Fiji’s head coach Mick Byrne was always expecting a “tough night” against the All Blacks as they succumbed to a 47-5 loss in San Diego.
The Fijians started the contest strongly, holding the All Blacks out for the first few possessions and competing well for the first quarter of the game.
After falling behind they were able to strike back with a superb try to fullback Vilimoni Botitu who got the last pass inside after a cross-field kick out to the left to Semi Radradra.
They almost had a second, if not for a put down blunder by winger Jiuta Wainiqolo who spilled the ball in the process of scoring in the corner.
“We knew we were in for a tough night, one of the best teams in the world,” Byrne said.
“We went out there and did everything we could to get on, been on the front foot, I thought, for the first 20-25 minutes, it was a great battle.
“Couple of little loose ball carries set up a couple of tries for them. We did come back. Well, we scored. Probably just the way the numbers continually coming at us around the corner, and but it was great night for us. Good spirit shown, and we took a lot of great learnings out of it.
“Having only been together for a very short period of time, you don’t have much control.”
The new head coach was happy with the endeavour that side showed, willing to test the All Blacks and match their intent with ball-in-hand.
There were periods of decent phase play attack where Fiji rolled down the field on New Zealand.
But it was on defence where the All Blacks put the blowtorch on Fiji, with their ruck speed shortening up the defensive line too much.
“I think when we come together, we’re always looking to get better,” he said.
“I thought a couple of times with their speed of the ball, we got defensively, we got a little bit narrow. But you know, that’s going to happen in all games.
“We’ve just got to continue to to work through that, you know. And I thought that, you know, we missed a couple of little opportunities there when we got behind the line, some of those passes stick, and if they’d stuck tonight, we would have put a couple more points on the board.
“So all in all, I thought the big thing for us was to go out there and play with the spirit we know we can play, and I believe we did that.”
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