So where to from here? What could have been is no longer the question.
That is old news now.
We succumbed to the Australian Wallabies in our opener, fell in that shocker to Uruguay, came back to crush Georgia and fell once more in that thriller against Wales.
Forget about the ‘ifs’, the ‘whys’, or the positive summary that should have been read out at the tail end of our game against Wales on Wednesday at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The hype was well and truly up. In fact, judging by the mood, we were on the roll. There was confidence in camp. There was a sense of anticipation.
It was overpowering. You could sense the expectation, heightened levels of focus and appreciation of our talents.
Our Flying Fijians had been catapulted to the highest pedestal reserved for the stars of the game.
We were supposed to be riding on a crest that emanated from a victory back in 2007 over the Welsh.
All that came crashing down in a flurry of scarlet coloured forays in the second spell. When all is said and done, we are left to rue many things we could have fixed.
But enough said. Moving forward, where to from here? We have the makings of a great side.
Right now, with the momentum we have gained, we have the foundation of a side that can be very competitive against the best in the world.
That’s the frightening and intimidating reality.
Ask the Welsh. Their tired and sore bodies will agree. But that’s for now!
Our scrums are gaining ascendency, our lineouts are looking good, we are effectively contesting the breakdowns, our running lines are shaping up well and our defensive shape is looking good.
Most importantly, the high level of exposure for our players in some of Europe’s premier competitions has raised our standard, and inched out great confidence.
What we lack though is the competitive edge that will come off playing against Tier 1 nations on a regular basis.
As Pacific Rugby Welfare director Dan Leo said, the Flying Fijians have outgrown the Pacific Cup and needs Tier 1 competition. That’s the challenge for the governing Fiji Rugby Union now.
All stops must be pulled to lay the foundation for that transition.
It will definitely be tough. We realise that. But that’s why there must be some urgency around this major move.
The onus is on the FRU to chart a path forward that entails more Tests outside the Pacific Cup competition.
Otherwise the great work done on addressing factors that once were the Achilles heel of Fijian rugby, would be slotted back into the drawer for “what could have beens”.
We have a nasty habit of not realising our potential sometimes. It would be lovely to see this core group of players together representing us against the world’s best teams post RWC.
For that, we look up to the FRU. Go Fiji, go.
