THE Vodafone Fijiana XV head coach Willie Walker says the side is using its preparation period to sharpen the basics as it builds towards a one-off Test against Japan on September 4.
The Fijiana XV squad trained in Nadi yesterday as preparations continued for the important international fixture before the team heads to Hong Kong for the WXV Global Series Challenger from September 13 to 26.
Walker said the team had spent the week learning, consolidating its work and addressing areas that needed improvement following its recent Test against South Africa.
“It’s been good. This week’s been full of learning and in the last couple of days we’ve tried to consolidate some of that learning,” Walker said.
He said the coaching staff had identified several areas they wanted to improve and had worked hard to bring those changes into the team’s current campaign.
Walker believes the squad possesses enough natural talent to create opportunities but stressed that the players must first execute the fundamentals.
“The ability that we’ll carry to play in space, to play with flair, it’s not something that I need to worry about. My focus is making sure that we do the basics really well,” he said.
That means making tackles consistently, retaining possession and showing patience when building attacking phases.
Walker said if the players could control those aspects of their game, opportunities to score would come naturally.
The Fijiana XV coach is also expecting a demanding challenge from Japan, describing them as a fast, structured and disciplined side.
He said Fiji would need to be sharp and clinical in possession while ensuring support players arrive quickly at breakdowns. He added Japan would be relentless throughout the 80 minutes. Walker believes controlling possession and gradually wearing Japan down will be crucial as Fijiana XV continues its preparations for the Test.
