Police defend title
A LAST-MINUTE try helped Police defend the 2020 McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast Sevens title after they beat Mango Bay Ratu Filise 17-14 in the final at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka yesterday.
Police defeated the highly fancied Tabadamu side in the semifinal.
THE Police rugby sevens team has defended the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast sevens title for the third year in a row beating a gallant Mango Bay Ratu Filise side 17-14 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka yesterday.
A fifteens a side strategy used in sevens helped the Police team to score a last-minute try to win the match.
The Nasova based side played the same game-plan throughout the final.
Outstanding Police captain Suliano Volivoli who was dropped from the Fiji 7s team to the next leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and missed out on the Tabadamu tournament last week, led from the front throughout the eliminations to scoop their fifth Coral Coast title.
Volivoli said teamwork and using their game plans was a factor that contributed to their success.
“We used the inside of the field playing an inside pattern and tried to break the Ratu Filise defence on the inside rather than using the width of the field.
“We knew they were fit and fast so we controlled our defence and when we attacked we tried to suck in the defence in the centre and use the overlaps on the far side and that’s how we scored the winning try and I’m proud of the boys for their hard work and I salute Ratu Filise for a great final,” said Volivoli.
The Vunibau lad from Serua proved himself as a worthy contender for the white jersey.
“I will never give up and continue to do my best in the local arena and most importantly I would like to thank all the Police fans and workmates especially to my family for their support and I dedicate the win to them back at home,” he said .
Police led the Ratu Filise 12-0 in the first half and the Namatakula based team bounced back in the second spell to take the lead 14-12 but Police had the last say of the day.