Baber's Call" Step Up
Coach lays down the rules to former 7s players Dranisinukula, Nasoko rehabs near completion Plan B after Hong Kong, Singapore 7s deferred
Former national 7s players who want to make it back to the Fiji Airways Fijian 7s training squad must step- up in terms of responsibility and accountability, says the head coach.
Speaking to SUNsports on Saturday night, Gareth Baber said these players should be willing to work harder like everybody else.
“Those (players) individuals have certainly done that for Fiji but they are not at that level at the moment,” he said.
“I know that they are super talented players but when you step into the arena of been in the Fijian 7s team they need to step up.”
Recently, former 7s players like Kitione Taliga, Samisoni Viriviri, Pio Tuwai, Keponi Paul, Manueli Laqai, Glen Cakautini and Emosi Mulevoro who have been trying to get back into the squad.
These players played for the Achieve Your Impossible Invitational 7s side that lost in the Cup semi-final of the Vailima Marist International Sevens in Apia, Samoa.
“Obviously, I’ve seen Kitione Taliga play and his probably closest to it out of all of them,” Baber highlighted. But equally I trust the players that are in our environment at the moment. If I feel at some stage that Kiti is still pushing then I’ll have a look and bring him into the team.”
Baber reiterated that he was happy with what he had now and what they were working on.
Dranisinukula, Nasoko return
The Welshman confirmed that forwards Paula Dranisinukula and Kalioni Nasoko had trained with the squad.
“Kali is back to 85 per cent of his training but the last 15 per cent that he going to do is on that contact structure,” coach Baber said
“Kali has about three to four weeks before where he needs to be. “I’ve always targeted Hong Kong for him and from the effort the staff and himself, he has got to that position. Paula is close to looking at L.A. (Los Angeles) and Vancouver.
“He actually has a fracture in his arms. It’s just a race against time so he is back in full training with us and we’ll just have to monitor him in the next couple of days.”
Baber said the squad have been progressing well.
“I’m really proud for the way that they take on the challenges, learn from mistakes and then develop themselves,” he said.
“That is what we have seen in some young players that they have been really maturing in the way that they developed.
“You can’t take away the talent that we do have in the world but I think the guarded response for me is that it’s going to be right for the team.
“The team is what that got us so far I believe strongly in a team ethic, I don’t believe in individual that make that happen.
“Led by Meli Derenalagi, Paula Dranisnukula, Kalione Nasoko and Jerry Tuwai, there is a strong team ethic that we rely on and that got us to where we need to be.”
Plan B
With the Hong Kong and Singapore 7s tournaments being moved from April to October with the Olympic Games in July, Baber says, he is looking at other options of keeping them occupied.
“I’ve spoken to Australia and New Zealand obviously we got to work out some things and how that can be done logistically, costs and what we can do.
“We are blessed here in the Pacific with the Oceania connections with Australia and New Zealand. We can get quality teams together in about two or three hours so ultimately
I want to use that to make sure that we keep progressing,” Baber said. Edited by Leone Cabenatabua