Scotland 'not treating Fiji lightly' says Ollie Smith as squad players eager to impress at Murrayfield

Scotland back Ollie Smith is well aware of the threat Fiji pose having played in the 29-14 defeat to the Pacific Islanders in Suva last Summer.

The Glasgow Warriors’ man says they are not taking Saturday’s opponents lightly and is anticipating a physical, challenging Test match at Murrayfield for their third and final fixture of the summer. Head coach Gregor Townsend is expected to make significant changes to the starting XV and replacements from the teams that took on Argentina and South Africa, giving the likes of Smith a chance to go out and impress.

The Scots recorded and impressive win in Cordoba over Los Pumas and pushed the Springboks all the way at Loftus Versfeld, picking up a try scoring bonus point in defeat. Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians lost to Wales in Cardiff and were hammered 73-8 by England in Liverpool last weekend where they played most of the game with 14 men.

Heavy defeat against England an ‘outlier’ for Fiji as Smith expects exciting game at Murrayfield

“We see that [result against England] as a bit of an outlier,” explained Smith. “I definitely think we're not treating that result [as an indicator of what to expect this weekend].

“They're obviously a very dangerous team. You saw what they did to us last summer when we played them over there. They put us to the sword. They're a top-class team and they've done so well over the past few years.

"They've had some close results against some big teams. They nearly got themselves to a World Cup semi-final, I think, in 2023. They're not to be taken lightly. They obviously got a bit unlucky at the weekend with the red card and things like that so we're expecting a good game and we're not taking it lightly.”

Fiji are famed for their brand of fast paced, free flowing rugby which should make for an entertaining match against Scotland. Smith, who is comfortable playing in a number of positions including centre and full back, expects a busy afternoon for the back line.

He added: “We're not going to be delusional in the sense that we're going to snuff everything out and they're not going to get an offload or a line break It's how we respond off the back of that. So hustling back in defence if they get the better of us in certain areas. And also on the other side of the ball, sticking to our game plan and knowing where we can get the edge on Fiji and play our more style of rugby against them that plays in our favour.

“It's finding that balance of not getting caught in a game that's loose and maybe forcing things at times because that could play into their hands. It's maybe being a bit tighter and just being a bit smarter in certain areas of the field but also still playing our brand of rugby that's done so well in the last couple of weeks.

“I think hopefully the conditions stay like they are today, kind of warm and dry. It would suit both of us. I think we'll definitely enjoy it with a good crowd and some good weather and a dry ball hopefully. I think certainly as a back anyway. I'm not so sure about the tight five but as a back it's enjoyable.”

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