Fiji coach Mick Byrne looks ahead

Several Test matches have been lined up for the Flying Fijians this year, starting with the Wallabies on 6 July, Scotland the following weekend and at least four for during the Pacific Nations Cup in late July.

There are three proposed matches on the end of the year Europe tour.

Head coach Mick Byrne is hopeful that they could play more but said they will work with what they have at the moment.

"We could be into the stage where we've got 25 Test matches to go before we play the World Cup, so we've got to make sure that we start to really bed down some of our systems, bed down some of our combinations," he said.

"We've got to start sooner than later, because, you know, 25 games is really only one season of football.

"So we've got one season of football to bed down our systems and selections for the World Cup."

Byrne has revealed he and his coaching team will look at all player options available, including talking with three former All Blacks who will be eligible to play for the Fijians at the 2027 world event.

Utility looseman Pita Gus Sowakula, 30, made his last All Blacks appearance in July 2022, so he would be eligible to play for Fiji at the Pacific Nations Cup.

Prop George Bower, 32, also last played for the All Blacks in November 2022 while Blues number eight Hoskins Sotutu, 26, becomes eligible for both Fiji and England this year.

He is still contracted with New Zealand Rugby until 2026.

Byrne told RNZ Pacific he and his team will be chatting to the three players next week about their interests.

"I think it's important that we reach out and find out whether they're interested in doing that [playing for Fiji]," Byrne said.

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"A couple of them have dual citizenship, so they've got dual eligibility. We'll be reaching out and making contact.

"And once they've indicated that they are prepared to pursue that, then we'll keep an eye on them. We'll put them in our selection profiles and we'll continue to monitor their form.

"If their form warrant selection into our national team then we will be welcoming them with open arms."

Abundance of talent

Byrne said he has been following competition across Europe and is excited to see what the new Super Rugby Pacific competition will be like, especially how players will perform.

A number of young players are also making their mark in different competitions across Europe, including the French Top 14.

Byrne said 2024 was a "rushed year" for him taking over the Flying Fijian head coach job, straight after the Super Rugby competition with the Fijian Drua.

But now with more time on hand he has been able to monitor the performances of players across the globe and the different competitions.

"We have, along with the coaching staff, been able to have a good look at our player pool, and we'll be able to monitor them during both the Northern hemisphere seasons, which are underway at the moment, and the Super Rugly as it starts in a couple of weeks' time," he said.

"So it's a great opportunity for us to have a look at the playing pool, work through selection. There's a couple of interesting names that are appearing on the market over the next couple of years that we'll have a look at that.

"The beauty about our team is that there's a lot of potential players, you know, plying their trade overseas, that we can keep an eye on as well. But very much looking forward to the start of Super Rugby, and obviously, with the Drua's first home game against the Brumbies, that'll be a big one for us to start the season at home in Fiji."

Lessons learned

Byrne said 2024 was a big learning for him, the coaching staff and the team, with a lot more positives than negative recorded.

Having players gather from around 12 different competitions across the globe meant getting to know and understand the system was going to take some time.

"And they've all got their own playing styles and playing systems. And it's very hard when you come to an international program, because you only got a week to learn a new system," Byrne said.

"It takes a few weeks for everyone to get better and I think by the end of it, we had a really good situation going. The players were on board with everything we were doing and they understood what we were trying to do.

"And we made good gains there, and we'll continue to grow our game and our game plan over the coming year. So, one of the big things was our ability to get our new game plan in place."

He said they are excited for what 2025 could bring, especially in playing against top opposition, and having an eye out for the 2027 World Cup.

That means player selections will also be tilting towards young players who can replace some of the older hands.

"When I got appointed in the role, I made the comment that we would use 2024, as a season, to just get on and play and look at the existing squad and work with that," the former All Blacks kicking coach said.

"So, this year, we've got one eye on 2027 with our selections, and it's very important that we give players that we think will be there in 2027 an opportunity to play test matches."

One of the biggest learnings for Byrne and his team has been the fact that the Flying Fijians need to be competitive for 80 minutes of Test matches, matching the standards of Tier One teams.

He said this is one area he would be encouraging players on as they fight for selection into the Flying Fijians' squad.

"Get as fit as you can," he said.

"We can play a great rugby game, and when we're fit at the start of our big games, we compete with anybody.

"It's just our ability to go for 80 minutes at that high Tier One intensity."

He said players need to work hard on their game intensity training and keep playing well wherever they are playing in.

A worrying trend he has also seen is some players slack off when they have a good environment where they and their family are enjoying life.

"A lot of our players find themselves in really good environments, and they enjoy their rugby and have a great time, which is great for their families," he said.

"But I think if you want to make the next step, you have to really commit to improving. And for us, it's really about game intensity. Really look at improving your game intensity and continue to play well."

Byrne is expected to name his first squad for the 2025 season in early June, in time for the Wallabies Test in July.

Fijian Drua pre-season underway

Meanwhile, the Fijian Drua start their Super Rugby Pacific pre-season on Friday afternoon, against the Rugby Football Club of Los Angeles in Lautoka.

It will be the first time a Super Rugby team is playing against a Major Rugby League side out of the USA.

Kick off is scheduled for 3pm Fiji time at Churchill Park.

The Super Rugby Pacific season proper begins 14 February.