Fiji's win over Maori All Blacks should have Wales and Australia on high alert
On Saturday afternoon, Fiji played their first match of the year and unequivocally announced that their World Cup opposition will need to be at the top of their game to knock over the island nation later in the season.
Fiji dispatched the Maori All Blacks with relative ease, building a 12-0 score at halftime and pulling ahead to 22-0 before ultimately triumphing 27-10.
It was Fiji’s first win over the Maori in over 60 years.
World Cup old foes
Prior to the match there was already talk that Fiji could perhaps upset Wales or Australia at the World Cup – teams that Fiji also played in the last iteration of the competition.
Australia’s recent failures have been well-documented. Last year the former world champions mustered just four wins from their thirteen matches. Their Super Rugby sides have also under-performed in recent times.
Wales have been more resolute in the last few years, claiming a grand slam in this year’s Six Nations competition. The Warren Gatland-coached side once struggled to put away southern hemisphere teams, but have won their last seven on the trot – including three victories against South Africa.
No run-away victories in recent years
Wales’ two previous encounters against Fiji have been close affairs. At the last World Cup, Wales managed a 23-13 win at the Millennium Stadium. One year prior, they recorded a 4-point win at the same venue. When Wales and Fiji do battle in 2019, Wales won’t have the benefit of playing in front of their home crowd – though countless Welsh fans will no doubt make the trip to Oita for the match.
Australia haven’t struggled quite as much against Fiji in recent years. In 2017, the Wallabies notched a 37-14 win in Melbourne whilst the result at the 2015 World Cup was much the same, with Australian running away 28-13 victors.
Still, Fiji have had considerably more professional rugby in recent times. The Fijian Drua emerged as champions of Australia’s National Rugby Championship in 2018 (the Drua’s first year in the competition) and the Fijian Latui have already played four matches this year against Samoa and the Western Force.
Saturday’s victory over the Maori All Blacks has now reinforced the belief that the Pacific Islanders could actually book a place in the World Cup quarter-finals at the expense of Australia or Wales.
Maori at a low point
It should first be noted that the Maori side that ran out over the weekend was a fair bit weaker than what we’ve come to expect.
The Maori side which was squashed by the British and Irish Lions in 2017 included eight All Blacks in the starting side, with the other seven players all having ample experience at Super Rugby level.
The team which ran out against Fiji boasted just two All Blacks in the match-day squad: Tyrell Lomax, whose sole appearance was against Japan, and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, who has clocked up minimal minutes over the past two seasons.
Regardless, the Maori All Blacks went into the match as favourites (at least according to the bookies) and the magnitude of Fiji’s first victory over the Maori since 1957 shouldn’t be discounted simply due to the lesser quality of their opposition.
Champagne rugby, through and through
The win was important, there’s no doubt about it – but it’s the way that Fiji played that should really be striking fear in the hearts of Welsh and Australian fans.
The Fijians showed their typical sort of reckless abandonment with throwing backdoor passes and one-handed offloads. Sometimes, these passes didn’t come off – and Fiji may find themselves victims of a number of unfavourable TMO calls when they hit the big time in Japan – but more often than not their ability to keep the ball alive kept the Maori side scrambling.
The sideline was Fiji’s enemy, going to ground was Fiji’s enemy, giving possession to the opposition was Fiji’s enemy – the islanders held onto the ball and simply out-ran and out-played the Maori All Blacks.
The whole Fijian backline was big and pacey, whilst the forward pack was strikingly similar. Captain Dominiko Waqaniburotu led the team well and kept his side’s discipline in check. Midfielder Levani Botia was probably the standout for Fiji – he was a constant threat over the ball when the Maori were in possession and delivered some silky passes to his outside runners.
All in all, this is an impressive Fiji side.
‘Home’ advantage
The climate will also better suit Fiji when they come up against Wales and Australia later this year. Japan will be incredibly humid during the World Cup, there’s no doubt about it.
The island teams will adjust much quicker than sides like Georgia and Wales to what will be one of the hottest World Cups on record – and this will give them a huge advantage over some of their opposition. Already teams are trying to prepare for the heat and humidity by training away from home, in climates closer to what they’ll experience in Japan than what they’re accustomed to in Europe.
Fiji will have to do no such thing.
2019 will see Fiji having a relatively favourable draw compared to the last World Cup. In 2015, Fiji faced England, Australia and Wales one after another, over a two-week period. This year, Fiji’s games against Australia and Wales bookend their draw, with matches against Uruguay and George in-between. The tightest turn-around they face is four days – but that’s between their games against the Wallabies and Uruguay, which won’t cause too much concern for Fiji coach John McKee.
The Fijian team are always a dangerous side to come up against during a World Cup when the squad has access to all its players from across the globe. With greater numbers of Fijian player getting professional football across the board and the team already looking as sharp as a knife, Wales and Australia better watch their back when they come up against the island side at this year’s showpiece tournament.
Check out RugbyPass’ latest documentary, on Fijian superstar Nemani Nadolo:
Comments on RugbyPass
I really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to comments