Wallabies can’t afford to invite Fiji into the game – Drua Coach

Australia is going to have to be on in defence because this Fijian side is an 80-minute side with a lot of talent, hard running, and Australia, like Wales, are going to have make their tackles.

Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne stated this saying the Wallabies can’t afford to invite Fiji into the game.

Byrne, who has been a part of three successful World Cup campaigns says the Wallabies need to hang on to the ball, if they toss up loose balls and they have loose carries, they’re asking for trouble against any Fijian team.

The Drua coach says nothing’s changed in that area for 20 years, that’s nothing new.

During a press-conference Fiji Water Flying Fijians Assistant coach, Graham Dewes was asked about the thought behind switching Semi Radradra and Josua Tuisova from centre to wing.

Dewes says every game is double-or-quits for Fiji.

He adds they will be looking to get the basics right against the Wallabies, something they failed to do against Wales.

Wallabies Assistant coach, Jason Ryles says obviously Fiji has a lot of individuals that are very talented, very athletic, some of the best ball carriers in the world, so that’s going to be a huge challenge for their defence.

Ryles says Fiji’s ability to break tackles and contest the breakdown and then also play off the back of that, is second to none.

Asked whether defence was going to win the match against Fiji, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones says the Wallabies have to stop Fiji dead in their tracks from the outset.

Lalakai Foketi, the Wallabies midfielder who will come off the bench, says the Wallabies know the attacking threat coming at them.

Foketi says whoever they put at 12 or winger or seven – it doesn’t matter, they’re going to be hard to tackle.

The centre says if they can stop them in their tracks and get two on that tackle and then try and get the next defensive person around the ball for the offloads, that’s a big focus.

He says but obviously, as everyone knows, Fijians are really hard to tackle and they’re made out of stone.

Foketi says so again, they’ve just got to get numbers around the ball as they know Fiji loves to offload.

He says every time they go into a tackle, they’ve got to have the mindset of trying to stop them there.

Fiji play the Wallabies at 3.45am tomorrow.

Source: The Roar