Fiji search for the match fitness within

Fiji skipper Wes Naiqama admits his players won’t have the fitness to match it with Australia in Sunday’s World Cup semi-final, but says they do have what it takes “within”.

The Bati have emerged as the World Cup’s most spiritual outfit with their post-match hymn singing - and Newcastle centre Naiqama is hoping that will help overcome a lack of battle-hardened NRL stars at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.

Asked how his side can possibly upset hot favourites Australia, Naiqama said endurance would be the key.

“I think it will be just a matter of staying with them for the 80 (minutes),” he told reporters.

“We know what Australia are capable of, they’re going to come out hard and it’s just a matter of grinding out the whole game.”

But Naiqama agreed keeping pace with the Kangaroos would be tough.

“That’s probably one thing we’ll lack in is our game fitness seeing that the Australian side’s stacked with NRL players who do it as a job,” he said.

“But hopefully (we) can find something within to keep on pushing through that.

“Finding that within, that probably comes from the spiritual side of things. We’ve prepared ourselves mentally and physically, it’s just trying to get spiritually prepared for it as well.”

Some Fijian rugby sevens-style razzle dazzle is also part of the game-plan.

“I think that will come,” Naiqama said.

“We’ve still got a structure … that’s what we’ve done those first three games, we’ve played a structured game.

“The time will come when we’ll be throwing it around and that’s probably something that we could use to our advantage.”

The Bati will come up against one of their heroes in Fijian-born Kangaroos prop Petero Civoniceva at the SFS.

“He’s king back home, him and (Wallabies winger) Lote (Tuqiri) obviously,” Naiqama said.

The boys respect him but come game time the boys will do what they have to do.

“Petero’s been around a while and everyone respects him as a player.

“We know what he’s capable of and he’s obviously a big human and he stands out there.

“I don’t think it fazes the boys, that’s the thing I’m surprised about, that this whole thing doesn’t faze them at all.”

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