Flying Fijians scrums coach Graham Dewes says the team will be banking on barnstorming winger turned centre Josua Tuisova to keep their Rugby World Cup hopes alive against Australia on Monday.
After going down 32-26 to Wales in the opening match earlier this week, the encounter against the Wallabies is a must-win clash for the Flying Fijians.
Head coach Simon Raiwalui has promoted the bullocking power-running Tuisova to the starting line-up at inside centre, with Semi Radradra moving to the left wing and Vinaya Habosi dropping to the bench.
“We want to give Josua a go. He’s a big power-runner,” Dewes told AFP.
“We see Australia as a team that has a lot of power-runners as well and we want to bring some of our biggest power-runners online from the start.”
A defeat at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium could certainly end Fiji’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals this year but Dewes said “every game is double-or-quits” for Fiji.
He said they will be looking to get the basics right against the Wallabies, something they failed to do against Wales.
“For us, reflecting on last week’s game, if we had done a few things, nailed the basics, we would have nailed those opportunities that we had.”
“So it’s the same thing, nothing changes, just do the basics and our natural game will flow.
“Those offloads will come into play when we get a good front ball. It’s just playing the natural Fijian style.”
Fiji will face Australia at 3.45am in Saint Etienne.
