There is only so much that can be done in the space of a six‑day training camp and coach Michael Cheika isn’t expecting that his side’s opening Test against the Vodafone Flying Fijians will be flawless or anything close.
As much as Cheika wants his side to have both sides of the ball covered, it is defence that he will judge most critically.
In that respect, the Vodafone Flying Fijians are about as accommodating an opponent as Australia could wish for.
Not for no reason is their Test side known as the Flying Fijians and with attackers abounding, including two members of their historic Rio Olympics gold‑medal winning sevens side, Leone Nakarawa and Vilame Mata, they will test the Wallabies defence at every turn.
Hooper, indeed, has vivid memories of them challenging Australia on virtually all fronts when the two sides clashed in their opening pool game of the 2015 World Cup.
Yet this will be only the third time in the professional era that Fiji has played the Wallabies outside of the World Cup or its qualifying matches.
There were few surprises when Cheika finalised his bench yesterday. Moore, Powell and Hardwick aside, he went for prop Toby Smith and Sekope Kepu, lock Rory Arnold and goalkicking backs Quade Cooper and Reece Hodge.
The Wallabies will host the Vodafone Flying Fijians at 5 this afternoon.
Source: The Australian
