Little Things Count, Says Coach

Getting all the little things right will be the Vodafone Flying Fijians main aim when they take on Japan in the last match of their European Tour early tomorrow morning.
Coming off from two big losses to the Barbarians 40-7 and then England 58-15, the Flying Fijians are hoping to secure a win to not only avoid three straight losses at the end of the year but to also remain in the top 10 of the World Rugby rankings.
Flying Fijians head coach John McKee said yesterday they have spent the last couple of days concentrating on their strategy, kicking and most importantly, getting their defence right.
“The team has been undergoing very-focussed preparation in Vannes to get ready for the Japan match,” McKee said.
“The first two days were spent mostly on defence, team strategy and kicking executions to exit our defensive 22. The focus is there to get the small things right this week. Defence must be a lot better to achieve a win.”
With Japan barely losing 33-30 to Wales last Saturday, McKee says they expect them to come into their match on a high.
“Japan will come with a lot of confidence from their narrow loss to Wales. There is pressure for us to get a positive result. The players are well aware of the importance of the game and focussing on the processes and strategies to achieve a win. If we play well and our defence is up to the standard required, the result will look after itself.”
McKee confirmed that they have lost Campese Ma’afu who suffered a fractured arm against England last Sunday while skipper Akapusi Qera also left the field with a leg injury.
“He has been getting medical treatment and training lightly this week. He is looking good to take his place in the starting line-up for this week.”