Wallabies warned Fiji will target their players with Fijian heritage in World Cup game

For the Wallabies with Fijian heritage lining up against the island nation this weekend, the World Cup pool game will have some extra spice.

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 09: Marika Koroibete of Australia looks on as he walks out of the tunnel prior to the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Georgia at Stade de France on September 09, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

So much for the notion that this weekend’s World Cup clash between the Wallabies and Fiji is going to be some sort of friendly Pacific Islander get-together.

For the seven players of Fijian heritage in the Wallabies team, it’s going to be a real belter – perhaps literally.

All the players both in Fiji playing against their birth land have been warned they will be targeted for special treatment. That’s code for getting bashed.

Established Australian stars Marika Koroibete and Samu Kerevi have faced the wrath of the Fijians before but it’s a new experience for Suliasi Vunivalu, the latest NRL winger making his World Cup debut for the Wallabies.

He asked his teammates what to expect and got the news he didn't want to hear.

Marika Koroibete says the Fijian team pays special attention to Wallabies with Fijian heritage. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I was actually speaking to Marika about this, about their last World Cup and what they were saying,” Vunivalu said.

“(I asked him) were they like trying to aim at them like Fijian-on-Fijian?

“And he was saying, yeah, they were mentioning stuff to Samu like ‘belt him, belt him’ in Fijian.

“And I was like, ‘Did Samu know?’ and he was like, ‘No, I didn’t want to tell Samu about that.’

“I think they'll be looking forward to the same situation this week.”

It’s not just the Fijians in the Wallabies team who are bracing for a bruising match.

All the players have been warned to expect a ferocious contest from start to finish with both sides featuring plenty of hardened NRL players and coaches.

Former Kangaroo and State of Origin star Jason Ryles, who is working as the Wallabies’ attack coach, said the Australians would need to be both brave and smart to come out on top.

“Obviously they’ve got a lot of individuals that are very talented, very athletic, some of the best ball carriers in the world, so that’s going to be a huge challenge for our defence,” he said.

Samu Kerevi was targeted by Fiji at the last World Cup. Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

“They’ve only lost two games this season, they’ve beaten Wales, they’ve beaten some top tier teams, they’ve beaten England as well,

“Their ability to break tackles and contest the breakdown and then also play off the back of that, a bit of Fiji footy off the back of that speed of ball, is second to none. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”

The Wallabies opened their World Cup account last weekend with a 35-15 win over Georgia but it was a far from perfect performance.

They earned a valuable bonus point for scoring four tries but conceded two and Ryles said they will need to defend much better against the dangerous Fijians.

“We believe if we play near our best, then we’re going to be hard to beat. It doesn’t mean we’re going to win every game but we’re starting to believe and have confidence within the group,” he said.

“While we haven’t had a lot of wins on the board, we’re certainly tracking in the right direction in the things we see as important. This week is just another step to that.

“We’re focusing on both sides of the footy but there is certainly a heightened awareness around our defence.”

Former NRL player Semi Radradra is one of Fiji’s big threats. Picture: Charly Triballeau/AFP

The biggest threat to Australia is Semi Radradra, the former Parramatta Eels flyer now based in France, less than an hour from St Etienne, where the teams will meet in the World Cup.

The ‘Semi Trailer’ had a good game against Wales last weekend but dropped the ball on the final play with the line wide open with Fiji still in with a chance of winning.

The Wallabies have been warned he’ll be out to make amends this weekend.

“He’s one of those guys that bend the line and they like to play off the back of him,” Ryles said.

“In open space they look for him. He’s a huge influence on their team and one of the guys that we’re certainly going to have to make sure we’re doing a good job on.”

Originally published as Wallabies warned Fiji will target their players with Fijian heritage in World Cup game