THE Fijiana XV are being challenged to find the same excitement without the ball as they show with it when they enter the WXV Global Series Challenger in Hong Kong.
New head coach Willie Walker has stripped back the team’s game plan, focusing on the fundamentals while allowing the players to retain their natural, instinctive style.
The Fijiana face Spain, Hong Kong China and the Netherlands in the tournament, with Walker looking to build on one win from his three Tests in charge.
“I’ve just stripped a lot of stuff back from what was previously here, and we’ve gone back to a fairly simple game plan, game style that allows our players to get into some sort of structure or some sort of shape, but still allows them to play their natural instinctive game style,” Walker said.
The coach has placed particular emphasis on the collision, carry-clean, catch-and-pass and finishing opportunities.
“We’ve created a number of opportunities, and to be honest, we’ve been disappointed with the ability to finish those chances,” he said.
Defensively, however, there are signs of progress.
The Fijiana recorded 93 per cent tackle success with only eight missed tackles last week — a significant improvement from the 43 missed tackles in their first Test against South Africa. Walker wants that improvement to become a mindset.
“We have to have the same excitement in defence that we do when we have the ball,” he said. The reason is simple.
The Fijiana’s strength is playing with the ball — so Walker wants them to win it back as quickly as possible.
