Fiji - The Bati

The omens leading up to Fiji's World Cup campaign are not good following preparations for autumn's tournament that can be described as anything but textbook.

The problems began in July 2006, when five internationals - Semisi Naevo, Maleli Kunavore, Joeli Lotawa, Emosi Vucago and Sekove Leawere - were banned for the rest of the year for being involved in a drunken brawl after a Pacific Five Nations match in Japan.

Coach Wayne Pivac then resigned in January after three-and-a-half years in the job, shortly before a drug scandal emerged, which continues to dog the team.

Star winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca tested positive for cannabis in March and has been banned for three months in France before being left out of the World Cup squad altogether.

Other Fijian internationals to test positive for the same drug were Sireli Naqelevuki, Vilimoni Delasau and Viliame Satala.

Reports then emerged which claimed two Fiji rugby officials had also been caught smoking the illicit substance.

Former captain and talisman Simon Raiwalui has ruled himself out of the World Cup, citing the need to settle in at a new club in France, while utility man Isa Nacewa has turned his back on Fiji in an attempt to play for New Zealand.

On the pitch, things have not been much better.

Fiji was left licking its wounds after both Fiji Warriors and Fiji Barbarians failed to make this year's Pacific Rugby Cup final.

The worrying trend continued into the Pacific Nations Cup campaign, which saw the FMF Flying Fijians - to give them their full title - lose to Samoa and Tonga under the guidance of new coach Ilivasi Tabua.

Stir into an already sour-tasting mix the fact they are in the same World Cup group as the mighty Australia and things look distinctly bleak.

So an early exit looms then for the team ranked 12th in the world? Not necessarily.

There are a few rays of sunshine in which Fijian fans can attempt to bask.

Despite some poor results, Fiji has a coach who is enthusiastic about the game and who has struck a confident tone ahead of the tournament.

"I was thrilled to be offered the job because I played for Fiji at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, but now I will actually get to put the team together and take them to France in September," Tabua said.

"When I took up the coach's offer, I already had a fair idea of what the best team is and who will be in it."

"Fijians are gifted rugby players with a free-flowing style. At the moment, there are many gifted rugby players out there who could see Fiji do well in France."

The team has the ability to beat Japan and Canada, which is likely to set up a winner-takes-all clash with Wales, the other big fish in Pool B.

Australia should have little trouble in sealing top spot, meaning one quarter-final place is up for grabs.

Wales will be favourite, but lost to Samoa in the 1991 and 1999 World Cups and Fiji will fancy its chances of inflicting another upset.

Nevertheless, it has been here before - and blown its chance.

In the 2003 World Cup in Australia, Scotland stood in its way of a quarter-final spot and, despite two superb Caucaunibuca tries, Fiji lost the game 22-20.

They have reached the quarter-finals once, at the inaugural event in 1987, and sat out the 1995 event altogether after messing up qualifying.

So it is understandable that, 20 years on, the powers-that-be in Fijian rugby are desperate for the country to get out of the group and show that they can be a force in the world game.

Money has been thrown the players' way like never before.

Fiji's campaign has been funded to the tune of $1,575,000 to ensure that everything is right for the players and staff, a figure that includes a $378,000 handout from the military government.

This dwarfs the budgets of their Pacific neighbours - but still the money is coming in.

Flour Mills of Fiji, the team's main sponsor, has offered up to $471,000 in bonuses for the players, dependent upon how deep into the tournament they go.

So, it is clear that Fiji's players have some of the right ingredients for success and will be handsomely rewarded if they perform as they can.

That depends on whether the team draws strength from the adversities of the last year, or whether it capitulates.

Tournaments are not easy to predict and, while there is some margin for error among the top teams, Fiji has to maximise every opportunity if it is to reach that elusive spot in the last eight.

After that, anything could happen.