Fiji Water Flying Fijians coach Mick Byrne says the team has shown significant improvement in their recent Test matches against the Wallabies and Scotland, and believes they are on the right track heading into the Pacific Nations Cup next month.
Byrne says one of the key positives was their improved defensive effort, especially in the closing stages of matches, an area that had previously led to costly penalties and opposition points.
He says their defence really stood up under pressure, and that was pleasing to see.
As the team shifts its focus to the PNC, Byrne says the work done around the contact area has been strong, and while there’s still room to improve at the breakdown, he believes there are more gains to be made.
He also highlighted handling errors as an issue, noting the team created several scoring opportunities but couldn’t convert due to dropped balls.
Byrne says finishing off those plays comes down to more time on the training field.
He says some players had not played for four or five weeks, so the touch was a bit off, but with a few consistent weeks together, they will see a big difference.
The Flying Fijians will open their PNC campaign against Tonga at 3pm on the 30th of August at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
