Play smart, says Coach

Fiji Water Flying Fijians interim coach Senirusi Seruvakula says his side will stick to its attacking brand of rugby against England but must improve its discipline and decision-making after letting victory slip against Wales.

The Flying Fijians face England this weekend at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, England on Sunday 1am (Fiji time).

He said improving the set piece would also be a priority against a powerful England pack.

“Our offloading game is one of our biggest weapons, but we have to know when to play and when to keep possession.

“Sometimes we need to take contact, secure the breakdown and build pressure instead of forcing passes.

“Our scrum and line-out need to improve. England are strong up front and we’ve been working hard on those areas this week.”

He added last week’s loss was disappointing, and they have learnt a lot of lessons.

Despite the defeat, Seruvakula believes the performance showed Fiji can compete with Tier One nations.

“It was a good benchmark for us. We now know where we stand against Tier One opposition and there are plenty of lessons we can take into this week’s game.

“We have to be disciplined on both sides of the ball, be patient when we have possession, win our collisions and play our style of rugby.”

He said the squad had recovered well from the disappointment in Cardiff.

“The players are in good health. We’ve reviewed the Wales game and everyone knows how painful that loss was.

“Our first training sessions have been encouraging, and the boys have brought plenty of energy.”

Seruvakula said Fiji would continue to play with flair but need to be smarter about when to attack.

Despite England’s dominant record over Fiji, Seruvakula said confidence within the squad remained high.

“Everyone wants to represent Fiji against England. Last week’s defeat hurt, but we’ll do everything we can to bounce back.”

Fiji will face England at 1am on Sunday (Fiji time).