Townsend gets fidgety as Fiji are becoming ‘a major threat’ in world rugby

AFTER watching his Scotland side fail to overcome their Home Union away-day hoodoo, no-one knew better than Gregor Townsend that they face a scarier challenge on their return to Edinburgh this week.

Whereas a defeat in Wales, just as in England or Ireland, is no more than has come to be expected against a team that is higher placed in the world rankings, the prospect of a visit from world No 10 Fiji is fraught with the risk of reputational damage.

As a player, the 51-26 defeat in Fiji – dubbed a humiliation by Scotland’s greatest ever stand-off John Rutherford, who was the team’s backs coach at the time – was among the most unpleasant experiences of Townsend’s career, while his first tour as the national team’s head coach was spoiled by another defeat at the hands of the South Sea islanders last year.

Whereas losing to a Wales team packed with British & Irish Lions and coached by arguably the best in the business with a sub-strength side was excusable, in a sport that is so dependent on drilling structures and systems, there is no excuse for a nation as well-resourced as Scotland ever to lose to the poverty-stricken Fijians.

Yet there was almost a sense of awe in the way he described this week’s opponents as the man who brought both Leone Nakarawa and Niko Matawalu to Glasgow Warriors shifted focus to the next challenge following Saturday’s 21-10 loss.

“I believe they are becoming a major threat. I really believe – and I hope it’s not in the next couple of weeks – that they can beat any team in the world on their day. They could have a brilliant World Cup,” he said.

“I see them as similar to Brazilian football. They have the best natural rugby players and they’re not just all in the back line. We know that Leone Nakawara was voted the best player in Europe last year. Peceli Yato is a back row at Clermont and must be one of the best back-row forwards in the world. The back line are outstanding. I don’t think Niko is in the squad and he scored three tries [for Glasgow in their win at the Ospreys] on Friday night, which shows you what kind of strength they have.”

The Scotland team’s mantra, repeated by coach after coach and player after player following Townsend’s appointment, was that they wanted to play the fastest rugby in the world, but the nature of the Fijian challenge provides a reality check in that regard, as he seemed to acknowledge when stressing the need to be disciplined next weekend.

“We’ve got to be accurate,” said the coach. “They score the most tries of any team in the world, off turnover ball. It’s a frightening amount, 66 per cent. Most teams are under 15 or 10 per cent. If we give them that, it will be a tough afternoon for us.

“They also have excellent individuals who don’t require turnover ball, they just require any ball. Their set-piece is much improved, they’ve got a very good front five now.

“The other thing we didn’t do well, when we played Fiji 18 months ago, was cope with the physicality. They beat us in the contact area. They would like it to be as open as possible. So would we, but we’ve got to make sure it’s open for us, not open for them.”

Getting that balance right is something his teams have struggled with against quality opposition and, for all that there was a belief that they could have won in Cardiff had a couple of decisions gone the other way, it was Scotland’s discipline that let them down. “A lot of it is down to the defence because they put in a huge effort there. We were aware of that so we have to put even more effort in,” Townsend observed. “It’s not just a pack of eight, a lot of the time when you’re close to the try line and the forwards are working really hard, our backs have to stay alive to opportunities.”