The plan to turn Fiji into a team that 'consistently beats tier one nations'
New Fiji assistant Daryl Gibson will always cherish the people of Glasgow, the tsunami of love and support he felt across Scotland’s largest city when his family were in the throes of the gravest trauma. In 2007, the All Black centre was a serious capture for the Warriors at that time when the club consistently inhabited the lower reaches of the old Celtic League.
His wife, Liana, fell pregnant with triplets later that year. It was joyous news for the couple who had struggled to conceive, but delivering three babies can present a host of complications. When Indy, Finley and Oscar arrived eight weeks premature, Liana underwent an emergency caesarean section and doctors feared she and the triplets may not survive the procedure.
“My wife had about 16 litres of blood transfusions,” Gibson told RugbyPass. “I remember Al Kellock, the Glasgow captain, saying to me, ‘On the bright side, Daryl, your wife is Scottish now because she’s got so much Scottish blood running through her’. We’re really fortunate that we were in Glasgow, we got incredible care.”
If that heinous ordeal was not terrifying enough, the Gibsons were soon back in intensive care, their triplets suffering from a potentially deadly respiratory virus. “We befriended a Scottish grandmother who has passed on now but decided she would just move in with us and did nights for us,” said Gibson.
“It was incredible, the kindness and generosity of the Scottish people. I’m looking forward to getting back there and the support that we received from neighbours and everyone on the team was fantastic. My children very proudly say where they are from, and we are still very thankful to this day.”
Twelve years after leaving, Gibson will return to Scotland this autumn as the backs specialist among Vern Cotter’s riveting new Fiji coaching team. Their Autumn Nations Cup Test at Murrayfield will be a homecoming of sorts for Cotter, the former Scotland supremo, but it will also be a moment of great poignancy for Gibson.
This is his first job since leaving the Waratahs last year after a seven-season odyssey at the Australian franchise, first as an assistant to Michael Cheika, then four campaigns in the top job. Those experiences hardened Gibson and taught him valuable lessons.
He had to operate at the heart of a code in crisis in the ferociously competitive Australian sports market. Then the thermonuclear bomb of Israel Folau’s social media posts detonated in his lap. Gibson had to manage his colossally important player while also dealing with teammates who might have been deeply disgusted by the full-back’s remarks about homosexuality.
“We were very transparent right from the start regarding Israel, really respectful of his position but also really open with the players around what was happening,” said Gibson. “It’s a fine dynamic to be in because you have got a bloke who from a playing perspective was incredibly important to our team. He was the No1 try-scorer in Super Rugby, he scored a try a game for us, and that ended up being the difference.
“But all the other things regarding the team, what it is to be a team, what we all sign up for at the start of the season – the important thing was that we respected that as well. I was really proud of the players during that period. We have seen many teams in similar positions that fall apart and we went the other way. We galvanised the team, we drastically changed the way we played, and I was probably proudest of that year even though results, in the end, didn’t bear that out. I was more proud of the team and what they did as men than the results.”
Alongside Gibson, Cotter has hired Jason Ryan from the Crusaders as forwards coach, the renowned Scotsman Richie Gray as a breakdown specialist and intriguingly brought in Glen Jackson, the former fly-half and recently retired referee, to add particular technical insights.
Flying Fijians head coach Mr.Vern Cotter's take on our new technical coaches, explaining the levels of expertise these coaches have in their respective technical areas pic.twitter.com/FtMgQNYlZS
— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) September 17, 2020
It’s an exhilarating opportunity for these men to shape some of the game’s most outrageously brilliant athletes and turn them into a consistently deadly force. In Semi Radradra, Gibson will be coaching arguably the finest player in world rugby. He can lay hands too on Josua Tuisova, Leone Nakarawa, Viliame Mata, Peceli Yato and Josh Matavesi.
It would be madness to veer too far from the tapestry of chaos that symbolises Fijian rugby but with this level of coaching expertise, there is a golden chance to address flaws and make the team harder to beat. “Fijians naturally play a really unique way and it’s harnessing those strengths and shaping that into something that is combined with smashing some limits around the effort stuff, how we chase kicks, how we get up off the ground,” said Gibson.
“It’s all the unseen stuff which is the norm for tier one nations but as an aspiring nation, that is the level you have got to get to in those areas with how fast the game is played. It’s about putting in a really simple framework that is going to exploit their skills.
“Vern has been very open to ideas around playing the game and playing it in a uniquely Fijian way and with an identity that you can see. We are not going to turn Fiji into a ten-man team that kicks the leather off the ball and scrums and lineouts teams.
“But we are realistic in knowing that in the northern hemisphere those things are incredibly important, and if you can’t defend a scrum or maul or catch a high ball, you’re going to be in trouble and you’re going to come second. There is a number of players back in the islands which we’ll be bringing that you haven’t seen and part of our brief is to really nurture that talent and start really bringing it through.
Wonderful to have you on board @fijirugby! 🙌 https://t.co/2ozj9o9jHS
— Autumn Nations Series (@autumnnations) September 10, 2020
“There is incredible back three resource – it seems like every team has a Fijian winger that can score tries and do magical things. We have got to find props and locks and all that other stuff that will stop other teams scoring on us and start valuing parts of the game that we know teams will attack us with.”
What, then, does success look like? “Consistently beating tier one nations,” replied Gibson. “That would be the obvious short-term goal. Performance at the World Cup in France is a long-term project, but Vern has extensive experience in France, a lot of our players play in France, so there is plenty already in our favour. The present is getting to know the players, getting to understand their strengths and weaknesses and the style of play that is going to suit them.”
That in itself will be fiendishly difficult in the Covid-savaged world. Cotter and his coaches cannot meet their players in person, nor travel to Fiji to assess the performance set-up, immerse themselves in the culture, and seek out the lavish undiscovered talent across the archipelago.
They will only convene their squad in late October at a prospective training camp somewhere in France. The time to convey new ideas and mould a team is brutally short. “The good thing is that the bulk of our players will come from Europe,” said Gibson.
“Because of our schedule, Vern’s preference is to be based in France but things shift daily around what is going on. We’re flying up to France on October 24 and Vern is trying to get us a warm-up game so we’re not too cold for that first Test.”
A battle-hardened Fiji, with this deep well of coaching resources, is an awesome proposition.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments