By Stanley Simpson in San Diego
Tomorrow’s test match between the Fiji Water Flying Fijians and the All Blacks will be the first time in 40 years that the two sides face each other outside of New Zealand.
The last time Fiji played NZ outside the Land of the Long White Clouds was in 1984 in Fiji where the All Blacks prevailed 45-0.
That and the previous 3 matches before that, for some reason, were not classified as tests but as tour games. In 1974 the All Blacks escaped with a 14-13 win and won the two games in 1980 by 30-6 and 33-0.
So the game in San Diego will be the first official test match between the two countries outside of New Zealand.
Since the first official test matches were recorded between the two countries, starting with the 1987 World Cup – it has been a massacre.
It has usually been 60-70 points to NZ, with Fiji scoring one or two consolation tries.
As a 10 year old I listened in on the radio to hear the beating the All Blacks gave us at the 1987 World Cup. All the painful blow by blow details called out by the great commentator Graham Eden.
We were flying high after beating Argentina only to be brutally crushed by NZ. In the next game we almost beat France who went on to play NZ in the final.
From the 74-13 that day to the 71-5 in 1997, the 68-18 in 2002, the devastating 91-0 in 2005 (I prayed that night for the score not to reach 100), the the 60-14 in 2011, and the most recent 57-23 and 60-13 in 2021.
The 57-23 game in 2021 where Johnny Dyer and Fiji dominated the breakdowns stands out as the most contested game in the modern era between the two sides.
So. The All Blacks will of course remain the All Blacks but as Fiji is rising – have they really started to close the gap?
I have arrived in San Diego to find out thanks to the support of Fiji Airways and Vodafone Fiji.
The reality is that almost everyone, based on every record and statistic available, believe the All Blacks will win by a handy margin.
But still we dream. We the ones that like to forget how the All Blacks are effectively ruthless about crushing the hopes and dreams of their opponents.
Seeing the All Blacks name 6 debutants for the game against Fiji, my former Fiji TV colleague Imraz Iqbal (he will be my photographer for the game) started reverting to the eternal hope and dream of the Fiji faithful. That we actually may have a chance of beating the All Blacks.
Can that dream be realised? Does the Fiji team agree? Do they sense an opportunity?
We never got a chance to ask as there was a temporary media blackout in place for the Fiji team when we arrived in San Diego, but coach Mick Byrne gave a more sober assessment earlier when he told media that Fiji was set to tackle the All Blacks “dynamic and physical style of play”.
“We know the challenge ahead against the All Blacks, but we are focused on our strengths and what we can bring to the game.”
“Physicality will be a key aspect of our game plan. We have worked hard to sharpen our set pieces and improve our defensive structure.”
Whatever strategy Byrne may have, he is keeping it close to his chest.
We are universally known for having strong backline players, but the Fiji team today is more balanced. Especially in the forwards where our scrums have vastly improved compared to the previous national teams whose scrums against the All Blacks would regularly struggle and be destroyed around the park. Our scrums and set pieces are generally better today although more consistency is needed.
One of our tries against the All Blacks in 2021 was actually scored from a driving maul that was taken down resulting in a penalty try.
But the All Blacks always seem to have the ability to step up to another level when challenged. The most recent example was last week against England.
Yes they have named six debutants, but five of them will start off the bench, and the starting line up still has all the familiar menacing names – Ardie Savea, Scott Barrett, Damien Mckenzie, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barret etc etc
The All Blacks team to face Fiji also has over 600 tests between them, while the majority of the Fijian reps have had just a handful of tests, aside from a few veterans.
But the Drua boys in the Fiji team have experienced beating top NZ teams like the Crusaders. All Blacks captain Scott Barrett was captain of the Crusaders team that fell in Lautoka and was wide awake to the potential threat (a small one some would say) when I asked him about his assessment of the Fijian team.
“Obviously there is a lot of Fijian Drua in the Fiji side and they will have some confidence from their form in the Super Rugby competition, so we certainly got to respect the Fiji team tomorrow night,” Barrett side.
“Like previous Fiji teams they will want to take us on. It will be about stopping their momentum, they are certainly explosive athletes from 1-23, so its about not giving them any chance, suffocating them with our defence, and hoping building pressure the way we want to.”
As we watched the All Blacks captain’s run and the massive talent and experience on show, the reality started to sink in. Yes we can always dream, but beating the All Blacks is a very difficult assignment and a massive undertaking.
So why have we come all the way to San Diego to watch two teams from the Pacific play?
As per a report from Radio New Zealand, the reason could be purely commercial.
“The whole point of this event is to grow their brand in a new territory, this time the West Coast of the United States…as well as selling the All Blacks brand, the long term goal here is to build interest in the 2031 Rugby World Cup, which is being held in the USA,” they write.
The All Blacks schedule this week has been filled with their stars involved in PR events and engaging with the US public.
The game is being billed as “Two of the biggest drawcards in World Rugby” facing each other.
So here we are. In the middle of dreams and realities, and making money and building brands, and developing rugby, in San Diego on the edge of the US border with Mexico.
Let the test match begin.
