Fiji rugby players saluting the crowd after their recent win over Japan in the World Cup. Photo / Reuters
MONTPELLIER - Fiji are considering fielding a weakened team in Sunday's World Cup match against Australia to save their best players for the following game against Wales.
The Pacific Islanders are currently level with Australia on 10 points at the top of Pool B after defeating Japan and
Canada and coach Ilie Tabua believes their best chance of making the quarterfinals comes from beating Wales.
"Knowing that our following match is a three-day turnaround, we need certain players rested and we need to vary it around knowing that Australia would have looked at all our games so far and assessed all our players," Tabua told reporters on Tuesday.
"It doesn't mean we will not put out a good team. We may have a different nucleus to what we have had in the past two matches but we will put out a side with a mix of both senior players and younger players."
Tabua, who represented both Australia and Fiji as a player at different World Cups, said there was an obvious danger attached to focusing everything on the match against Wales so he has warned his players just to focus on the Wallabies.
"We don't want to look past Australia -- first things first," he said. "People are talking about Wales, but no, we have a game at hand and this is a game that counts first, then Wales."
Fiji captain Mosese Rauluni, who is expected to miss the game against Australia, said his team had not given up hope of pulling off an upset against the Wallabies despite the prospect of fielding a weakened lineup.
"Everyone is talking about Wales but if we can knock Australia off it makes it a lot easier for us in the pool," he said. "Whatever team we pick, it's a squad of 30, those boys are just as capable as us.
"I know the young boys are raring to go, they haven't had a run yet and if they do get a chance I know they will do their best for Fiji."
- REUTERS
