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Fiji's win over Maori All Blacks should have Wales and Australia on high alert

(Photos by Getty Images)

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.

Dominiko Waqaniburotu shows off his offloading prowess during Fiji’s 2015 Rugby World Cup match against Wales. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

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:

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Bull Shark 1 hour ago
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner

Why is Joe Schmidt the best option for Australia? (LONG READ)


An essay for @OJohn with love from South Africa.


OJohn keeps banging on about kiwis and Saffers and everyone else seeking to undermine and bring down Australian rugby… Blah, Blah, Blah. It’s boring and not worth responding too 99 days out of 100.


He misses the point completely that Australians either are or are not the masters of their own destiny. So to blame anyone else but themselves for what the state of Australian rugby is in - is hypocritical.


But recently, Australia has shown signs of life. Personally, I always believed they would be back at some point. At the beginning of this year I predicted that the wallabies would bounce back this year. I predicted that they would overtake England in the world rankings. I am predicting that they could finish second in the RC, could win the Lions series and could make it to a RWC final at home.


I tend to get ahead of myself when I’m excited... Ask my wife. But forgive me for getting excited about the Wallabies looking good! Is it so bad?


Like OJohn, I believe that Australia’s lands abound with natures gifts, including athletic specimens across any sporting code the Aussies compete in. It’s one of the reasons most of us don’t like Aussies. They win sh1t. Regularly. And look smug when they do...


But back to OJohn. And his banging on about the need for Australia to have an Australian coach. Here are a few highlights of his argument:


Several times I've given a list of half a dozen Australian coaches who would be more Australian than Schmidt and just as successful.

Tell me which Australian coaches would be acceptable to coach the All Blacks ......?

Because South Africans and Kiwis and Welshmen and Scotsman are all s.... scared that if an immensely talented and athletic team like Australia is ever able to harness nationalistic Australian passion with an Australian coach, you'll all be s.c.r.e.w.e.d.


And then finally – the list of 6 🥴:


Ewen McKenzie, Less Kiss, Stephen Larkham, Jim McKay, David Nucifora, Scott Wisenthal, Ben Mowen, Rod Kafer, Mick Byrne, John Manetti, Jason Gilmore, Dan McKellar.

Plus, a special request:


Keep in mind Rod MacQueen never won a Super Rugby title before he was appointed Wallaby coach but he ended up the greatest rugby coach the world has ever seen. Better than Erasmus even. Who is probably the next best.

Right. I don’t care about the tinfoil hat theories. I want to assess OJohn’s list and determine whether any of them fit the mold of a Rod Macqueen.

 

Like Rod Macqueen the following world cup winning coaches never won a Super Rugby Title:


·       David Kirk, 1987 (17 appearances for New Zealand)

·       Kitch Kristie, 1995

·       Rod Macqueen, 1999

·       Clive Woodward, 2003 (21 Appearance for England)

·       Jake White, 2007 (School Teacher)

·       Graham Henry, 2011 (School Teacher)

·       Steve Hansen, 2015 (Policeman)

·       Rassie Erasmus, 2019 (36 Appearances for South Africa)

·       Jacques Nienaber, 2023 (Physiotherapist).


I couldn't find out what Rod or Kitch did other than coach.


The only coach who has won a Super title and a World Cup?

·       Bob Dwyer, 1991 (A Tahs man wouldn’t you know!)


In fact coaches that have won super rugby titles have not won world cups. Robbie Deans. Heyneke Meyer to name just two.


I know I’m being childish, but I needed to bring this list in somehow because it’s quite obvious that whatever these coaches did before they became international level coaches is largely immaterial. Or is it?


Interestingly Ewan McKenzie (A Tah Man!) has won a Super title. And despite being a Tah Man made it into OJohn’s list. That’s two strikes for Ewan Mckenzie based on OJohn’s criteria so far. Not to mention his 50% win rate as head coach of the Wallabies between 2013 and 2014 (and the laundry list of off the field fcuk ups that swirled around the team at the time).


So Ewan is out.


I find it interesting that, as we speak, eight out of the ten top ranked men’s teams are coached by former international players:

1.      South Africa, Rassie Erasmus (36 appearances for South Africa)

2.      Ireland, Andy Farrell (8 appearances for England)

3.      New Zealand, Scott Robertson (23 appearances for New Zealan)

4.      France, Fabien Galthie (64 appearances for France)

5.      Argentina, Felipe Contemponi (87 appearances for Argentina)

6.      Scotland, Gregor Townsend (82 appearances for Scotland)

7.      England, Steve Borthwick (57 appearances for England)

8.      Australia, Joe Schmidt (School Teacher)

9.      Fiji, Michael Byrne (Aussie Rules Player)

10.  Italy, Gonzalo Quesada (38 appearances for Argentina).


It would appear as though we have entered an era where successful international coaches, largely, have played rugby at international level in the professional era. Or are ex school teachers. Much like Jake White and Graham Henry! Or a policeman.

 

Back to OJohn’s List. That leaves us with:


·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jim McKay, (Very little to write home about)

·       David Nucifora, (Too old)

·       Scott Wisenthal, (I literally can’t find anything on him on the Google).

·       Ben Mowen, (Too young, no coaching experience)

·       Rod Kafer, (No coaching experience)

·       Mick Byrne, (He’s coaching the Fijians, Aussie rules!)

·       John Manetti, (Can’t find him on the google)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)

·       Dan McKellar, (Not much to write home about, but could be an option).


Applying some logic, I would say the following are viable options based on age, experience in coaching AND the fact that they have played rugby for Australia in the professional era:

·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)


After having done all this research, I think it’s fair to say that none of these three have the same pedigree as Joe Schmidt, the teacher. Who took a sh1tty Ireland team to no.1. Won a few 6 Nations and helped get the All Blacks to a world cup final in 2023.


Joe’s the best option for now. But if Kiss, Larkham and Gilmore are the business for the future for Australia get them in now as assistants to Joe and stop moaning!!


Errors and Ommissions Excepted. Mispelling of names is OJohn's fault.

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