7's Heaven
Just back from Fiji yesterday 9th April and what a time to be in Fiji, two weekends of 7's Heaven. We had the Hong Kong 7's last week which saw Fiji lose the final 27 - 22 to Samoa. As I have mentioned before every match of the Hong Kong 7's is shown live and the whole country shuts down to watch it. You should have read the press in Fiji after the loss in Hong Kong talk about the knives being out, Serevi's back must have been sore all week as ex-players, officials and just about everyone in the country tore into Serevi and the team.
It was quite funny to read as not once was it mentioned why the team actually lost the final. Samoa simply did their homework, they stacked the centre of the field for the kick offs with 5 players facing 3 Fijian players, they rushed the short kick offs regained the ball and scored 3 times. Samoa were superior at the breakdown retaining their own ball easily and quickly. Fiji had trouble retaining their own ball in the rucks and Samoa invariably slowed it down or turned it over. Fiji are known for being poor at quick ruck ball or turning over the opposition's in 7's, they are the best in the world when the ball is in hand and they have space.
I read in the press every reason for Fiji losing the Hong Kong 7's, the main reason given was the team was not fit enough. One joker an ex-trainer even detailed his fitness components for Rugby and where the Fiji team were lacking. What a laugh when the Fiji 7's team are known for being possibly the fittest team on the IRB 7's circuit. I know this as a fact as I have coached Singapore at the Hong Kong and Singapore 7's. Opposition coaches talk about dominating Fiji in technical terms as Samoa did in Hong Kong, disrupting lineouts, scrums and kick offs and slowing down Fiji's ball in the tackle area. Everyone knows you can never beat Fiji for speed and fitness in 7's, the exception is the public and so called experts back in Fiji.
On to the next weekend where on Easter Sunday 8th April Fiji won the Adelaide 7's beating Samoa 21 - 7 in the Cup Final. Again the whole tournament was shown live on Saturday and Sunday and the whole of Fiji was watching. I was in Fiji to coach the two Fijian IRB Pacific Cup Teams, I spent Monday and Tuesday coaching the Fiji Barbarians Team who had a narrow loss to Upolu Samoa 26-25 in Apia. I then spent the rest of the week with the Fiji Warriors who played Savi'i Samoa on Saturday 7th April in Lautoka, with the Warriors winning 16-11. Unfortunately not a great crowd was at the game as everyone was at home watching the Adelaide 7's.
What a difference a week makes as I was flying out of Nadi airport on Monday morning the headlines used Easter terminology such as Redemption and Resurrection in Adelaide. Full front page photos, it was if Fiji had won the World Cup. Contrast this to Australia when I got the papers in Sydney, where the Adelaide 7's only rated a paragraph in the sports section with no photos. No one even knew it was on and the finals were only shown on pay per view TV, nothing on the TV news at all. Well that is 7's in Fiji it is unique and it is certainly the only country in the world where it holds such a fascination with the sporting public. Well done to Serevi and the team, it will be interesting to read what the critics have to say this week. The Fiji 7's team have a good chance off winning the overall title as their are 2 rounds to go and they are on top by 10 points at 104 with Samoa on 94.
Regards
Bubba
5 Comments:
Great article. I was in Fiji during the week of the Hong Kong Sevens. Boy, the entire country it seemed had ground to a halt. Saw a few flags flying from trees, flags on taxis. I watched all the games on Sky and shared in the dissapointment of the loss in Hong Kong. However, REDEMPTION in Adelaide did occur.It certainly is a fun time to be in Fiji.Moce mada.
Hi Wayne
Yes if you are not actually in Hong Kong the only place to watch 7's is Fiji. Sitting in front of the TV with 20 people and shouting and cheering makes for some good fun, a bowl of grog also helps. Unfortunately back in Oz and now the only Rugby to watch is our dreadful Super 14 Teams about as motivating as driving an ammunition truck through Baghdad I'm afraid.
The battle of the wooden spoon between the Waratahs and Reds is all we have to lok forward to this week.
Regards
Bubba
Ah bubba you gad about what a life traipsing about all over the world coaching footy and hamming it up in paradise.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks bubba for enlighting the truth about what was lacking in Fiji Rugby, the many pathetic comments and them missing the mark of what Team Fiji lack in Hk it was so simple they responded wrongly on how the Samoan tactically outsmarted team Fiji. Whoever was that so called fitness guru making that comment please rugby is not all about running and being fit , Team Fiji was the fittest team on the paddock they prove that on the 2nd half.The realty was they lack on the tactical part of the game.
Bula Setoki and Bruce
Bruce I was hard it coaching not traipsing around the country, just a few bowls of kava along the way.
Vinaka Setoki for your comments, you should be writing for the Fiji Times your comments make a lot more sense than most of the ones I was reading. Yes the so called fitness guru that was quoted was an absolute joke as you say Fiji are a very fit team, no mistake there.
Regards
Bubba
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