Murrayfield making an effort to make Fiji feel at home as 'challenging' Scotland situation avoided
Nations Championship is not a level playing field for Pacific islanders
Technically, it’s Fiji’s home game. In reality, Saturday’s match against Scotland at Murrayfield is the final match of a three-game European tour for the islanders.
While the Nations Championship is designed to raise standards and bring a more competitive and cohesive edge to the summer and autumn Test windows, it’s not entirely a level playing field.
The big four Southern Hemisphere sides have enjoyed home advantage in the new tournament this summer but Fiji have had to play Wales in Cardiff and England in Liverpool before the match in Edinburgh. They will return north in the autumn to take on France, Ireland and Italy.
“Yeah, maybe unfair,” acknowledged Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach. “I think it would be great if they were able to host games, but we were there last year and the feeling was that they weren't going to be able to do that.”
Their stadium in Suva holds around 15,000 and is deemed too small for the Nations Championship which is a joint venture run by the Six Nations and Sanzaar. Fiji and Japan have the status of “invitational teams”.
England have not been there since 1991
Scotland, to be fair, are one of the few Six Nations teams who have made the effort to play in Fiji, with Townsend taking his squad there in 2017 and again last summer. Fiji won both times to highlight how formidable they are at home. England, meanwhile, have not played there since 1991.
Unfortunately for Fiji, in the brave new world of the Nations Championship, the top teams’ travel schedules and economic expediency have been prioritised. Fiji will get a decent cut of Saturday’s gate money - a 50,000-plus attendance is expected - and are likely to earn more from playing in the UK than they would at home.
Townsend also pointed out that most of their players are based in Europe so there were “positives and negatives” to Fiji playing here. But the Scotland coach also knows how tough it is playing in the heat and humidity of Suva against brutally physical opponents who have some of the most brilliantly gifted players in world rugby.
“I think they're a real positive force in world rugby,” added Townsend.
Playing in Edinburgh certainly avoids a travel headache for Scotland who have already been to Cordoba and Pretoria in the last fortnight.
“I think it would be very difficult to work this tournament, having to go Argentina, South Africa and Fiji in three weeks,” said Townsend. “Very challenging. I'm not saying it was impossible, but I know that would have been challenging for every team.”
Efforts will be made to make Fiji feel at home. Their coaches will occupy the box usually used by Townsend and his assistants and Fijian warriors will lead the team into Murrayfield. There will be no pipe band but rather a Fijian choir and the branding around the tunnel and elsewhere will be around Senirusi Seruvakula’s team. There will also be a strong Fiji-themed military presence in the build-up.
The warm weather forecast will help with the illusion that this is a Fiji home game and so too will the fact that the West Fan Village at Murrayfield is being transformed into a “vibrant Fijian village” complete with traditional bures, the thatched huts common to Fijian villages. There will also be meke performances and Fijian cuisine.
Cut Wales to pieces in attack
As for the rugby, Stafford McDowall is expecting a reaction from opponents who suffered a heavy 73-8 loss at the hands of England last weekend, having been beaten 39-24 by Wales the previous week.
“We've looked at the results the last couple of weeks, they'll be disappointed, but, we look at those as a bit of an anomaly,” said McDowall who will captain Scotland. “I thought they played really well against Wales in typical Fiji fashion, they were cutting them to pieces in attack, but probably just couldn't quite get over the line, and then against England obviously things didn’t go their way.
“There are maybe other reasons for that, but we know we're probably going to get a different beast here tomorrow. They're a proud nation, proud people who love rugby, so we're going to see the best version of them I think.”
Their team certainly looks a lot stronger than it did when they last visited Murrayfield, in 2024. They were without their French-based players on that occasion and lost 57-17.
For McDowall, the honour of captaining Scotland for the fifth time is something to relish. “This is the first Tier 1 side [I’ve captained against] so I’m really looking forward to getting another chance to do it, particularly at Murrayfield in the sunshine. I know it's technically an away game, but I'm really excited for it.
“I played when we beat them here in November 2024. I was off the bench that day, then didn’t play last summer, so this will be my second time against them and first time starting.
“They’re always dangerous. I guess it'll be a different experience because they didn't have a lot of the French-based players when we played them here at Murrayfield, whereas last summer they had their full squad and obviously they've got everyone available for selection here.”
Having beaten Argentina so impressively and pushed South Africa all the way, it’s been a solid start to the Nations Championship for Scotland and they will look to sign off for the summer with a win on Saturday. Playing back at Murrayfield for the first time since the famous win over France in the Six Nations, they should have too much for visitors who will be missing most of their home comforts.
Fiji v Scotland teams
Nations Championship, Saturday, 2:10pm, Murrayfield
Fiji: 15. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula; 14. Selestino Ravutaumada, 13. Virimi Vakatawa, 12. Josua Tuisova, 11. Jiuta Wainiqolo; 10. Caleb Muntz, 9. Frank Lomani; 1. Eroni Mawi, 2. Tevita Ikanivere (capt), 3. Mesake Doge, 4. Isoa Nasilasila, 5. Temo Mayanavanua, 6. Pita Gus Sowakula, 7. Lekima Tagitagivalu, 8. Elia Canakaivata. Replacements: 16. Sam Matavesi, 17. Livai Natave, 18. Peni Ravai, 19. Mesake Vocevoce, 20. Kitione Salawa, 21. Sam Wye, 22. Isikeli Rabitu, 23. Salesi Rayasi..
Scotland: 15. Tom Jordan; Darcy Graham; Ollie Smith, 12. Stafford McDowall (capt), 11. Duhan van der Merwe; 10. Fergus Burke, 9. George Horne; 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. Gregor Hiddleston, 3. D’arcy Rae, 4. Jonny Gray, 5. Max Williamson, 6. Josh Bayliss, 7. Freddy Douglas, 8. Gregor Brown. Replacements: 16. Seb Stephen, 17. Pierre Schoeman, 18. Zander Fagerson, 19. Scott Cummings, 20. Magnus Bradbury, 21. Liam McConnell, 22. Jamie Dobie, 23. Sione Tuipulotu.
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU).
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