Wallabies won't try to top Fiji Test flair

The Wallabies won't try to match the Fijians for flair in their Test in Melbourne, according to centre Tevita Kuridrani.

The Wallabies won't try to beat Fiji at their own game and are planning a structured approach to their opening rugby Test of the year on Saturday at AAMI Park.

Australia are expecting Fiji, who have Olympic sevens gold medal winners Leone Nakarawa and Josua Tuisova in their ranks, to play to their strengths with a free-flowing game plan.

Fiji coach John McKee said he was expecting the same from the Wallabies but Test centre Tevita Kuridrani said they wouldn't fight fire with fire.

That is despite the Wallabies being likely to have their own Fijian-born strike power out side in Henry Speight, Marika Koroibete and Sefa Naivalu and Kuridrani.

"That's what we've been working on but for this weekend I think we're just going to play with structure because we know that Fiji are very good at unstructured play," Kuridrani said.

But Brumbies centre said that didn't mean they wouldn't be trying to get the ball to winger Speight and hard-running Koroibete, should he get the nod for his first Test cap since switching from rugby league this year.

"Henry and Marika have a lot of speed outside, so it's a matter of trying to set them up and give them the ball to score tries," Kuridrani said.

While the Wallabies have only had a few days to prepare after assembling in Melbourne on Sunday night, Kuridrani, who has 45 caps, said the mix of experience and new faces in the squad meant that they had gelled quickly.

"Some of us have been playing together for a few years now so the combinations are already there and it's just the new guys who need to blend in," Kuridrani said.

The Wallabies will name their side on Thursday and are expecting to field their strongest line-up in a bid to make a bold opening statement after a dismal Super Rugby season campaign for Australian franchises.

Despite the woes of the bottom-placed Melbourne Rebels, Koroibete is tipped for a debut while there's likely to be some other new faces with young Brumbies halfback Joe Powell to be named on the bench, alongside Western Force back-rower Richard Hardwick.


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Source: AAP



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