Source:RugbyPass

Fiji Water Flying Fijians celebrated one of their greatest-ever achievements on a rugby field over the weekend, dropping England in spectacular fashion at one of rugby’s great cathedrals, Twickenham.

The win was the first time a Pacific nation has toppled the English, while lifting the Fijians above England in World Rugby’s rankings to seventh.

It’s never easy for Fiji and the second-tier nations to compete with the better-funded and better-established teams, but this win reminds the world just what can be achieved when a team with talent has the opportunity to train together for an extended period.

Outside of World Cup years, the Flying Fijians are only able to get together for brief intervals.

“This is our eighth, going into our ninth week together and just that time’s been incredible,” Fiji assistant coach Daryl Gibson told SENZ Breakfast.

“I’ve been with the team four years, and we get July and November, three weeks in July and three weeks in November.

“So we’ve been hanging out for this moment where we get the boys together for an extended period of time.”

A demanding training camp over that period has pushed the players’ fitness to the heights needed to compete with tier-one teams. A team trip to the outer islands gave the players a chance to connect and train as a team while reconnecting with the culture and people they represent after long club seasons overseas.

A huge advantage Fiji have in this campaign compared to those previous is the development of the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacific.

“Obviously the Drua are second-year professionals now, and I think again it just highlights if you give the boys the right environment where they can train and be as professional as they can, what you can do. They’ve proven they can make it.