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Fiji playmaker ruled out of World Cup due to ‘devastating’ injury
By Finn Morton
Flying Fijians playmaker Caleb Muntz will miss this year’s Rugby World Cup due to a “devastating” knee injury.
Harbouring ambitions of making it out of the pool stage for the first time in 16 years, this injury news is a tough blow for Fiji ahead of their World Cup opener against Wales this weekend.
Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui revealed on Wednesday that the fly-half has been ruled out of the tournament after picking up the injury “in a non-contact session.”
“On Monday, Caleb sustained a knee injury in a non-contact session and is out of the Rugby World Cup,” Raiwalui said in a statement.
“It’s most devastating for us as a group and for Caleb. He has worked so hard for the past two years with the Fijian Drua and the Flying Fijians.
“We feel for him as a young man, he misses the opportunity so close to the Rugby World Cup.
“We have got 33 players and we have the utmost confidence in them. Once we name the team for the match against Wales we will have utmost faith in whom we have selected.”
Muntz started in the No. 10 against England at Twickenham late last month and scored half of Fiji’s points as they recorded a famous 22-30 win.
It was the Flying Fijians’ first win over the traditional northern hemisphere heavyweights in seven meetings.
Fiji will be full of confidence ahead of their pool play matchups with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Portugal. An All Blacks legend has tipped the Flying Fijians as a “dark horse” ahead of the sport’s showpiece event.
“Fiji. Fiji, mate,” 1987 Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Sir John Kirwan told RugbyPass last month. “I don’t know if Wales go home (before the knockout stage).
“I think Fiji are really the dark horse just to get out of the pool.”
But the injury to Muntz risks derailing some of Fiji’s momentum.
Raiwalui confirmed that the coaching group are looking at a few payers outside of the current group as Muntz’s replacement. Fiji will make that decision in the next few days.
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Willis is decent in the lineout to be fair, but definitely lacking a heavyweight ball carrier.
I think between Underhill, Curry, and Willis there isn't a huge amount between them. Maybe Willis would be good enough to start, but he wouldn't massively improve the team.
Go to commentsI'm not sure he is getting there and I don't think he will. Progress has been glacial honestly. Our attacking structure hasn't improved at all, except that he's now picking Marcus Smith who is a one man attack at the moment... And our defence for obvious reasons is now awful. I would have faith in Borthwick if I had faith in his assistant coaches... But I don't think Wigglesworth is an attack coach and why would he be? He's never been an attack coach and he spent his entire career box kicking. Our defence coach has never been employed as a defence coach and is still the head coach of a second division French side with an awful defensive record. The fact that Borthwick appointed them both is a poor reflection. If we still had Felix Jones and we had Mike Catt/Nick Evans or someone in the attack coach role, I'd be content to be patient and that results will come. With Wigglesworth and Joe El Abd, I have no faith that we will improve and I've seen no signs that we are.
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