A HUGE feast of meat, pasta and potatoes tested a team of New Forest chefs to the max when an entire rugby squad dropped in.

It was one of the biggest orders ever placed at Fusion Inn, Lymington, when the Tonga national rugby team came to town.

The team arrived for a good feed ahead of their journey to France to play in the Rugby World Cup.

Isi Tuivai, owner of The Fusion Inn and former Tonga national rugby player, invited the 30 players and 15 staff from the squad to the town.

Isi, who lives in Bashley and captained Tonga in 1993, said: "The current coaches with the Tonga team are former players who I used to play with.

"I invited them to Lymington for a meal and I'm hosting them as they are on their way to France for the Rugby World Cup."

Shannon Van Dreven, manager of the Fusion Inn, said: "We were cooking for 30 players and about 15 staff - it was the entire squad. They are big, big boys so there was a lot of food and a lot of eating going on."

Tonga begin their Rugby World Cup campaign on September 12 against the USA in Montpellier.

They will face England on September 28 in Paris.