2023-09-30 06:30:00
An improved success for the Fijians against the Georgians this Saturday would allow them to qualify for the third quarter-finals in their history.
In an ultra-tough Pool C, Fiji are on track to be among the lucky ones elected to the quarter-finals. Since the start of the competition, the Pacific players have been impressing and rising to the occasion. If they fell narrowly (and frustratingly because of the refereeing) against Wales (26-32), they managed to immediately raise the bar by offering themselves the scalp of Australia (22 -15) in full decay. A first since 1954. “It’s crazy, it’s huge”said Semi Radradra, formerly of Toulon and UBB and future Lyon player.
The misfortune of some making the happiness of others, the Australian routs placed the Fijians in a very comfortable situation. If they pick up five points in their last two matches against Georgia (this Saturday, 5:45 p.m. on M6) and Portugal (Sunday October 8, 9 p.m. on M6), they will validate their ticket to the world top 8 for the third time in their history after 1987 and 2007.
“I believe this is the best Fiji team that has ever been to the World Cup, because we are on the rise and now we have this victory over Australia, salutes former international Waisale Serevi, who participated in the 1991, 1999 and 2003 editions. We won a game and we may be on our way to the quarter-finals, but we still have two games left. Given the play we displayed today, we know that the team is capable of competing at this level.”
“Before, our touch-maul-scrum conquest lasted an hour, not a whole match”
For this first step towards qualification, Semi Radradra and his teammates had thirteen days to prepare. And try to strike a big blow. “The guys will come back in great shape, physically and mentally and will be ready to come together again, insists physical trainer Nacanieli Cawanibuka. They know that next week we have a decisive mission for the rest of the competition. And to remind: “It’s interesting because this World Cup is different. Before, we would have had little time between two matches. This year it’s different. This week is rest. It’s nice after this very tough match against Australia. The players needed to recover.
Obviously, this World Cup in France demonstrated that the “Flying Fijians” have changed dimension. Until now inconsistent, capable of masterful strokes of brilliance but also guilty of dangerous air gaps, they have gained in consistency, particularly in conquest where they now compete with the best in the world. “Before, our touch-maul-scrum conquest lasted an hour, not a whole match. And there, getting a penalty at the end of the match on a scrum against Australia is quite a story for us, we would never have had it before“, recognizes former international Julian Vulakoro, who still deplores some tackles that are too high or too dangerous, “we are still sanctioned two or three times against Australia».
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The key to the current success of the Fijians is that the amalgamation has been made perfectly between the players who play in the best European clubs (Radradra, Tuisova, Botia, Waisea…) and the young shoots who are now playing within the Fijians Drua province in Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby. In their second season, they reached the quarter-finals of the competition (defeat against the New Zealand Crusaders, future winners). “This Flying Fijians team is a new way of doing things, more professional. This group wants to take a new step, change mentalities and build the future of Fiji», Underlines physical trainer Nacanieli Cawanibuka.
“The new version of Fiji, disciplined, athletic and consistent”
Just six months before the global meeting, the Fijian team had to deal with the departure of its coach, the New Zealander Vern Cotter, well known in the Top 14 (Clermont, Montpellier). And his successor Simon Raiwalui, also in the French championship (assistant to Racing 92, at the Stade Français Paris and in Biarritz), quickly knew how to create mayonnaise between the “exiles” in Europe and the Fijians Drua. Be careful, however, of the guilty relaxation towards the Georgians, surely upset after being held in check by Portugal (18-18).
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One thing is certain, the historic success against England (30-22), at Twickenham, in a preparation match is therefore not a flash in the pan. Former Australian fullback Joe Roff, world champion in 1999, warns: “These are the new version of Fiji, disciplined, athletic and consistent. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go very far in this competition. They played very well when they outplayed Australia.» After the first results of this edition, the Fijians could, in the quarterfinals, cross paths with the… English again, well on their way to the top of Pool D. It is easy to guess who the hearts of the French public would lean towards.
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