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Life's a ball for rugby prop Niko

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SCMP Reporter

Niko Qoro, 27, will be on the substitutes' bench as part of the Fijian rugby squad which faces Hong Kong this afternoon in the Second Test at the Hong Kong Stadium.

A fisherman by trade, he lives in Lautoka on the main Fijian island of Viti Levu. He plays loosehead prop and the Hong Kong tour is the first time he has been selected for the Fijian national squad.

He has already gained two caps on this tour, coming off the bench to replace players on both occasions. What's on your mind? The match against Hong Kong. We have to show them how we play rugby, and we have to test how good we are. We won the first game by quite a lot, but we still have to try hard and play well to win the match. Is it frustrating to be on the subs' bench? No, it is the right thing for me to do at this time. It is right for me to learn from the experienced players. This is a good time for me to come into the squad because there are a lot of older players I can watch and we have a good coach.

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And I am very happy to be chosen for the national squad and to come on tour. This is my first time in Hong Kong and I like it, although it is very different from home. I prefer playing 15s, but I would like to come back to Hong Kong for the Sevens World Cup next year. What is it like inside a scrum? It suits me; it's the position I like the best. I can be the main man and if you have the strength, you can try to control the scrum. I don't think there is much bad play in a scrum. You have to be strong, but it is not dangerous. Do you worry about getting injured? No, I don't think about that. But I would be proud to be injured for my national team. If Fiji beat Hong Kong, how will you celebrate? I think we will win. If we play well we will score a lot; maybe we can get 100 points. And, of course, I would like to score. But if we don't stick to our game plan it will be different. Hong Kong can be a good side.

If we win, we will have a good party - maybe a little beer, maybe a little dancing.

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