GAME ON, Prep setbacks a challenge for our Flying Fijians
Our best wishes to the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians as they are now in the final phase of preparations before they take on the All Blacks at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday.
Unfortunately, for the Levani Botia-captained side, the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered their preparations.
The pandemic has caused closure of borders and disrupted international flights.
In Australia, three of our players- Teti Tela, Frank Lomani and Moses Sorovi are waiting anxiously for the border to re-open so they can fly across to Christchurch to join the team.
It happened yesterday and should be in camp by now.
While Europe-based players of Peceli Yato, Peni Ravai and Eroni Mawi are also expected to join camp today.
This is nothing new for the team, according to head coach Vern Cotter.
They faced a much similar situation during last
November’s Autumn Nations Cup in France where most of the team members and officials tested positive to COVID-19.
They had to forfeit their
Test matches against
France and Scotland but bounced back to beat
Georgia.
But for Saturday, the challenge is much bigger when they face the All
Blacks who last weekend walloped our Pacific neighbours Tonga 102-0.
Already many rugby pundits have written off our chances because just like Tonga, they also had to struggle to bring in their Europe-based players.
Even legendary All
Blacks winger Sir John
Kirwan says it will be harder for us to cause an upset.
However, in the All Blacks camp they are wary because we’ve someone like Cotter as coach who is assisted by the Crusaders forwards coach Jason Ryan, former Crusaders assistant coach Darryl Gibson and former international referee Glenn Jackson.
For the hosts, they see this as a battle of the unknown.
But for us, it’s going to be a learning experience. And the continuation of Cotter’s work towards the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The head coach rightfully said, we’re going to continue from where we had left off against Georgia.
Yes, it’s going to be tough against the All Blacks but nothing is impossible on the day.
The Argentineans showed us that last year and if they can do it so can we.