Fiji Water Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne hopes that his side will start well against the Scots on Saturday when they host them at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

He made the comments following their slow start against Wallabies on Sunday where they lost, 18-21, at McDonalds Jones Stadium, Newcastle.

He indicated most of the players have not played for about five weeks and despite the loss he was happy with the performance given less than a week to have the full squad train together.

“We are a bit slow out of the blocks. We had a short week and we took a few minutes to get together in that game,” the former Drua head coach said when they arrived at Nadi International Airport yesterday.

Asked of areas of improvement this week, Byrne said: “I think just the start of the game, we will be better forward. 

“Having had a week together last week and now this week I think we’ll be in good shape in the start of the game.”

Byrne added the side will have its first training session at home today and will have a quick review of the Wallabies match.

“We will get into the scope pretty quickly and recovering well from our trip back.

“We really want to get back into it after the weekend and when you have a loss like that, you are really desperate to get back into the field and go on again.

“We are pretty excited about the opportunity we have for the home Test.”

Despite their short week of preparation, Byrne was proud of the team’s performance after coming strong in the second half.

“Once we got comfortable in the game, we started to find some of the work we had been doing during the week.”

“I was proud of the way we re-gathered just before half time and then came in at half time and set ourselves a good target of going after the game. I was really proud of the way the players came back in that second half, and I was just gutted by the way the game finished.”

The Flying Fijians will host the Scots at 3pm; Scotland lost 22-27 when Fiji hosted them at the HFC Bank Stadium in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Fiji Military Force (RFMF) will take on the British Army in the curtain raiser.

Ticket Prices: 

• Platinum (Flat Seating): $150
• Gold (Flat Seating): $100
• Concrete (Flat Seating): $40
• Grass (Adult): $25
• Grass (Kids Under 12): $15

How to Purchase Tickets Online: 

• Visit ticketmax.com.fj
• Click on the event: “FIJI Water Flying Fijians vs. Scotland”
• Select your preferred seating category
• Complete your secure online payment
• Receive your e-ticket via email (print or save on your device)

Alternative Ticket Purchase Locations: 

For those who prefer in-person purchases, tickets are also available at: 

• Fiji Sports Council
• Grills Restaurant and Bar
• Fiji Rugby House
• Tech 360 Fiji

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