-packed weekend with South Africa and Fiji leading the way in representation.
Fijian Drua winger Selesitino Ravutaumada stole the show in London as the talented flyer assisted two tries in the Pacific Islanders’ first-ever win over England, including the five-pointer that sealed the result.
He evaded eight defenders on the day and gained 82 metres; Ravutaumada is a man to watch during the World Cup.
His performance saw him beat the stellar performances of Damian Penaud, Suliasi Vunivalu, Rodrigo Isgro and Ange Capuozzo to a place in the team.
Inspirational skipper Waisea Nayacalevu was another standout against England.
He scored a key try after the break against the Red Rose and topped the running metres on the day while managing to keep Ollie Lawrence quiet.
Another position where there was no shortage of options, with four notable standouts above the rest in Gregory Alldritt, Jack Dempsey, Tornika Jalagonia and the pick of the lot evergreen number eight Viliame Mata.
Mata was on another level as he put on a show at Twickenham, starring with the ball in hand and on defence. He regularly got over the advantage line, ripping through the English defence, and was robust on defence.
UK-based hooker Sam Matavesi was another hotly contested position and the Fijian powerhouse showed his full box of tricks with some huge carries, brilliant footwork, and accurate lineout throws.
He beat Malcolm Marx, who was outstanding against the All Blacks, while Ireland’s Rob Herring produced a game-changing shift that steered his side to victory.
