Our 7s Bravehearts Survive Tough Two Weeks
There were two constants over two weekends.
First the joyous one for the thousands and the other that had many silenced for the next four years.
The Fiji Airways Fijian 7s brave-hearts created history and Fijians world over sang and celebrated the nation’s unprecedented fourth consecutive Hong Kong Sevens title.
And last Sunday, at Gold Coast, our gladiators, despite giving their all faltered to New Zealand.
The All Blacks perfectly executed game is what handcuffed the remarkable Fijians from winning its first Commonwealth Games 7s gold.
Brilliant as the two numbers were up against, the radical change of tactics was the marked difference, and did it ever was a tactical triumph.
New Zealand took the game to the Fijians, stuck in and played the mind game among other things to thwart Fiji control of the game.
Sevuloni Mocenacagi sin-bin was a clear case of the game plan.
Sam Dickson instigated it all and Mocenacagi retaliated, there on Fiji failed to lit up.
Let’s be mindful that New Zealand took a pass on Hong Kong Sevens as they fielded a second-string side and saved its marquees for the Commonwealth Games.
The 14-0 win was by no means dominating as Fiji had created its chances.
It is said in the sporting world that sometimes you got to be good to be lucky, luck is what failed Fiji in the final.
Every event as rugby experts have it, spring in new surprises and I bet, had All Blacks been an equal strength participant in Hong Kong, they wouldn’t have had a glimpse of the gold in Gold Coast.
It is just that.
Fiji may not have won the gold, but they certainly won the hearts of the nation.
Legendary rugby broadcaster Keith Quinn said on the KeithQuinn blog that ‘rugby is not for faint hearts, it’s a physical and a contact sport’.
“The sport exerts a huge amount of energy, extracts the best out of the players, yet leaves one battered and bruised game in and out”.
Fatigue, he writes, wears down athletes more than anything else.
The Gareth Baber’s men appeared fatigued, no arguments there.
And how conditioned they maybe, the back to back physical torment got the better of the players.
The narrow 21-17 win against Wales and the 24-19 semifinal win against South Africa back the fatigue factor.
With Commonwealth Games a thing of the past and Hong Kong to savor, the Seremaia Tuwai side look to the Singapore Sevens this weekend with keen interest.
Trailing series leaders, South Africa with just three points, the team needs to up its game and win its third championship and take the lead on the World Sevens Series leaders board.
Yes, we can.
– Edited by Leone Cabenatabua
Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj
