Tira Wilagi has sustained a knee injury while Joseva Talacolo suffered a concussion, with both players ruled out of the tournament, head coach Osea Kolinisau confirmed to The Fiji Times.
Despite the setback, the Fiji Airways Men’s 7s team ended day one on a high, finishing top of Pool A after securing three straight wins.
Fiji set to take on New Zealand at 4.57pm this afternoon in the Perth 7s semi-final. The second semi-final will see Australia face South Africa at 5.19pm.
Kolinisau said the team showed resilience, particularly in matches where they were forced to fight back.
“Thankful to God Almighty for giving us three out of three wins. We didn’t expect to come from behind, but we addressed our weaknesses at half-time,” he said.
However, the coach acknowledged areas that still require improvement heading into the knockout stages.
“We still need to work on missed tackles and yellow cards, and remain resilient,” Kolinisau added.
