Rugby World Cup

The Flying Fijians arrived in Abashiri City over the weekend and got their final intense fitness training session in on Saturday ahead of a rest day on Sunday.

"We really went really hard and intensively one of our last really big physical days before the test match," John McKee said.

Mckee said he was pleased with their preparations for the tournament so far and this final week is all about the Wallabies.

"Just working through our clarity and making sure the players really know our gameplan inside-out," he said.

The hosts have named Asaeli Valu,  Uve Helu, Amanaki Lelei Mafi,  William Tupou,  Ataata Moeakiola, Lemeki Romano and Nakajima Isileli.

Mafi received minor injuries in their warm up match against South Africa but was given the green light for the RWC.

The powerful No.8 and and flying wing Kenki Fukuoka were both forced from the field, leaving head coach Joseph with some headaches ahead of his side's Pool A opener against Russia in Tokyo on Sept. 20.

The veteran loose forward returned from a calf injury to play his first test of the year in Australia’s final pre-World Cup hit out against Samoa in Sydney last weekend, an encouraging sign as Pocock embarks on a third World Cup campaign.

He also led the side in place of fellow openside flanker Michael Hooper, who was rested.

Samoan-born Tuilagi is among a number of players with overseas heritage who are looking to repeat the heroics of Martin Johnson’s 2003 Webb Ellis Trophy winners by sweeping all before them in Japan.

Also represented to varying degrees are Fiji, Tonga, Nigeria and the United States, while Lewis Ludlam’s background is a mix of Guyanese, Palestinian and Egyptian. “I definitely think it helps. There’s a lot of different backgrounds in the team,” Tuilagi said.

Lam has played a total of 35 international test matches, making him the second highest coming behind  Tusi Pisi who has played a total of 37 matches.

Lam was one of the two players that were called back for a last minute fitness test before flying out to Japan.

He was replaced  late in the first half of Saturday's 34-15 defeat by Australia in Parramatta after taking a knock to the eye while attempting to tackle Sekope Kepu, with Malolua following suit a couple of minutes later after dislocating his shoulder.

However, Lam passed the test.

The World Cup bolter profited from Ben Te’o’s shock exclusion from Eddie Jones’ squad for Japan 2019 to claim one of the four centre spots, his ability to cover all three midfield positions adding to his value.

But prior to this summer’s series of warm-up matches, the little-heralded 29-year-old had won only four caps and three of those came as a replacement.

As a teenager he was cut from the Saracens academy, galvanising him to travel to New Zealand in the hope that the most thorough rugby education possible would realise his ambition of becoming a professional.

Twice before have Fiji progressed to the knockout rounds of rugby’s showpiece event, first in the inaugural tournament in 1987, before again making the quarter-finals in the 2007 edition. There were no such celebrations four years ago in England, however, as John McKee’s side picked up just one win and finished fourth in their pool, a pool that is not too different to the one they face in Japan over the next month.

The Fijian born quartet of Isi Naisarani, Samu Kerevi. Marika Koroibete and Tevita Kuridrani are  likely to be in the Wallabies team against Fiji a the Sapporo Dome on September 21 and Nakarawa recognises it could be an unwanted distraction.

However, the Racing 92 lock who won a  Sevens gold medal at the Rio Olympics, told the FijiSun: “Other Fijians play for other countries for their own personal reasons. We don’t want to think or are bothered about them. We want to focus on what we can do and tasked to achieve at the World Cup.

Malolua made his test debut in Saturday's 34-15 defeat by the Wallabies in Parramatta but was substituted just before half-time after dislocating his shoulder, with replacement halfback Dwayne Polataivao scoring two tries in the second half.

"We're all gutted for Scott," said Manu Samoa head coach Steve Jackson. "He was playing some good rugby but we all understand that this is the nature of our game.

Flanker Lam was replaced before late in the first half of Saturday's 34-15 defeat by Australia in Parramatta after taking a knock to the eye while attempting to tackle Sekope Kepu, with Malolua following suit a couple of minutes later after dislocating his shoulder.

Head coach Steve Jackson said Malolua's shoulder was popped back in by the team's medical staff, but he remained their biggest injury concern before hopping on the plane to Tokyo tomorrow morning.