Baber: We need to raise our quality

World Rugby commentator Karl Te Nana believes the

Fiji Airways Fijian 7s will bounce back at the New Zealand 7s in Hamilton this weekend.

Te Nana was in Fiji last week for the McDonald’s

Fiji Coral Coast 7s, and spoke about Gareth Baber’s team on the margins of the tournament.

“It is a big year for Fiji with the Olympics coming up as well,”Te Nana said.

“You need to have big squads in this World 7s Series and coach Gareth Baber will get some guys out of this tournament.

“It has been a slow start for the Fijian boys in the first two tournaments of the World 7s Series.

“It happened to everyone but at the back of their mind there is probably the Olympic dream down the track in July so it is a long way to go and I think it is the major goal for them.” He said that when someone wears the Fiji jersey, they need to perform up to par. “You are supposed to win and you have to win. That’s the pressure in that jersey,” he said.

“So, I know that Fiji team will not be happy and they will come over to Hamilton next week a different team. “They have a pretty successful track record and I know that they will be playing in front of many of their fans.

“It will be like playing at home in Suva. So, they will be alright next week and that will be the catalyst to get back on track in this series.”

>Waisea Nasokia

Fiji Airways Fijian 7s reps Aminiasi Tuimaba (first from left), Napolioni Ratu (third from left) and Livai Ikanikoda (fourth from left) with fans at the Nadi International Airport on January 20, 2020.

The Fiji Airways Fijian 7s side will have scrimmaging sessions with Spain in the lead up to the New Zealand 7s in Hamilton this weekend.

The Gareth Baber-coached side is expected to test combinations against the Spaniards today prior to the games on Saturday.

“They are a very structured team. They like to play with width and we know that the teams that we are going to come against are going to be having some of those traits,” Baber said.

“So, it is important that outside of

Fiji we get to play against teams that possess that,” he said.

Baber added that the training sessions have gone well despite the two cyclones that hit the Fiji group.

“We have had a couple of camps down at Pacific Harbour. Obliviously we had the incoming cyclone which curtailed some of the stuff,” he said.

“At the back of the end of last week it was important for the players to spend time with their families, obviously that got their mental game straight as well.

“So, we got what we needed to do last week, we came back on Sunday evening and we are out on an early flight to New Zealand and we are prepared for what we all have to do.”

Focus to defend the title

Baber wants to continue the winning run on New Zealand soil for the third consecutive year despite the new format.

Fiji will have to top their pool to progress to the knockout stages as there are no quarter-finals.

“It is the same for every team. It is not how I want to go through a tournament, I must admit,” he said.

“I am disappointed that it is this. But it is the same for everybody else so irrespective of that we have to go and win the pool and there are three games and then the two games to win the tournament.

“That is what we have done previously here be it six games. So that pretty becomes our focus.

“This team is committed to getting better. We have had some hard look at ourselves in the first two tournaments.

“We know that we are a good side based on what we achieved last year but last year is last year.

“What we need is tao be matched with raising our quality with what we do.

“Obliviously, leaving our Fijian shores is always tough for us but we know that have to go and represent to the best of our ability.”