Jonathan Webb and I sat on a wooden bench in Nadi, Fiji, looking disconsolately at each other as Fiji had just completed a famous win over a rather battered England midweek side in 1991. We had been overrun and that can happen when you lose control against such a team.
There was no running water at a stadium holding 10,000 plus and we had to go to a military barracks afterwards. Entertainment was original and heartfelt, we all felt humbled for the experience and to see how much you can achieve with so little.
To this day, pound for pound they are the most talented rugby nation on the planet as well as the humblest and they play the sport as it should be played.
Investment by World Rugby into Fijian Drua has paid dividends. Credit where credit due. Three stunning performances against England, Wales and Australia have catapulted them to Number 5 in the world. I have no doubt that England wish to avoid them in a quarterfinal. Also, I do not forget seeing them narrowly miss a semi-final slot in 2007 when they lost narrowly to South Africa, eventual winners.
Elsewhere, the true quality within Ireland and South Africa shone forth even in their one-sided contests, and the strength in depth of the Springbok three quarters is awesome to behold (Williams and Moodie are already world class). The upcoming clash this weekend could be the match of this and any World Cup.
Conversely, I have a feeling that France may need their home advantage more than anticipated, perhaps a side with less all-round strengths than we thought.
Lastly, I dared look from behind the sofa at England’s last 20 minutes and shared in some optimism. No-one believes this is part of a grand plan, but it doesn’t need to be. Ben Earl is the best back on the field until Smith came on – is Henry Arundell even on the tour? One point about their back play – Ford needs to change his angle of run and bring the centres straighter and at pace. If that happens then it creates space out wide, holds the defence and allows some players to loop around the outside. They need some basic coaching (which may be beyond them right now) to put this right. The cup is half-full, just, and we are in no danger of peaking yet, very little joy but one performance can change that!
To Uruguay, Chile, and Portugal, we love you very much for what you bring, and when I watch Rumania (a shadow of their former selves) it reminds me of the way Spain were barged out of the tournament in their favour. Let us hope the emerging nations continue to build on the world’s biggest stage.
