KEY POINTS:
Fiji will be riding on high emotions to try to bring some cheer to their grief-stricken people at home when they kick off the Wellington leg of the international sevens rugby series today.
Unable to speak to their relatives and friends, with half the country without phones and power in the aftermath of Cyclone Gene that left six people dead, the Fijian team have worked hard on keeping their minds on the job, coach Jo Savou said.
The team were lifted by a message from the country's interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, in their hotel yesterday.
Savou has made three changes to his squad that played in the Dubai and South African legs and brought on sevens sensation William Ryder, who finally managed to get a release from his Japanese club.
Adding Malaki Bakaniceva, Taniela Rawaqa and Isei Lewaqai, Savou has boosted his team's speed.
Ryder said the Fijians needed to change their approach from a physical one to a more free-running type to be able to upset pace-setters New Zealand.
After watching replays of their games in Dubai and George, Ryder said his team had strayed from their strength - a hard-running game.
Ryder, who led Fiji to a 31-0 win over New Zealand at last year's tournament, said to beat the series champions meant ensuring they also needed a brick wall defence.
"The key to beating New Zealand is to make each tackle count. The first tackle must always hit them hard. We need to corner them from the start because they are their own worst enemy when they cannot break tackles." He felt the New Zealand playmaker, Fiji-born Tomasi Cama, was the key to their game.
Now playing for Toyota Verblitz in Japan, Ryder, 26, is expected to be the single big star of the two-day tournament starting today.
Meanwhile, the home side were encouraged by one of their star players, Nigel Hunt, passing a fitness test yesterday. His place had been in doubt after he injured an ankle at training. New Zealand are undefeated after two rounds and coach Gordon Tietjens is keen to reignite the momentum after an eight-week break.
New Zealand have not won their home tournament since pulling off a hat-trick of wins from 2003-2005, with Fiji and Samoa winning in the past two years. Samoa, who beat Fiji 17-14 in last year's final, play New Zealand in the final pool A game today.
Tietjens has plumped for size over pace and has brought back Tafai Ioasa, who missed the last two tournaments with injury.
Pool A: New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Papua New Guinea.
Pool B: Fiji, England, Wales, Cook Islands.
Pool C: South Africa, Kenya, Australia, France.
Pool D: Argentina, Scotland, United States, Tonga.
- NZPA
