The two Pacific Islanders meet in a 60,000 sell-out Pool D
clash in Auckland, home to the largest Polynesian population in the world, with
the losers all but out of the knockout stages.
Samoa's surprise July victory over Australia in Sydney,
resulted in a drive in ticket sales for the match between two of the most
entertaining sides in world rugby but Coventry warned the result, not style,
was the only goal on Sunday.
"We do not want to get up getting caught playing a
festival game. There will be a lot of cheering and the Pacific Island fans know
their rugby," Coventry told reporters in Auckland on Saturday.
"We have to be conscious we are in a World Cup and it
is a test match that will decide which one of us progresses into the following
week. We have spoken about it and hopefully all will go to plan."
Both sides hammered Namibia in their opening match but Fiji
were then beaten 49-3 by holders South Africa and Wales overcame Samoa 17-10
making the match, the first between the pair at a World Cup, the most important
to date.
While both are renowned for their physical, attacking play
they can also be guilty of losing focus and making silly errors in matches.
Coventry was confident, though, that the experience of
playing in Europe's top leagues would help his players eradicate such problems
and cope with the pressure of the big occasion.
"The clashes go a long way back but when the Pacific
Island nations come together there is always a lot of feeling," Coventry
said.
"That has been addressed. We are relying on a lot of
experience the big boys bring. We have a lot of experience. We have guys
playing in Britain so they have experienced big crowds before.
"We are making sure the hype is under control. We have
to make sure the moment does not get ahead of us."
BE SMART
Samoa's hulking winger Alesana Tuilagi, who is often seen
barging through opposition tacklers, expects another physical game on Sunday
but warned of keeping a cool head.
"Samoa playing Fiji is always a physical game,"
said the 111-kilogram try machine who plays his club rugby in England with
Leicester.
"It's not always going to have to be physical, sometimes
you have to be smart."
Fiji assistant coach Shannon Fraser said his side, which
beat Samoa 36-18 in the last meeting between the two in July, was looking
forward to the pressure of the must-win situation.
"It is a pool game we must win. That's reality and it
is the result of not having beaten South Africa. That has put us into
sudden-death and Samoa is in the same situation," he told reporters at the
team's hotel in Auckland.
"That is what it is about. That is exactly why you do
it and the players enjoy the moment, the players enjoy the challenge."
