JAKE White suffered his first defeat as FIJI Water Flying Fijians head coach as France handed Fiji a 54-17 reality check in their Nations Championship opener at Stade de Gerland in Lyon on Sunday.
After guiding Fiji to a 34-28 victory over Japan in his first match in charge, White’s second outing exposed familiar problems that the new coach must urgently address.
The Flying Fijians were punished for indiscipline, poor execution and recurring weaknesses at the line-out and rolling maul as France ran in eight tries to two.
Fiji conceded 10 penalties and received one yellow card, with lock Mesake Vocevoce sent to the sinbin in the first half.
They also lost the territorial battle, managing just 47 per cent of possession as France dictated the pace and repeatedly pressured their defence.
Fiji’s preparations were further disrupted by a last-minute change at fly-half, with Vilimoni Botitu replacing Isikeli Rabitu.
The late reshuffle appeared to affect the clarity of Fiji’s backline combinations in the opening half, with the attacking structure struggling to find rhythm against an organised French defence.
Their line-out execution and rolling maul defence also remained major concerns, allowing France to exploit familiar weaknesses and build a commanding 26-3 half-time lead.
Captain Tevita Ikanivere admitted discipline proved costly after Fiji failed to contain the hosts early.
For White, the defeat is an early reality check.
The challenge is no longer identifying Fiji’s weaknesses but finding solutions to problems that continue to haunt the team before they take on Ireland this weekend.
