The Flying Fijians will meet Webb Ellis Trophy champions South Africa on Saturday without two of their key players.
Springboks centre Jean de Villiers and second row Victor Matfield will miss the match against Fiji in Wellington, while second row Bakkies Botha is again in doubt.
Team doctor Craig Roberts said a rib injury that forced de Villiers to leave the field during last night’s match against Wales will keep him sidelined for 10 days or so, while Matfield’s troublesome hamstring tightened up during the match and will also keep him out for the same period.
For the Flying Fijians today the coaching team reviewed with the players the game against Namibia focusing on things that went well and on some of the plays that didn't quite work.
Coach, Samu Domoni Junior knows that the task ahead of his players is huge playing against the defending champion, South Africa who were taken to the wire last night by Wales.
Domoni highlighted few areas like the line out and defence that they will have to improve on in the game this Saturday.
The Flying Fijians actually stay in Wellington in the same hotel where the South African embassy is located.
Meanwhile, Digby Ioane is in danger of being out of the World Cup after the Wallaby winger was sent to hospital in Auckland today for scans on a suspected broken hand.
The injury occurred during yesterday’s 32 6 victory by Australia over Italy at North Harbour Stadium in which Ioane was one of four try scorers for the Wallabies.
Some hours after the Test, Ioane’s hand began to swell near his thumb prompting Wallaby officials to organise a scan this afternoon.
Also, Rugby World Cup organisers have backed the match officials who disallowed a seemingly on target penalty by Wales in their one point loss to South Africa in Wellington on Sunday.
Welsh players, and many spectators, thought fullback James Hook’s 15th minute penalty appeared to pass just inside the right hand upright, but the assistant referees did not agree.
Hook gestured to referee Wayne Barnes in the hope he might check with the television official, as allowed, but he declined.
The International Rugby Board said that the three officials had followed the correct procedure in determining whether or not to refer the penalty to the television official for review.
In the matches coming up this week, Samoa takes on Namibia this Wednesday at 2.30pm, Tonga will play Canada at 5pm and Scotland will take on Georgia at 7.30pm.
Fiji will play their second RWC pool game on Saturday at 6pm against South Africa and you can catch the live commentary on our sister station Viti FM with the voice of rugby Malakai Veisamasama and the expert comment from Ilivasi Tabua.
Story by: Dreu Vukailagi
