VODAFONE Fijiana head coach Ioan Cunningham will rely on his inside knowledge of Wales as his side prepares to face them this Sunday at 1.45am (Fiji time) at Sandy Park in Exeter.
Cunningham, who spent three years in charge of Wales before taking up the Fijiana role in early 2025, said his focus remains on his team’s strengths rather than his former side’s weaknesses.
“It (knowledge of Wales) will definitely help, but it’s about focusing on our strengths and on how we want to impose ourselves on the game,” Cunningham told Sports Beat.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us, but we’re really looking forward to it. I think we’ve shown in the first two games what we’re capable of, and we’re excited by the opportunity this weekend.”
Neither Fiji nor Wales can progress from Pool B after suffering back-to-back defeats in their opening matches. But Cunningham is confident his team can finish their Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign on a positive note.
“The potential is untapped, and we’ve shown growth and improvement over the last three months.
“Where this team can go is exciting. The athletic ability is unbelievable, and we’re starting to create the style of play that we want to take to the world stage. I’m just loving it,” Cunningham added.
Fiji went down 15-29 in a spirited performance against Scotland in their last outing. Cunningham acknowledged that discipline will be key this weekend, especially with suspensions to Bitila Tawake and Bulou Vasuturaga following high tackles earlier in the tournament.
“We always look to play hard, but fair, and within the laws of the game.
“We only conceded eight penalties against Canada and nine against Scotland, so discipline is good. We’ve just had tackles that are a bit high, which we’ve got to work on.”
Cunningham believes Fijiana have already shown glimpses of their attacking flair, particularly in their strong start to the second half against Scotland.
“We had a purple patch where we totally dominated possession and territory but didn’t quite get the points on the board. We got held up once, and we had a try disallowed, so the positives are there and must replicate that this week.”
Wales, now under coach Sean Lynn, have also struggled, falling to heavy defeats against Scotland and Canada. Cunningham knows his former side will be desperate to avoid finishing bottom of the pool, but he is determined that Fijiana will rise to the challenge.
