There is a different kind of energy that pounds through Suva whenever the FIJI Water Flying Fijians are in the city, but there is something distinct about today.
Fiji hosts Tonga today, and this is not just a home game; it is the start of our Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) defence.
There is no better place to begin than welcoming our Tongan brothers, straight from a thunderous victory over Samoa.
The Flying Fijians defeated Samoa in Suva and Tonga away last year, so this match is a battle of bragging rights and a statement to the tournament ahead.
Tonga is also looking to beat Fiji for the first time since 2018.
The Ikale Tahi’s (Tonga’s) victory last week over Manu Samoa in Nuku’alofa was a clear message to the rest of the teams in the PNC.
A dominant 30-16 win, in which they never really seemed to be in trouble, was characterised by a renewed intensity and a clinical show.
Most noticeable was their forward pack, led by the giant Ben Tameifuna, who seemed to enjoy every collision.
I only managed to catch the highlights of the huge Tonga victory because the match clashed with the Deans finals.
Tonga brought in their physicality, wearing down the Samoan pack with powerful carries and a dominant set-piece. That maul that led to their final try was a textbook demonstration of forward power and cohesion.
Watch out, Flying Fijians! Our team will need to be ready for an absolute war up front.
The boot of flyhalf Patrick Pellegrini was also a major weapon, knocking over penalties and conversions with definite accuracy.
His ability to punish any Fijian ill-discipline will pose a major threat.
Crowd support
But as great as the Ikale Tahi were, they were at home. Now they venture into our own backyard.
The Flying Fijians belted them at Teufaiva 50-19 last year and if our performance in the July Tests against Australia and Scotland is taken as a yardstick, the Tongans will be in for a long Saturday afternoon in Suva.
The big crowd and atmosphere at Laucala at the Deans last week was one of the best in a long time.
In fact, if my memory serves me well, I have not seen a crowd as such since the 1991 Test versus England in Suva.
I hope the rugby faithful turn up in Suva today. That’s something that can elevate our players to greater heights and rattle even the most seasoned opponent.
The weather forecast is for light rain in the afternoon but let’s hope the rugby gods are kind.
If there’s rain with a wet track, it will test ball-handling and stamina, and favour the team that can grind out the tough yards and hang onto the ball.
Our vaunted offloading game will need to be subtly adjusted but if our players can master the slippery ball, it could be a weapon that Tonga will find hard to handle.
Battle lines
The outcome of this test will come down to some important areas.
The fight up front will be decisive. Can our scrum hold up to a Tongan pack that looked so dominant last week? The work on the breakdown will also be decisive.
The Tongans were excellent at slowing down Samoan ball, and our back three, which boasts Bristol Bears number eight Bill Mata and fiery openside Elia Canakaivata, will need quick, clean ball to unleash our deadly backline.
Defensively, our tackle success rate and, especially, first-up hits will need to be near faultless.
The Tongans thrive on momentum and missed tackles will give them the chance to get their big runners going.
Finally, the Flying Fijians must be disciplined or, as we saw last week, Pellegrini will punish us for any penalty we concede within kicking range.
Key battles
There will be several individual battles that will be interesting to watch. In the forwards, the clash between our props and Tameifuna will be epic.
Can the likes of Eroni Mawi and Mesake Doge contain the brute strength of the Tongan captain? In the back row, it’s a clash of two titans: our very own Bill Mata and Tonga’s Lotu Inisi.
Both are destructive carriers and good defenders.
The midfield battle will be a highlight as well, with our hard-running centre Seta Tamanivalu facing off against Tongan midfield duo Fetuli Paea and Solomone Kata.
Fiji have named five debutants, two in the starting side with Etonia Waqa on the blindside and Tuidraki Samusamuvodre at outside centre , a big day for the lads and I hope they enjoy their Test debut.
Tonga have made some personnel changes from last week’s match, the bulk, as expected, in the forwards, including a couple of positional shifts.
The inclusion of Japan-based Augustine Pulu at halfback is another key change made by head coach Tevita Tu’ifua.
The journey to defend the Pacific Nations Cup starts today and ends in the USA next month.
The road ahead will be bumpy but the first step is the most important.
The Flying Fijians know a good outing today against Tonga will set them up for a top-of-the-table finish match against Samoa in Rotorua next week.
Today is an opportunity to show the world the heart and soul of Fijian rugby. Let’s get behind our boys, from start to finish.
Enjoy the Test at Laucala Bay.
Action between Tonga and Samoa. Picture: WORLD RUGBY