Our 7s rugby hope

NATIONAL coach Gareth Baber has no qualms about the attention that will be focused on Fiji ahead of this weekend’s Oceania 7s rugby tournament in Townsville, Australia.

Baber has been happy with the response from the team, choosing to focus on their game and not dwell on their Pacific rivals.

“There has been a lot going on back home like the pandemic over the last few months and I am pleased that the boys have chosen to think of their families and just put one foot in front of the other,” he said.

“They know the challenge ahead is an exciting one and they get back to playing international rugby and get back to do what they love doing.”

On the basis that they have had more international game time this year in the recently completed transTasman trials in Auckland, Australia and New Zealand will head into this weekend’s event on a high.

Baber has likened our Pacific neighbours going into the Oceania 7s with more possession.

Fiji, he knows, will head in with special skills though.

“Without possession, if we can get the elements right and create pressure without the ball, I know there is only one team in the world that can score the amount of tries that we do with the least number of rucks and least number of passes,” he said.

“Particularly with the skills we have naturally in our game, there is a plan to play our game with ease and clarity on the field to do what we have to do,” he said.

Fiji plays Australia on Friday.

After a very long time, Fijian fans can finally get a taste of how we are shaping as a team leading up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Understandably we may have had some good exposure during the local 7s tournaments played around the country before this latest outbreak of the COVID-19.

There will be sceptics though who will insist on watching our team take on the might of international sides.

There are different styles involved. There will be different game plans to try and understand, and counter.

Then there is the calibre of top players in both Australia and New Zealand to consider.

The scenarios are very different.

The intensity will also be different and something to consider.

In the end though, what matters is we have a great opportunity to test our men against quality opposition. We have an opportunity to gauge ourselves, and see where we stand.

We look forward to this weekend’s event with great interest.