PLAYING at pace and dominating collisions are the top priorities for head coach Andrew Tui Osborne as the Fiji U20 team gears up for their opening match against France at the Junior Rugby World Cup (JWC) in Georgia later this month.
To secure victories in these fierce contests, Osborne has placed a strong emphasis on the team’s fitness, viewing it as the foundation to overcome their challenges.
“It’s an ongoing thing—we’re trying to work on getting our fitness up there and trying to compete at a fast pace in training,” Osborne explained.
“With France first, the pace is going to be high, and that’s the goal for this week. Then, going into next week, we’re going to have to prepare ourselves in the contact area because it’s going to be huge, and we are expecting big collisions in that area.”
Fiji faces a daunting pool alongside France, Australia, and Spain. To maximise their chances of advancing beyond the pool stages, Fiji will need to deliver strong performances in every game.
“Those are the two games (France and Australia) we are gunning for; we’re hoping to win one and get close in the second,” Osborne said.
The Fiji U20 side will kick off their JWC campaign against France on June 28 at 2:00 am in Georgia.
Their second pool match against Australia is scheduled for July 2 at 11:30 pm, followed by their final pool match against Spain on July 8 at 4:30 am.
