Opinion:

The Fiji Airways Flying Fijians failed to play their complete game at the Rotorua Stadium in Saturday.

And they paid dearly. It was the turn of the Maori All Backs to expose their weaknesses.

The lineout problems from the previous week were still there and needed to be fixed before the Pacific Nations Cup.

The Flying Fijians lacked the incisive running that haunted the Maori in their first encounter in Suva.

Some of that kicking for territory were unnecessary and just gave possession easily  to the opposition.

They should have used their superior midfield firepower in the backline to harass the defense.

Even the kicking from the base of the scrum looked pretty ordinary and a few went out and wasted attacking chances.

They allowed the hosts to play their typical game in the closer contact areas where Fiji showed dominance in Suva.

There were glaring holes in the Fijian defence which allowed the Maori to gain confidence and ascendancy.

As expected the Maori went into the game with a lot of passion which doused the Fijian spirit.

There were moments when the Fijians displayed their individual skills and brilliance but they were stopped short of the scoring line.

Two clear breaks turned to naught because reinforcements arrived late.

Not all is lost, however. We know the Flying Fijians capability. Flamboyant first five Veitokani is a future star in the making so is winger Filipo Nakosi.

If they are to retain the Pacific Nations Cup, they have to play with the same intensity that they displayed in Suva – for 80 minutes.

They have to dictate play and stamp their authority from the opening whistle, build their dominance and keep the opposition play catch-up.

They are stacked with world class players with experience and reputation.

If the Flying Fijians can eliminate their weaknesses they will be unbeatable again in the PNC.

Edited by Osesa Bola

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