Caucau joins the Islanders
Tuesday November 14 2006
Other players pressurised by clubsFijian flier Rupeni Caucaunibuca has joined the Pacific Island side as they prepare to play Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Caucau, who has a history of chronic absence from games, missed the match in Cardiff, apparently because he had mislaid his passport when playing for Agen against Gloucester in the Heineken Cup. Agen played Stade Français last weekend but the French Rugby Federation forbade the club to use him..
In the meantime temporary papers have been issued and he will be available to play in Edinburgh.
Getting release of the players from some English and French clubs has not been easy, coach Pat Lam told the Fiji Times. "There was a lot of pressure put on some of the boys to pull out of the tour." But London Wasps and Saracens had been cooperative in releasing players.
Lam said: "Saracens provide four players, including the squad captain, while Wasps ensured that cooperation with his former assistant was outstanding.
"There was a lot of pressure put on the guys.
"In fact, if it wasn't for article 9.4 (an International Rugby Board regulation covering release of international players) then the tour would have been cancelled. "The regulations state that any club persuading a player not to appear for his country will lose the player for the duration of the tour, plus 10 more days.
"They might as well lose the guys for three weeks to us, rather than for five weeks to a ban."
Prop Census Johnstone is out of the tour. He broke a finger against Wales.