Timoci Nagusa on Fiji rugby challenges and Jake White’s appointment, Digi Mart USA News: Ahead of the clash between the France national team and Fiji, former Fiji winger Timoci Nagusa shared his analysis of the difficulties facing his national side. The former Montpellier winger, who has 33 caps for Fiji, believes individual talent is no longer enough to compete with the world’s best nations.
Nagusa, 39, who previously played for MHR, said he has high hopes that the arrival of Jake White as head coach could be a major turning point for the team. He said he knows White well from their time together at MHR between 2014 and 2017.
Speaking to Midi Libre, Nagusa expressed full confidence in the South African coach: “I know him very well. I am very happy that he is here.
He is a very intelligent man. He has a lot of experience, he has coached in different countries, and above all, he has won a lot of competitions.
Wherever he has gone, he has succeeded. At Montpellier, he wanted to win, he applied his method, and he helped the club win its first major title (2016, European Challenge Cup).
We need him.”
Beyond White’s record, Nagusa believes he brings the rigor needed to strengthen Fijian rugby. He pointed to his former coach’s working methods: “First of all, remember one thing.
Before being a coach, he was a teacher, so he knows how to be strict. He tells you exactly what he wants, what you must do, and how you must do it.
Fiji needs that, a structure.”
On paper, Fiji has players capable of changing a match at any moment. However, that individual wealth does not always translate into collective effectiveness.
According to Nagusa, the main problem is a lack of familiarity between the internationals.
He explained why Fijian players sometimes struggle to make the most of their potential: “It’s true. When you look at the names, you think, wow, it’s going to be explosive.
But these guys have to learn to play together. And that’s the problem: the players do not spend enough time together to build reference points.”
Another difficulty is that some players do not play in the same position for their club as for the national team. Nagusa highlighted the consequences of these position changes: “In the Top 14, many do not play in the same position as with the national team.
For combinations, it is sometimes difficult. You can be the best, but if they change your position, it becomes complicated.
Anyway, in any case, Fijians, you put them on the wing, and they are happy (laughs).”
Despite these difficulties, Nagusa remains optimistic about the future of the national side. He considers the gradual professionalization of Fijian rugby, notably through the creation of the Fijian Drua and their participation in Super Rugby, to be a decisive step forward.
He pointed to progress made in recent years: “Today, it is better. All the players are already professional, thanks in particular to the province that was created, the Fijian Drua, which plays in Super Rugby.
Everything is more professional there. I think we will be truly competitive within two or three years.”
For Nagusa, Fiji now has better foundations to build a team capable of competing consistently with the great nations. He acknowledges, however, that this transformation will still take time: “Until not so long ago, you would take a player from Fédérale 1 or Pro D2…
Now we are progressing, it will get better and better. We just need time.”
