Barbarians prove too strong
THE DXC Barbarians proved too strong for the All Blacks side after defeating the visitors 10-0 in the second semi-final of the 48th Fiji Bitter Marist 7s tournament yesterday.
The All Blacks side managed to camp in the Barbarians half for much of the match but were unable to stop the side from running in two tries in the second spell of the match.
All Blacks head coach and former 7s icon Tomasi Cama Jr said going down in the semis, he was happy with how his side performed against the western-based team.
“Happy with our performance in the tournament so far, but we’re quite disappointed with our result in the semis,” Cama said.
“We just didn’t play our A-game today, there were just a lot of mistakes that cost us a spot in the finals.”
Despite the loss, Cama said the tournament has helped with the side’s preparation for the upcoming Hong Kong 7s next month.
“The boys learned a lot from this tournament, and where else should a team go compete to help with preparations than at the factory of 7s rugby itself.”
The rainy weather at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva yesterday also played a factor in the side’s loss.
“But that’s no excuse, so we will just pick up from here and get better.
“Also, this tournament helped us look at the performance of our players as we will soon be selecting our team for Hong Kong.”
He praised the Barbarians side for coming out strong in the semis, admiring their display of dedication and hard work on the field.
“Hats off to the Barbarians side as well, they played with a lot of heart and courage, and they managed to come out with a win.”
Meanwhile in the other men’s semi-final, Army Green managed to beat Dominion Brothers 24-0 to book a spot in the finals.