THE Vodafone Fijiana XV head coach Willie Walker says success for the national women’s side will not be measured by the scoreboard alone as the team prepares for a one-off Test against Japan on September 4.
The Fijiana XV squad left the country on Tuesday night for the Japan Test before travelling to Hong Kong for the WXV Global Series Challenger, which will be held from September 13 to 26.
Walker said the team’s priority was to build the right processes throughout the week and ensure the players are fully prepared before match day.
“For us, we don’t want to focus on winning. Winning is a by-product of making sure we’ve done everything that we can throughout the week to prepare as much as we can to give us a chance to win,” Walker said.
The coach believes preparation from one week in Nadi is what ultimately gives the team an opportunity to perform on the weekend in Japan.
He said the players must understand that success comes from consistently doing the small things correctly rather than simply turning up on match day.
Walker also acknowledged the importance of support from Fijian fans as the team prepares for a challenging period of international rugby.
He urged supporters to continue backing the players while understanding that improvement is part of the team’s long-term journey.
“We need your support,” Walker said.
He said the players understood that supporters were behind them and would do everything possible to represent the Fijiana emblem with pride.
Against Japan, Walker expects a fast and disciplined opponent that will challenge Fiji for the full 80 minutes.
He said Fijiana XV must remain patient, control possession, defend strongly and build phases if it is to create scoring opportunities.
For Walker, the goal is to establish a strong process that can deliver results both now and in the future.
Fiji has played Japan only once, and Walker expects a physical contest against a side he describes as strong, fast and committed.
