Lost opportunity

Epeli Rabua, Suva

The ideal Flying Fijian team and time, to defeat the Wallabies has passed. That opportunity was lost on Saturday afternoon at the Sapporro Dome.

In having a stacked first 15 team, Fiji’s coaching staff did not have the nous of the Australians to withhold some of our stars to bleed them in during the 2nd half to see what the team’s weaknesses were during the first 40 minutes and do what was necessary to lift the team to the next level when they came in. But all is not lost. We have 3 more games to play and we will need to win all three. It is not impossible. We have done it before and we can do it again.

Can the Flying Fijians Team Manager write the Rugby World Cup body and ask the game referees/officials to give Fiji a fighting chance in their officiating. For them to be fair and impartial in their decision making. It is no use citing an opposing player after the game when he has committed a professional foul to take out your best player and the game is lost! Can the coaching staff stagger our reserves? Have equal forwards and backs and switch them early in the 2nd half to bolster the team to be better. And can our Captain, please talk to the players at every opportunity!

Mr Waqaniburotu, please talk, cajole, encourage and instill in your players the discipline to play the full 80/90 minutes. Nothing more, nothing less!

The change begins tomorrow against Uruguay. If we can put into practice the points above, we can recover the lost opportunity and we will have a fighting chance of making the semifinals. Like a great American university basketball coach once said, “…everyday ordinary people do extraordinary things…” and we know that this phrase is talking about

Fiji’s Flying Fijians!!! We believe we can win. Toso Viti!!!