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Cotter still in remote control as Fiji name team for Spain

By Chris Jones
PA

Vern Cotter has revealed he is still fully involved in preparing the Fiji team for their European tour which starts against Spain at Estadio Central UC in Madrid on Sunday despite being 11,000 miles away.

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Travel restrictions have meant head coach Cotter and his assistants have not been able to link up with the squad which is being looked after by Gareth Baber, who led the Fiji Sevens to the defence of their Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Baber is supported by ex-Ireland captain Rory Best and former Scotland internationals Duncan Hodge and Richie Gray.

With Cotter still in New Zealand, he has been studying videos of training and discussing selection with Baber who will join Edinburgh as an assistant coach after the games with Spain, Wales and Georgia.

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Cotter said “It’s been different liaising from a distance but things have been well prepared by Coach Gareth and his team and from my perspective, I have been talking with Gareth around team selection and how the team should play at certain parts of the game. I have been looking at all the training content and videos which the coaches have sent through and I’m sure things are going well”.

Cotter is backing Waisea Nayacalevu in his role as captain and added: “I think it’s an exciting time for the players and staff involved and the whole idea and objective is to improve and get better. I know everybody is focusing on the World Cup in 2023 and there is a great opportunity for players who are playing their first game and those who are taking leadership roles.

“There are a couple of key focuses such as making sure that we keep the ball and don’t give it away to Spain as they have got an experienced forward pack with the majority of them featuring in the France PRO D2. I assume they will defend the mauls very well so we just need to have a good variation.”

Baber has enjoyed shifting over to 15s although he has key members of his sevens squad in the Flying Fijians side to take on Spain in Madrid which has helped him bed in with a new group. Baber told RugbyPass: “The expectation for the Flying Fijians is that as a coaching staff we honour what Vern and his staff put together. I will speak regularly with Vern but he is conscious we have to get on with it and tests matches come along very quickly with a lot of information that needs to be absorbed. We are going to have to build an environment very quickly to deliver in those three matches.

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“We are spending two weeks in Spain and one week in Wales. We flew into Madrid to play Spain, then fly back to Wales and then back to Madrid to play the final test against Georgia on November 20.

“I like operating with Fijians and people don’t realise the quality of person you are dealing with, particularly in situations where others would say “you can’t do that”. If something happens then the Fijian social psyche is “now we rise up” and find something that wasn’t there before. Having your back against the wall.”

Flying Fijians squad vs Spain

Eroni Mawi
Sam Matavesi
Mesake Doge
Tevita Ratuva
Temo Mayanavanua
Leone Nakarawa
Mesulame Kunavula
Albert Tuisue
Nikola Matawalu
Ben Volavola
Aminiasi Tuimaba
Vilimoni Botitu
Waisea Nayacalevu {c}
Jiuta Wainiqolo
Setarki Tuicuvu

Reserves

Henry Spring
Peni Ravi
Leeroy Atalifo
Api Ratuniyarawa
Viliame Mata
Masivesi Dakuwaqa
Josua Tuisova
Eroni Sau

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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