Fijiana in tough pool Fuli sets plan for Vancouver 7s tournament
THE Fiji Airways Fijiana side has been placed in a tough pool where they have been grouped with the United States, Samoa, and Japan in Pool B of the Vancouver 7s.
Head coach Saiasi Fuli said he understood the team had been placed in a tough pool but was adamant they would make it through their pool matches.
“Yes, we have been placed in a tough pool, but the girls know what they have to do and I am confident that we will be able to tackle each team at a time,” he said.
The side plays USA for their first match, which is also the opener for the tournament next week Saturday.
“Our pool is quite similar to the Perth 7s, and the girls are all looking forward as they have been training hard for this tournament.
“We know that we are yet to win a tournament, and we know what we have to do to achieve this, and the girls are focused on what they need to do to get there.”
He labelled receiving kick-offs an area his side has been working on, one of their areas of weakness noted during the Perth 7s.
The side is currently ranked 8th in the HSBC Series standings, and Fuli is looking to improve this when they leave for Vancouver today.
“Our main goal is to improve our ranking, but we know that it will not be easy because all teams will be looking for a finish in the top eight.”
COMPETING at previous Fiji Bitter 7s tournaments over the past few weeks has been helpful in the Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s side’s preparation for the upcoming Vancouver 7s tournament.
Members of the national side were part of the Mount Masada team and competed at the Fiji Bitter Lomaiviti 7s, Fiji’s McDonald’s Coral Coast 7s, and the Nahehevia 7s tournaments in the past two months.
Head coach Saisi Fuli said the tournament allowed his players to receive vital game time and exposure as they prepare to compete at the HSBC Series and the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris later this year.
“From these tournaments, we have been able to see our areas of weaknesses and strengths from which we can prepare better for upcoming HSBC tournaments and the Olympic games,” he said.
“We also have a few new players in the squad, so these tournaments allowed us to test these players and see what they have to offer.”
Heading into the Vancouver 7s tournament which kicks start next weekend, Fuli said their goal was to improve their ranking and build momentum towards the rest of the tournaments in the HSBC Series.
“The girls have been preparing well over the past few weeks with the help of two-time gold medallist Jerry Tuwai who is also part of our coaching team.”
The Fijiana side has been placed in Pool B alongside Samoa, the United States, and Japan.
“We have set a plan for this tournament and we know what we need to do to achieve them.”