Fijian columnist calls for McKee sacking as backlash begins

Reporting from Tokyo: A Fijian journalist has called for head coach John McKee to be sacked following his side’s shock loss to Uruguay at the Rugby World Cup.

Fiji’s 30-27 defeat to Uruguay at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium on Wednesday now sees the Pacific Island nation needing a miracle to qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition.

The Flying Fijians were pre-tournament favourites to cause a World Cup upset, but it has been McKee’s charges who have fallen foul of a lower-ranked team.

The result has been met with anger back in Fiji. Fiji Sun journalist Leone Cabenatabua has gone as far as calling for headc coach McKee to be sacked.
“Fiji Airways Flying Fijians head coach John McKee must go. There are no two ways about it. Last night’s embarrassing 30-27 loss to Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup pool clash at Kamaishi, Japan, was the last straw.

“Especially, when this was the same Uruguay side we thrashed 68-7 in London, last November.

“If we’re serious with our rugby then the Fiji Rugby Union must act now even before the World Cup is over.

“We had expected a much better performance from the Flying Fijians taking into consideration that this is McKee’s second World Cup with them.”

Fiji scored four tries and lost by less than eight points, therefore earning two bonus points. Under the current rules theirs is only the fifth such performance in RWC history.

WOW!!! ??? #FIJvURU #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/L4NU49CxZe

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 25, 2019

McKee himself refused to blame the team’s abject goalkicking for the loss. “Obviously, in hindsight, we could say that we could have done things differently.

“Yes, today our goal-kicking was a factor in the game. We only kicked one goal, and with such a narrow margin in the score-line, the goal-kicking would have made a difference. However, there was a lot of other things we could have done well in the game, so you can’t narrow it down to one thing.”

“It is going to be challenging for us. We are relying a lot on other points now and, for us, we just have to focus on our match against Georgia in eight days’ time. That is the only focus for us now, to play well in that match and winning the game, and, if we can, securing the bonus point.”

Press conference with England winger Joe Cokanasiga and coach Steve Borthwick ahead of the side’s Rugby World Cup match against the USA.