FIJI Water Flying Fijians head coach Jake White has sent a strong message to Fiji’s overseas-based stars: talent and reputation alone will not guarantee a place in his team, and every player must earn the right to wear the national jersey.

White made an immediate statement of intent with Fiji’s 34-28 victory over Japan last Saturday, achieved after only a solid week working with the team and with a squad featuring predominantly local and Fijian Drua players, including four debutants.

The performance demonstrated the depth of talent available at home and offered an early glimpse of White’s ability to instil tactical discipline, mental toughness and renewed energy into the side.

More importantly, it has strengthened his conviction that Fiji has the players to compete with the world’s best, provided their individual brilliance is harnessed into a cohesive unit.

White said he was blown away by the quality of players competing in Fiji’s domestic rugby competitions, comparing their athleticism and explosiveness with the qualities associated with elite South African players.

“We talk about athletic ability and explosiveness of certain South African players. There’s an abundance of those sorts of players on the island,” he said.

“There’s an abundance of explosive, dynamic, powerful runners.”

For White, the challenge is now to ensure that talent translates into consistent performances in the national jersey, particularly among players plying their trade in Europe’s leading competitions.

He questioned why Fijian players regularly excel in France’s Top 14 and Pro D2, Japan Rugby League One and the English Premiership, yet struggle to reproduce the same collective impact when representing their country.

“When they come back to their country, they can’t seem to gel and put that as a collective,” White said.

His first Test offered encouraging signs of what is possible.

Fiji contested the breakdown more effectively, used Terio Tamani’s tactical box-kicks to put Japan under pressure and showed greater composure in the closing stages.

Replacement Mesake Doge delivered crucial breakdown penalties, while Ben Volavola helped manage the tempo and territorial battle as Fiji closed out the match.

The Flying Fijians take on France in their next outing on November 8 before facing Ireland on November 15.