National 7s rugby coach Gareth Baber has no qualms about what he expects from members of his squad.
Leave aside the expected requirements such as fitness, pace, talent, size and the willingness to work as a team.
There has to be discipline. All the other factors will come together and nicely deliver the goods when there is discipline.
Baber wants to build a culture, to the extent that whenever the national team leaves our shores, players are able to control themselves on the field.
According to Baber there are talented players in the country who can get to the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series but there were other factors that needed to be considered.
“It is very difficult because we are not playing in the World Sevens Series so no one can see us,” he said.
“But as much as we can talk about that, and we can talk as much about the talent, but there is a reality to playing in a World 7s Series event.
“The talent might be able to get you there but there are other things that you have to have like that emotional control on the field. “We call it discipline in this part of the world.”
It is not just discipline of whether you throw a punch at somebody or you answer back at the referee, he said, it is also about having the discipline to get the technique of the game right.
Players, he said, must be coached the right way. While there is talent galore, which is a huge asset for us, Baber believes this has to be managed, and players must be disciplined on and off the field.
“It is hugely important that a Fiji team leaving our shores has those characteristics. We have had it at times and we haven’t had it other times. Normally when we haven’t had it, we haven’t been as successful as we would have liked.”
So there you go. Players aspiring for national honours have their work cut out.
The road to the Olympic Games is long, and will have many obstacles.
This isn’t one for the faint-hearted. For our young and up-coming players, the key is embracing the guideline Baber has laid out.
Ultimately discipline on and off the field would be a prized asset, on top of the large number of talented players we have.
