7s at Sixes and Sevens
We all want our Fiji Airways Fijians 7s team to do well in 2018.
It’s a big year with the World Sevens Series, Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Sevens World Cup up for grabs.
After the 2016 Rio Olympics, all teams have been targeting 2018 as it’s almost an Olympic year with so much at stake.
Definitely long-term planning and wise decisions need to be made.
But when we make decisions in our desperation to win, we put our team in sixes and sevens (confusion or disarray).
It reflected on how we deal with situations when push comes to shove.
A case in point is the selection of Vatemo Ravouvou who flew out on Thursday with Apenisa Cakaubalavu to replace injured Avete Daveta and Waisea Nacuqu at the Hamilton Sevens which starts today.
On what grounds was Ravouvou selected?
We all know he’s an Olympian, a good playmaker and specialist on rugby’s short code.
But he was recently disciplined by the Fiji Rugby Union for breaking the no-alcohol policy at the Cape Town Sevens last month.
Was he the only one eligible to travel to New Zealand at such short notice?
Coach Gareth Baber definitely wants to make amends after the Sydney flop last weekend.
But he needs to make the right call as he’s setting a dangerous precedent.
Being the man who makes the final say on the selection of the team, we thought he made the right choice last month when he cracked the whip on Ravouvou and John Stewart for breaking protocol on tour.
But he changed his stance in calling in Ravouvou.
We don’t know what the reasoning maybe but Baber needs to be strict when he deals with players.
It will augur well for him and sevens rugby in the long run.
We hope, with the help of Ravouvou, the team can turn things around after the flop in Sydney last weekend.
We wish them well.
Feedback: oseab@fijisun.com.fj
