NEW-LOOK FIJI OUT TO TACKLE OLD STEREOTYPES

JOHN McKEE smiled to himself when he read Gregor Townsend’s comments about Fiji being the rugby equivalent to the footballers of Brazil. A fulsome compliment. But one with just a hint of unintended backhand about it. The old stereotype about Pacific island nations, casting their stars as wonderful flair players with a distinct dislike for fitting a system, is still pretty buried deep. Even for those who hold them in great esteem. Yet over four years that have seen the Flying Fijians rise to tenth in the world rankings, head coach McKee and his staff blended natural brilliance with a smart tactical plan. It has not been easy, with world rugby’s insistence on treating all nations as equals forever subject to the Orwellian caveat about some being more equal than others. Anyone outside the old boys’ club can forget about a level playing field when it comes to everything from player access to regular fixtures against the elite few. When they walk out at Murrayfield today, however, Fiji will be on a mission to prove they belong with the very best. ‘I was interested to see Gregor’s comments,’ said McKee. ‘It is obviously a compliment to our players to have a comparison like that. If you look at the Fijian athlete, he’s tall, fast and has a mentality suited to the game’s combative nature. They certainly enjoy the physical aspects as well. ‘The thing is, being a talented athlete is one thing; it’s the work we put in that makes a team. Yes, we have a talented group of players. You look at those playing in Europe now and a lot are front-liners for their clubs. ‘Viliame Mata is a classic example. He’s in outstanding form for Edinburgh and is developing into a world-class back row. ‘Our local boys just won the championship they play in Australia. Against their peers in the Pacific area, they’re top of the tree. ‘But being talented is one thing. The work we need to do to be competitive consistently against tier one nations is the big challenge. This is not about tier one versus tier two. We want to be competitive against anyone we play.’ Fiji’s global standing received a major boost with their Sevens gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. For McKee, that was a turning point for the whole nation. ‘To win at the Olympics was a milestone in terms of the belief in what they can achieve. It wasn’t just about the talent. It took a lot of preparation and a lot of belief that they could win the biggest prize. ‘Now the bar’s been raised and, because we don’t play that many games against the big boys and don’t have a Six Nations or Rugby Championship, we need to make the most of every assembly.’ With a nod to the summer 2017 win over Scotland in Suva, McKee warned: ‘We’ve had success against some of the big teams in Fiji recently. But we haven’t beaten one on a November tour for years, so this is important for us. ‘We’d love to go home having won one or both of the big games on our tour. Both Scotland and France represent big challenges. But if we can be at our absolute best, these are games we can do well in.’