The Fiji 7s team plays into the unknown on Saturday morning (4.05am) in a new Rugby World Cup Sevens format at Cape Town, South Africa.
The Ben Gollings-coached side is scheduled to play either Wales or South Korea in our first match in the pinnacle tournament of rugby’s abbreviated code.
Wales and Korea were drawn in the pre-round of 16 fixtures.
They had beaten Fiji in the past.
Wales was the 2009 RWC Sevens champion where Fiji was bundled out by Kenya 7-26 in the cup quarter-finals.
Gollings said the new format placed all teams on a ‘do-or-die’ situation at every match.
“It is interesting because you do not know specifically who you going to face,” Gollings said from Cape Town on Tuesday.
“It is a tournament of direct knockouts, so every game is a cup final and we will take every game that way and we will be prepared for it. The team is in good spirit and we are excited about the challenge ahead.”
Fiji last beat Wales 38-24 during the Commonwealth Games rugby tournament at Birmingham.
Korea, on the other hand, remains a mystery, he said.
“In terms of Wales, we know them and we had played them recently. They will pose a threat and they tend to raise their game against us, so we will be watchful of that.-
“Korea is a team that we could not analyse a huge amount as we had not seen them play, but having known Korea in the past, they are a good side.
“Ultimately, we will be ready and prepared for them based on whether they win or lose against Wales.”
He had taken into consideration weather conditions at Cape Town.
“Usually it is warm here, but it is quite cold at the moment.
“We are in Cape Town and we are fortunate compared to Johannesburg which is the altitude city, otherwise it will pose a completely different prospect.
“Cape Town is on sea level and we have some players who have experience in playing here.”
Meanwhile, Fijiana 7s team coach Saiasi Fuli is out to create another Fijian history after winning bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and silver at the Commonwealth Games in England.
“It is everyone’s dream to win the world cup,” he said on Tuesday.
“We have the same desire.”
The Fijiana 7s team plays Japan in its first match tomorrow at 11.54pm while the Fiji 7s team faces either Wales or Korea at 4.05am on Saturday.
