Former All-Black fullback and Rugby World Cup winner Mils Muliaina has tipped the Fiji Water Flying Fijians to make the quarterfinals of this year’s tournament in France.

Muliaina, who boasts an impressive 100 caps for the revered All Blacks, expresses his admiration for the Fijian side, citing the perfect blend of flair and structure that he believes could catapult them into the knockout stages.

He says it’s a testament to the dedication of the players in the Drua and those playing their trade in Europe.

The All-Black legend emphasizes the importance of solid preparation, including rigorous test matches against quality opponents, which Fiji has before their RWC campaign kicks off next month.

Muliaina says Fiji’s game against France was a good platform for their coaching staff to see where the team stands.

“You shouldn’t really take the results into consideration when it comes to these summer games because for the northern hemisphere team, it’s like a preseason for them so they’re coming through they’re trying to establish their game plan. For us southern hemisphere we’ve played the hard super rugby we’re coming into the world cup differently bringing guys from Europe, particularly for Fiji inside. I think they’ll be a lot better. I think you know once they play England, they’re under pressure.”

Muliaina says it’s these challenging encounters that will sharpen the Flying Fijians’ skills and forge their unity ahead of the tournament.

The 43-year-old, who played a pivotal role in the AB’s 2011 RWC triumph, is even optimistic that if Fiji makes it into the knockout stages, they could even defy all odds and surge even higher.

Fiji plays England in their last test at 2.15 am this Sunday.