24 years in 140 characters: Absent in 91 and joined 100 club against England in 99, but pushed the Boks in 07 before dyeing their hair green in a futile quest for bucks (140)
Record in 2011: P6 W4 L2
Coach: Isitolo Maka
Captain: Finau Maka
World Cup record:
1987: Pool Stages
1991: Did not qualify
1995: Pool Stages
1999: Pool Stages
2003: Pool Stages
2007: Pool Stages
How are they likely to get on?
The plaudits went to Fiji in 2007 for reaching the quarter-finals, but Tonga were perhaps more consistent, giving every game their best shot and giving South Africa a right scare in the pool. This time, might they sacrifice the New Zealand game, the tournament's curtain-raiser, in order to put everything into what follows, including game four, against France in Wellington. If Finau Maka, a winner of all major club trophies with Toulouse, Taufa'ao Filise of the Cardiff Blues and Fetu'u Vainikolo, now on the Connacht wing, are still up and running in October it will be a contest to relish. No reason to suppose they won't be – Tonga usually end in credit in the pain market.
Key player: Soane Tonga'uiha of Northampton, one single large reason to suppose that Tonga will be no pushover at the scrum and no mere collection of lively counter-attackers with the ball. Not that he can't shift, mind you.
Commentator's kit: In 2007, after a donation to team funds from a firm of Irish bookmakers, the flanker Epi Taione announced that he would change his name to Paddy Power for the duration of the tournament. Fearing ambush marketing, the IRB stopped him doing so.
Squad
Halani Aulika, prop, age 28, caps 2
Taufa'ao Filise, prop, age 34, caps 15
Kisi Pulu, prop, age 33, caps 23
Sona Taumalolo, prop, age 29, caps 4
Soane Tonga'uiha, prop, age 29, caps 8
Aleki Lutui, hooker, age 33, caps 30
Ilaisa Ma'asi, hooker, age 29, caps 7
Ephraim Taukafa, hooker, age 35, caps 30
Paino Hehea, second-row, age 32, caps 16
Sione Kalamafoni, No8, age 23, caps 14
Tukulua Lokotui, second-row, age 31, caps 5
Joe Tuineau, second-row, age 30, caps 4
Vilami Ma'afu, No8, age 29, caps 5
Finau Maka (c), flanker, age 34, caps 5
Sione Timani, second-row, age 27, caps 4
Samiu Vahafolau, flanker, age 33, caps 10
Sione Vaiomo'unga, flanker, age 22, caps 7
Taniela Moa, scrum-half, age 26, caps 2
Kurt Morath, fly-half, age 26, caps 9
Tomasi Palu, scrum-half, age 24, caps 3
Suka Hufanga, centre, age 29, caps 22
Andrew Ma'ilei, centre, age 31, caps 18
Alaska Taufa, wing, age 28, caps 5
William Helu, wing, age 25, caps 7
Viliami Iongi, full-back, age 22, caps 6
Siale Piutau, centre, age 25, caps 2
Fetu'u Vainikolo, wing, age 26, caps 2
Vunga Lilo, full-back, age 28, caps 21
Alipate Fatafehi, centre, age 26, caps 7
Samisoni Fisilau, scrum-half, age 23, caps 7
Average age 28.3
Average caps 10
