Panic button

IT seems that the rugby bosses in Fiji and critics have pushed the panic button by sacking national sevens coach Ben Gollings prematurely and appointing Osea Kolinisau before the completion of the Olympic 7s tournament in France later in the year.

There is no guarantee that Kolinisau will perform any better than Gollings. Further to this, it’s the exception rather that the rule – that a successful player automatically becomes a successful coach too. Waisale Serevi never truly succeeded as the coach of Russia similar to Ben Gollings for Fiji. Another important sports fact which has been overlooked by the FRU and all those persons calling endlessly for Ben Gollings’ sacking is that there is no winning team that continues its winning streak for ever and ever. Fiji 7s is no exception. Only superman and phantoms don’t ever lose.

Winning and losses come in cycles. Fiji sevens was beginning to show that it was emerging from the doldrums. In the four tournaments for this 2023-2024 season, Fiji was holding its fourth position consistently and actually had climbed up to third position when its coach was dumped. Fiji was in this similar spot leading up to Rio in 2016. Ben Ryan was bidding his time for the team to peak at the right time at Rio. The rest is history. Unfortunately Ben Gollings does not have the opportunity now.

Good luck to the current coach. He better win or else the very persons who were barking for Ben Gollings’ removal will again panic and turn upon the current coach too!

WILLIAM ROSA

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