Raiwalui gets Sam backing to lead top Fiji campaign
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 21: Sam Matavesi of Northampton Saints catches the ball during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Northampton Saints and Bristol Bears at Franklin's Gardens on March 21, 2021 in Northampton, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Sam Matavesi is confident the appointment of Simon Raiwalui as Fiji's head coach will minimise the loss of Vern Cotter who resigned in January, nine months before the World Cup.
Fiji, as was the case in 2019, are in the same pool as Australia, Wales and Georgia and there were concerns that Cotter's sudden departure would disrupt their preparations.
But Northampton hooker Matavesi believes the arrival of Raiwalui, a former Fiji captain who played for Saracens, Sale, Newport and Racing 92, will give them every chance of getting out of their group in France.
“He is a really good appointment, “ said Matavesi, who last week signed a new contract with Northampton having joined the club in 2019.
“He has been on the scene for a while and has been Fiji's high performance director. He is similar to Vern in that he is a straight talker. Some of the senior players have had a chat with hm and it looks very promising.
“He is keeping the majority of the coaching staff and what will be different for us from previous World Cups is the time we will spend together before the tournament.
“We will be in camp for more than two months, which is unheard of. If selected, I will be flying to Fiji at the end of June for two weeks training. We play Samoa, Tonga and Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup and then have warm-up matches against France and England. There is a lot of planning going into it and they are looking to be a bit smarter about how they do things. It is exciting, but it is still a while away.”
Fiji pushed Australia and Wales hard four years ago but lost to Uruguay in a frustrating campaign, but the last time the World Cup was staged in France in 2007, they made the quarter-finals after defeating Wales in Nantes.
“We learned in 2019 that rugby is an 80-minute game,” said the 22-cap Matavesi. “We did well for 60 minutes against Australia and Wales but we fell off.
“It is a tough competition but we have the players to get us to the quarter-final. Our biggest test is whether we can do it over a long period of time, and with 15 men on the pitch.”
Matavesi, who balances rugby with his career in the Royal Navy. said he had not hesitation in signing a new deal with Northampton.
“I remain very grateful to the Royal Navy for allowing me to continue to play rugby at the elite level, and to the coaches at Saints for their understanding of my role within the Navy,” said the 31-year old.
“I love the environment at Northampton, and the opening up of the new training centre this month shows this is a club that is doing all the right things to get better.
“Lifting a trophy with Saints is a huge target for me. We know we can beat any side on our day.
“It is just about finding consistency.”
