‘Ikale Tahi has named its team, featuring eight new caps, to face Scotland on Saturday, October 30, at BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, kicking off at 2:30pm.

Half-back, Sonatane Takulua will captain the team.

New caps include backs Vaea Vaea and ‘Atunaisa Manu who came through the Sevens programme in Monaco this year. Other debutants are Loni Uhila, Setofano Funaki, Tanginoa Halaifonua, Toma Taufa, Maile Ngauamo, and Navaree Haisila.

The game against Scotland is the first on the 'Ikale Tahi's spring tour of the Northern Hemisphere. They will take on England on November 6, followed by playing the French Barbarians on November 13, and ending the tour with a game against Romania on November 20.

Tonga has beaten Scotland once 21-15 in 2012, and the last time they played in 2014, Scotland won 37-12.

Meanwhile, Australian rugby player of Tongan heritage, Sione Tuipulotu, has been selected on the Scotland team to face Tonga. According to Glasgow Warriors rugby, Sione qualified for Scotland through his grandmother Jaqueline Thomson, who was born in Greenock.

Sione played for the Melbourne Rebels and was part of the Australian squad for the World Rugby U20 Championships from 2015 - 2017. He moved to Scotland after a stint in Japan and was named in the Scotland squad for the 2021 summer tour.

'Ikale Tahi team:

Scotland team to face Tonga: Darcy Graham; Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Sam Johnson, Rufus McLean; Blair Kinghorn, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Jamie Hodgson, Rob Harley, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: Stuart McInally, Jamie Bhatti, Oli Kebble, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie, Nick Haining, Jamie Dobie, Ross Thompson.