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With the flying Fijians coming off a narrow defeat to the Wallabies last weekend, and the Scotland team defeating the Maori All Blacks 29-26, things are likely to get heated in Suva on Saturday, 12th July.
Even before the main course gets underway, the curtain-raiser has been moved to the same ground as the Fiji Army and British Army face off at HFC Bank Stadium.
Scotland’s visit to Fiji is only for a one-off test, and it will be their first on Fijian soil since 2017. The last time the two did face each other was in November last year when Scotland trounced Fiji 57-17, and Darcy Graham scored four tries, although that was a game that took place outside of the designated international window and was not a full-strength team from Fiji.
Overall, the sides have played each other ten times, with the Scots winning 8 of those, but Fiji has won both times they have played at Suva (their only wins).
Coming into this weekend’s Test, Scotland are ranked 9th and Fiji 7th according to World Rugby. In terms of permutations, a Scotland win combined with a draw or a defeat for Argentina will see the Scots move above Los Pumas into sixth. However, if Fiji are victorious by more than 15 points, they will move up to eighth and the Scots would then drop two places to ninth.
The Fijian Head Coach Mick Byrne has made only two changes to the starting XV that so nearly made it back-to-back wins over the Wallabies in Newcastle last week (losing at the death 21-18), as prop Mesake Doge comes in for Peni Ravai, while Sireli Maqala replaces Iosefo Balewairiki at outside centre. Byrne said they are spoiled for choice in the centre selections with Balewairiki, Tuisova, Maqala, and Botitu all available.
Set pieces are one area the Fijians struggled last week, winning just 71% of their own scrums and 67% of their own lineout throws.
There are 11 Fiji Drua players in the matchday squad, and Byrne said that the Scots will be physical and they need to be extra vigilant at the breakdown, which is where he thinks they will target them. “We must make sure we’re ready for that. There were areas we improved in the second half last week, and we’ll keep working on those.”
Sam Wye could make his debut at scrum half after being included among the reserves ahead of Philip Baselala. Elsewhere, Vilimoni Botitu adds cover among the centres.
Of the opposition, Bryne, who is a former Scotland Skills Coach, added, “I know the Scottish players too well. They’ll come tight. They’ll be a good group of players when they come together. We need to match them on Saturday. It’s going to be a great game and it’s going to be worthwhile turning up to watch.”
The Scotland side will see Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke earn his first Scotland cap in Suva after he was involved in the win over the Maori All Blacks last weekend and starts at fly-half in a side with plenty of experience and attacking threats, notably Darcy Graham on the right wing and vice-captian Kyke Steyn on the opposite wing making his comeback after nearly 12 months away due to several injury setbacks.
Burke is a New Zealand under-20 international who qualifies for Scotland through his grandfather.
Head Coach Stuart Townsend has selected Rory Darge to captain the side for the first time on the tour, and in addition to Kyle Steyn as VC, Grant Gilchrist is the fellow vice-captain.
The loose forwards see the return of Matt Fagerson, at No 8, his first run in the Scottish jersey since April after recovering well from an ankle injury, and his backrow partners are Darge and Jamie Ritchie.
Townsend said, “The players have been switched on this week, and it's a new group of players that get to play together in a Test match. They know the standards have been set at a really high bar last week…. Fiji are a very good rugby team and a very physical rugby team.”
Of debutant Fergus Burke, he said, ”He gets his first start and we have been really impressed with him throughout the Six Nations, and he has trained at a high standard. He has a running game and game management to put us in positions to do damage against Fiji this weekend.”
Pieter de Villiers, the Scottish scrum coach, said the team they will face this weekend is very different to the one they last played in November.
“Playing them at (their) home where there will be a lot of support and where they want to do well, I think it’s quite a physical Fiji side at the moment as well. So yes, we expect a strong challenge from them, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) is the match official for this Test.
Next weekend, Scotland will take on Samoa in Auckland. They are without eight players who are in Australia with the British & Irish Lions tour.