The atmosphere in Suva will be electric this afternoon as Fiji faces Scotland at Laucala Bay. For me and many others, this match is more than just 80 minutes of rugby; it is immersed in history.
It takes me back to a joyful May afternoon in 1998 when I was in the TV commentary box calling the action, which became Fiji’s most famous win of that era.
Fiji did the unthinkable in 1998 – their first victory over a Six Nations side. The 51-26 win is still close to fantasy. That was a famous win, a masterclass against a Scottish team who stopped over in Suva en route to their Australian tour.
They say you make lifelong friends in rugby, and I met the legend, Waisale Serevi, earlier this week in Suva, who stopped by to spread the gospel about his latest venture, “Say no to drugs”, and the work the Serevi Academy is starting to do in the country with young people.
Serevi lit up the Suva National Stadium in 1998, and we discussed how he orchestrated the break with his cunning eyes and unmatched goose and sidestep skills, creating space out of nothing as he replaced Nicky Little in the second half.
Serevi’s magical break resulted in a try for fullback Jonetani Waqa. Even Apisai Naevo and Joeli Veitayaki scored tries, while Fero Lasagavibau scored a sensational hat-trick of tries.
This win is an unforgettable moment in Fijian rugby. It was great to meet Naevo yesterday; he is the new Nadi Rugby Union president, and we laughed about some good memories, including the goat curry we had in Townsville with Rupeni Caucau and Sisa Koyamaibole, ahead of the match against Japan in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Suva isn’t the best place for Scotland to achieve results. Fast forward nearly 20 years to 2017, and a memorable fixture saw Fiji secure a gritty 27-22 victory.
When I looked at the line-ups on Thursday, it was interesting to notice that Josua Tuisova was the only remaining player from that 2017 match still playing in today’s Test.
The man dubbed as the ‘Bus’ remains a formidable force; his crash and bash game were impressive against Australia last Sunday, and he continues to pose an undeniable threat to the opposition’s defence.
Scotland arrived in Suva to a great welcome, mixed with singing, dancing and some kava, and coach Gregor Townsend knows they’ll get a similar welcome in the Test today, but the dancing will be replaced by hard tackles and the singing with trying to stay in tune with the Flying Fijians running game.
They defeated the Maori All Blacks last week, and their performance speaks volumes of where they are right now, with some key stars involved with the British Lions in Australia.
Scotland’s show today will be built on aggression, a well-organised attack and defence, and a relentless work rate at the breakdown.
Scotland will seek to overwhelm the set piece, gain possession, and their drilled defence patterns will be extremely hard to beat.
Captain and openside flanker Rory Darge and dynamic Number 8 Matt Fagerson will play key roles in leading the attack charge. In the backs, Darcy Graham and debutant fly-half Fergus Burke will be looking to exploit any room in the Fijian defence.
I believe discipline and tactical kicking from the Scots will also be crucial in managing the game and the tempo of the Test.
For the Flying Fijians, today’s Test is a watershed opportunity to recover from the painful loss to Australia in Newcastle six days ago. The narrow 21-18 defeat was a heartbreak, but showed brilliance from Fiji too.
The Fijians will be looking to make more choices and be more consistent to make it count today.
What I loved about last Sunday’s Test was the unstructured play that remains Fiji’s biggest strength and Scotland’s biggest worry.
That Fiji speciality of making wrecked play into lethal attacking chances, with offloads seemingly out of nowhere and support runners pouring through, is something very few sides around the world can match.
The ever-manacing Viliame Mata at No. 8 with loosies Elia Canakaivata and Lekima Tagitagivalu, who did a lot of dirty work last Sunday, along with the workhorse second rower, Isoa Nasilasila, and the versatile Temo Mayanavanua, our forwards are looking good.
Hooker and captain Tevita Ikanivere needs to lift his game and I hope he had a thousand lineout throws in practice runs leading into today. Fiji’s lineout success hovered around 65 per cent in the last Test, and Tex’s throws, coupled with the timing of our jumpers, are both crucial if Fiji is to fix this Achilles heel in set-piece play.
Glitzy Jiuta Wainiqolo, easily my player of the Test last week, with Salesi Rayasi, Kalaveti Ravouvou and Tuisova, should hold their own with the inclusion of Sireli Maqala in the centre, have a deadly combination of pace, power and sizzling footwork that can tear any defence apart.
If Fiji can get parity at the set piece and focus their brilliance on a more coherent system, in my book, they will be in with the chance to score their third win in Suva over Scotland, a first since 2017.
Fiji has lost the last three Tests, including a record 17-57 hammering suffered at Murrayfield last year.
I’m looking forward to a titanic battle in Suva today. The big ask is, can Fiji weave the magic on home soil again? I’ll be in the commentary box again and perhaps, just perhaps, another piece of history to relish the memories will unfold. Enjoy the Test today.
