Experience Crucial for Olympics: Tietjens says
“For sure New Zealand can win. Certainly, they’ve obviously developed their players and now building towards the Olympics that’s what it’s all about now, Olympics gold medal,” he said.
Thursday 18 January 2024 | 12:05
Legendary sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens at Sigatoka on January 17, 2024. Photo: Waisea Nasokia
Now is not the time to be bringing in new and younger sevens players to prepare for the France Olympics.
Legendary sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens made the statement following his induction into the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast Sevens Walk of Fame at the Sigatoka yesterday.
“Fiji has lost a lot of experienced players,” Tietjens said.
“It’s just at the moment, it is not their time, and that happens when you bring new younger players you lose a lot of experience.
“So, they’ve got new ones coming in now, but you’ve got to give them time.
“But don’t worry because Fiji is very, very dangerous. And when it comes to big tournaments like the Olympics, they will bounce back.
“They are a real threat; it doesn’t matter what game they play. They might be in the next two World Series games that they bounce back and then won’t after that.
“But I can guarantee there’ll be peaking for the Olympics.”
Tietjens yesterday carved his name along sevens legends and ambassador with the likes of Waisale Serevi, Rupeni Caucau, Ben Gollings, on the late Jonah Lomu, David Campese and Karl Tenana the Walk of Fame list.
The Olympics is scheduled from July to August in Paris.
“For sure New Zealand can win. Certainly, they’ve obviously developed their players and now building towards the Olympics that’s what it’s all about now, Olympics gold medal,” he said.
Fiji denied NZ the gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when they won 27-12 in the final.
While Fiji is the two-time Olympic gold medal defending champion, they are yet to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Sir Gordon Tietjens, Legendary sevens coachs.
New Zealand snatched Commonwealth Games gold in the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010, lost to South Africa in 2018 and won again in 2018. Fiji won the silver in 1998, 2002 and 2018 and returned home with the bronze in 2006.
“It’s going to be tough for Fiji. They have got to go and win it.
“Then you know it’s Fiji. They’ll get to win it back. I can assure you.
“Well, I certainly do. I mean, it just depends on the makeup of the team. But, you know, you’ve got to work with the ones that you’ve got now.
“You know, but it’s when you get over those bumps, those tough times and it’s how you bounce back, and they’ll (Fiji) bounce back.
“They do have depth. They’ve got the patience but they must have the right players.”
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