Mataiasi Stark 
Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne is expecting nothing less than a chess match in cleats when his side takes on Scotland this Saturday in Suva.
While full of praise for the Scots’ flair and structure, Byrne also made it clear: Fiji isn’t just preparing to watch the show, they’re planning to hit back hard.
Byrne said Scotland’s current game mirrors the playing style of their coach, Gregor Townsend, a former international known for his creativity and quick thinking on the field.
“Scotland are a good physical team. They’re playing good rugby. They’re well-coached. They play a lot of expansive rugby. They play quick rugby. They’re over the ball very quickly.”
He credited Townsend’s influence, describing him as a “very visual player” in his day, someone who made great decisions on the fly and believes the current Scotland outfit is an extension of that rugby brain.
“We know they’ve got all those little things in them. Gregor’s given them the licence to feel and play like he played.”
But it won’t be a one-way street, Byrne added, hinting at Fiji’s own plans to bring muscle and creativity to match.
Fiji hosts Scotland this Saturday at 3pm at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
The match will air LIVE on viti.plus for $30 FJD.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
