The Cook Islands accept the odds are stacked firmly against them in today's Rugby World Cup qualifier against Fiji in Lautoka.
The winning team will join a blockbuster pool at next year's tournament that features England, Australia and Wales.
The Cook Islands lost both of their warm-up games in New Zealand last week against provincial side Thames Valley and the Blues Development team but coach Barry George says the team has improved significantly in their brief time together.
"We know it's a big task and from what we saw in the weekend Fiji were probably a lot more physical than they were in the first two games so they're obviously stepping up what they need to be doing as well but, in the end, they don't hold any fears to us. It's whether we've got our squad good enough to go and compete with them and at least we will know exactly where we sit in the world standing of rugby."
Barry George of the Cook Islands.
