Nine members of the Flying Fijians squad who needed to get their visas in Suva arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday. The players are Eroni Mawi, Albert Tuisue, Jiuta Wainiqolo, Sireli Maqala, Meli Derenalagi, Peniasi Dakuwaqa, Viliame Mata, Temo Mayanavanua, and Vilimoni Botitu.
The rest of the squad departed from Georgia on Sunday via Turkey and are now training in San Diego under head coach Mick Byrne.
The Flying Fijians are maintaining a low profile ahead of Saturday’s Test match against the All Blacks, which will be held at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.
The All Blacks, led by new head coach Scott Robertson, recently secured two narrow Test victories against England. Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians triumphed over Georgia 21-12 in their match on July 5. The highlight of that game was the Flying Fijians’ strong defense, as they did not concede any tries against the home crowd-backed Georgians.
The All Blacks won the first Test match 16-15 and clinched the series last Saturday with a 24-17 win over England in Auckland.
Before heading to Los Angeles on Sunday, Robertson remarked that the All Blacks had won the series without fully playing to their potential. “It’s coming. We’re training it. We’ve got to put it on the field now,” he stated.
The match is set to kick off on Friday, July 19 at 7:30 PM (Fiji time).