Fiji out to prove their worth

Fiji coach Wayne Pivac. Herald file picture

There couldn't be a greater contrast between the two international rugby teams currently touring New Zealand, but Fiji coach Wayne Pivac hopes that won't be reflected in their on-field efforts against the All Blacks.

While the Lions carry the greatest financial, managerial and playing resources of any team in the sport's history, the Fijians have been hastily brought together with skeletal support staff and will play to a backdrop of financial strife in their homeland.

Tomorrow's test against the All Blacks at North Harbour Stadium is another good chance for Pivac to measure his world No 9-ranked team's progress, having taken encouragement from the 27-29 loss to New Zealand Maori in Suva last Friday.

"The first thing is respectability. We're striving to be further up the world rankings and one day we'd like to be treated as a tier one nation. To do that we have to have credible results when we play sides such as the All Blacks," Pivac said.

"It's also good for us to expose weaknesses in our side. That will happen in pressure situations and we'd rather expose those now than three months out from a World Cup."

Former Northland and Auckland coach Pivac is contracted by Fiji through to the 2007 World Cup.

He relishes the challenge of bringing the best of out of the natural talent in the islands, and is hopeful regular contact with major nations can maintain the current high level of interest in Fiji.

"People haven't been keener. We've just won a World Cup sevens in Hong Kong. Sevens isn't that big in world rugby in a lot of countries but certainly in Fiji it's the number one sport really," he said.

"To be the world champions, they'll live off that for another three years.

"Rugby is certainly played in every village and every kid growing up throws a coconut around or an empty water bottle or coke bottle or rugby ball if they're lucky enough to get their hands on it. Rugby is thriving."

Pivac isn't as upbeat about the running of the game in Fiji, a funding crisis last month seeing him consider joining two other members of management who walked out on the national team before the Fijian government contributed $1.2 million.

"There's a debt there. I'm a coach, I stay out of most of that but when it affects the team, obviously I have to be involved" he said.

"The government's stepped in but we certainly need a lot more for me to be able to carry out my job that I've gone to Fiji to do and that's to develop rugby and coaches in Fiji."

While it was fashionable to blame the International Rugby Board (IRB) for financial problems in the islands, Pivac said the problem lay closer to home.

"We've got to look fairly and squarely at ourselves and that's the Fiji Rugby Union," he said.

"We have an arm of the business which is there to generate funding and they just haven't been able to come up with the money.

"The IRB has been very supportive. There's some money coming to tier two nations shortly and hopefully we'll get a share of that."

Pivac has had more success than usual rounding up his best players. He was probably four-five players away from his top team.

The most notable absentees are Seru Rabeni -- "probably our best" -- and winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca, missing for disciplinary reasons.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry said Fiji's lively performance against New Zealand Maori showed they would not be the easy-beats many predict.

"It was 38 degrees and the ground was like a rock (in Suva)," he said.

"I think both of them will play better in their next fixture because they'll be playing in more pleasant rugby conditions. So I think they'll both step up."

Henry rated the Fijian lineout and their traditional pace out wide, particularly wingers Sireli Bobo and Vilimoni Delasau.

"Their wingers would be as quick as anything in the world.

"Your kicking game needs to be quite astute. You don't give them any ball floating around, you've got to put pressure on them."

- NZPA