Fiji head coach Mick Byrne has fond memories of the season he spent working with Leinster as a skills and kicking specialist some 22 years ago under head coach and friend Matt Williams.
He spent a day a week in Dublin – the other day job was working with Ian McGeechan and the Scotland national team – and the Irish province benefited from the tutelage of the 6ft 7in former Aussie Rules footballer – 167 matches, 150 goals for Melbourne, Hawthorn and Sydney Swans – affectionately known as ”Mick the Kick”.
Leinster went on to reach the Heineken Cup semi-final that season, where they were sandbagged by Perpignan at Lansdowne Road. He said in an interview many years later: “They certainly enjoyed their rugby, went out and expressed themselves. They had a great backline, the forward pack worked really hard.
“They were unfortunate that year but all those young players, you knew they were destined to have success eventually, because the province and Leinster and all the people around the club were so passionate about rugby.”
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The Australian worked with top nations and teams in rugby union including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Japan and Leinster. He worked with the Blues, the Brumbies and Fijian Drua in Super Rugby. He also spent time with Austin Gilgronis in Texas and Canada women’s Sevens.
Byrne worked briefly with the Springboks before Scotland, and in 2005 he joined the All Blacks, where he spent a decade until 2015. He helped them to win two World Cups, while also enjoying a brief sabbatical with Japan to help prepare them for the 2011 global tournament.
He joined Michael Cheika’s Wallabies in 2016, and in 2021 agreed to take his first position as head coach with Super Rugby side Fijian Drua, revolutionising their fortunes over three seasons. When Simon Raiwalui stepped down as Fiji head coach at the end of last year, Byrne was appointed to the position.
Sitting in the Castleknock Hotel, the Manly native is in the throes of preparing his Fijian team, fresh from victories over Wales and Spain, for a crack at Ireland on Saturday afternoon (3.10pm).
Asking him about his time in Leinster and Irish heritage he smiled: “It’s Mick Gerard Byrne, so it [the Irish connection] goes a little bit deeper than that. I think we might be out of Wicklow, some relatives down there. Definitely got a deep heritage in Ireland.
“The thing about the Irish is that you might not see each other for 20 years but it is like we just saw each other last week. I’m looking forward to catching up with some familiar faces on Saturday. It was great times and just being here again brings back those memories.”
Sentiment will be pushed to one side until Saturday evening. As Fiji so capably demonstrated at the Principality Stadium a fortnight ago when deservedly beating Wales, style and substance can coexist. Ominously for Ireland the more Fiji gets to prepare the greater the harmony in performance terms.
Byrne said: “We noticed last year when that squad came together and spent a good number of weeks leading into the World Cup, the combinations began to gel and we are finding that now. We had a really good week this week and just finished a great training session there.
“It was a nice, fast and sharp session and the combinations were really coming good so the longer we can spend together as a team the better our combinations will be. We’ll definitely be in better shape than we were in Wales week.”
Having made wholesale alterations for the victory over Spain last weekend, Byrne has reverted to the bones of the team that beat Wales, injury and suspending notwithstanding. Ponipate Loganimasi replaces marquee player Semi Radrada who is suspended following his sending off in the Welsh match.
Luke Tagi comes in at tighthead prop for Samu Tawake, who drops to the bench, while Mesake Vocevoce replaces Isoa Nasilasila in the secondrow.
Byrne spoke about how living in Fiji has enriched his life, but that from a coaching perspective there is a different challenge. “In the teams I have coached in the past you sort of take the players to the side and teach them a little bit of offloading, we don’t have to teach that.
“The growth for us is our ability to curb our enthusiasm to throw the ball away and just get in there and clean out, be strong over the ball and take pride in our breakdown skills and our ball presentation. That growth has been significant over the last six months. It’s a constant work in progress. We just have to create the habits. It can’t just be words, we have to train it, and that’s what we do.”
FIJI: Vuate Karawalevu; Jiuta Wainiqolo, Waisea Nayacalevu (capt), Josua Tuisova, Ponepati Loganimasi; Caleb Muntz, Frank Lomani; Eroni Mawi, Tevita Ikanivere, Luke Tagi; Mesake Vocevoce, Temo Mayanavanua; Meli Derenalagi, Kitione Salawa, Elia Canakaivata.
Replacements: Sam Matavesi, Haereiti Hetet, Samu Tawake, Setareki Turagacoke, Albert Tuisue, Peni Matawalu, Vilimoni Botitu, Sireli Maqala.
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