Vodafone Fijiana XV head coach Ioan Cunningham said one of the team’s biggest strengths heading into the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England is their skill with the ball.
“Obviously, our strength is with the ball for sure,” Cunningham told the media yesterday.
“We’ve got outstanding players that can attack the line and offload, create opportunities on the front foot.”
He said this attacking style will be the team’s key weapon in the tournament.
“I think the balance for us is not overplaying, especially when you play sides that are ranked in the top 10 or top five in the world, because their opportunities will be less. So when we have those opportunities, we have to take them,” he said.
The Fijiana XV recently finished their final warm-up match, a scrimmage against Samoa at Lawaqa Park last Saturday.
This gave Cunningham the chance to test all 32 players in the squad ahead of their departure for England.
“It was a great exercise for us as our final preparation before we leave for the World Cup tomorrow (today),” he said.
Cunningham has been with the team for three months and says he has seen clear growth in both skill and tactical awareness during that time.
“We have outstanding ball skills and ball movement,” he said.
“But my task is to combine that with tactical awareness, playing in the right areas and not overplaying.”
He explained that managing the game well is key when facing some of the best teams in the world.
“We need to work with our game drivers, our nines and tens as well as our leaders in the pack to manage momentum through test matches. There will be times when momentum is against us, so it’s important we stay composed and take advantage when momentum swings our way.”
The Fijiana XV are in a tough pool that includes Canada, Wales and Scotland.
Canada is currently ranked number two in the world, making the opening match a big challenge.
Despite the challenge, Cunningham is optimistic.
“Our first goal is to perform really well, to put out a performance that inspires the nation,” he said.
“Then we want to win test matches. Starting well against Canada will give us a foothold in the tournament.”
Cunningham also highlighted the support staff behind the team, including assistant coaches focusing on scrum, lineout, defence and attack, plus medical and analysis personnel.
“We have a great group of people helping create the best environment for our players to express themselves on the world stage,” he said.
The team departs Fiji this evening.