Pacific Island shakeup before tour
Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:57
Tongan national coach Quddus Fielea will take over as head coach of the Pacific Islanders team to tour Europe in November, after the withdrawal of Fiji's Ilivasi Tabua.
Pacific Rugby Ltd chairman Keni Dakuidreketi said Tuesday that Tabua had withdrawn for personal reasons.
"The tour demanded significant time on the part of the head coach and his back up staff and in the end Ili decided he was not able to give it his full and total commitment," he said.
Fielea, who led Tonga to a strong showing in last year's World Cup and was appointed as the Pacific Islanders' backline coach, will take over as head coach.
Former Wallaby Glen Ella has been brought in to replace Fielea in his backline role and another Australian, John McKee, has been appointed as specialist skills coach.
The Pacific Islanders - made up of the best players from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa - will play Tests against England, France and Italy in November.
Tabua confirmed that he stood down because of "unforeseen personal circumstances", including time pressures.
"It's a tribute to Ili for making this decision as I know he was looking forward to the challenge of coaching the Pacific Islanders side in Tests against England, France and Italy," Dakuidreketi said.
"Fielea is the head coach of Tonga and no stranger to the pressures of test match rugby," Dakuidreketi said.
AFP/AP
