DRAGONS prop Aki Seiuli will aim to make his long-awaited Samoa debut in the Pacific Nations Cup next month.
The 29-year-old loosehead has been selected in the squad to take on Australia A, Tonga and hosts Fiji in July.
Seiuli, who has signed up for a second season at Rodney Parade, has suffered international disappointment three times.
The prop, who was born and raised in New Zealand, was approached by Samoa ahead of the 2019 World Cup but opted out because he was on the comeback trail from a knee injury and was heading for Glasgow.
Last summer he could not play against the Maori All Blacks or Tonga because of coronavirus travel restrictions and then he came agonisingly close to an appearance last December.
Seiuli was selected to play in the fixture against the Barbarians at Twickenham only for the game to be called off just 90 minutes before kick-off because of an outbreak in the Baa Baas’ camp.
The front rower will aim to finally get on the field for Samoa this summer and stake a claim for staying in the squad in the build-up to next year’s World Cup, when they will go up against England, Japan and Argentina plus a qualifier.
Seiuli played in all but one game - when given permission to miss the clash with Edinburgh for the Barbarians fixture - in his first season with the Dragons.
He will provide competition for Wales props Rob Evans and Rhodri Jones, who are arriving from the Scarlets and Ospreys, in 2022/23.
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