Something to think about

BEFORE the RWC 2019 I had written about how our team the Flying Fijians seem to be a team just for the Rugby World Cup, as we seem to revolve around it thus the reason there is no real growth.

I echo Long John’s statement about building up for 2023 and as I’ve always said I dream one day where the majority of our players will be local based. We seem to be on the right track, where we are participating in the NRC in Australia and recently the tier two competition in New Zealand. What we need now is for the bigwigs in the white house to negotiate with World Rugby that instead of the end of the year tours to the northern hemisphere where we don’t get enough preparatory time and become like cannon fodder to the tier one nations, maybe we can tour other tier two nations with the majority of the players being local, tour countries like Russia, USA, or even Japan and have something like a two test series and then cap it off with a test against one of the 6 nations countries.

Also we need more game time together as a team, as is evident in the first game when it showed that the number of tests per player in our team was less compared with the Aussie players, which again is experience at test level rugby. Look at our history at how many players have crossed the 50 test matches threshold, I believe we can count them in one hand.

So before we all start throwing Long John under the bus, let’s consider these facts, because it did show in the game against Uruguay, where we needed to be told at half time what to do, whereas the tier one nations because of the vast experience in playing at that level can make changes on the field in real time.

Anyway what do I know right, I’m just the common man. So let’s keep that noble banner blue flying high and support our boys in the last pool game.

Toso Viti!

LAWRENCE WARA

Santa Rosa