The Vodafone Fijiana XV side marched into camp over the weekend as they begin preparations for their much- anticipated scrimmage against Samoa on Saturday at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
The team returns from a tough tour of the United States, where they fell short to the USA Women’s Eagles, 24-31, in a highly physical and fast-paced encounter.
Despite the loss, head coach Ioan Cunningham remains optimistic as his side regroups for the home fixture.
Speaking to this newspaper, Cunningham confirmed that there are no major injury concerns following the US tour.
“Just a few bumps and bruises here and there, but nothing serious.
“The girls are in good shape and we’re looking forward to getting back into camp,” Cunningham said
Reflecting on the performance against USA, Cunningham said the Fijiana had plenty of scoring opportunities but failed to convert them.
“Our main focus now is on our accuracy with the ball. We had many chances against the USA, but we didn’t finish them. That’s something we must improve before facing Samoa,” he added.
Fijiana last met Samoa in a tight match during the Oceania Championship, where the Pacific rivalry showed its intensity. Cunningham expects another tough encounter.
“Samoa will bring physicality and speed. They exposed us out wide last time, so we’ll need to step up in defence and be smart with ball control, especially in key areas of the field.”
Kick-off details and final squad announcements are expected in the coming days.
