Hi everyone! Hope you all are in good health in this time of the Pandemic. It is with great privilege that I wish to share my thoughts on the upcoming two test matches between THE ALL BLACKS and THE FLYING FIJIANS which will be held on the 10th & 17th of July respectively. For the purpose of this article, I will be providing my verdict on the 1st test match scheduled for 10th July 2021.
Before I dive into the history of this eagerly awaited fixture, look into the squad of the two sides and provide my opinion on which way I think this game one of two will go, I must highlight the fact that such fixtures don’t come around very often, which very nicely leads me to look at the history of the two teams.
History of clashes
The ALL BLACKS and FIJI have met each other nine times with the ALL BLACKS winning all of them. The biggest win against Fiji came in 2005 when the thrashed them 91-0 at North Harbor Stadium in Auckland.
The closest encounter between the two sides was in 1974, when they met for the first time in Suva (Fiji’s capital), where the visitors edged the hosts 14-13, unfortunately, this was not given a test status as nine players were backed in Suva.
The last meeting between the ALL BLACKS and FIJI was in 2011 at Carisbrook in Dunedin, New Zealand where the hosts emerged 60-14 victors. https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/history-nz-v-fiji
ALL BLACKS V FLYING FIJIANS 2021
It has been 10 long years since these teams have come head to head with each other which makes this a fascinating clash. It also adds the rivalry factor in the version of the game, as well as the fact that both sides have different sets of players compared to the previous meeting, new coaches which means new approaches and strategies, while the objective remains one for both teams and that is to get a WIN!
Squads
All Blacks Lineup
Flying Fijians Lineup
My pick for this match
I think the All Blacks will win this one, not because they have never lost to Fiji but amount of game time they have had and especially the game against Tonga last week (where they were victorious 102-0) shows how ruthless their attacking can be if it is not contained by the opposition.
Having picked the All Blacks as the winner of this game does not mean that I am ruling Fiji totally out of the contest, no absolutely not, I do know and understand that they are side capable of beating anybody when they are at their best. And they have to bring their A game tonight.
So with that, I’ll leave you with the 2011 match highlights between All Blacks and Fiji. All the best to both the sides.
IN THE WHITE 