NEW coaching staff and a new “style of play” are what FIJI Water Flying Fijians halfback Frank Lomani pointed out as key lessons to learn from after their Pacific Nations Cup campaign ended on Saturday.

Speaking to RugbyPass, Lomani reflected on the two items in a match where Japan snatched the trophy from Fiji with a 20-15 victory.

“We have a new coaching staff, they came in, we had to adjust on a new style of play and all that,” Lomani said.

“I would say we played really well, we just couldn’t finish it.”

He added there were a few matches where they fell short of the mark, however, “it’s rugby sometimes”.

“You cannot win it all. As a team, all we can do is give our best there.”

Losing the PNC trophy is the latest grain of salt rubbed onto a gaping wound in the Flying Fijians since the departure of former head coach Mick Byrne and the interim appointment of his successor, Senirusi Seruvakula.

Seruvakula was handed the reins of the top job by the Fiji Rugby Union and responsible for Fiji’s Nations Championship campaign opener in the UK in July this year.

However, on the rugby pitch, Fiji were effectively dealt an unfavourable hand while success was recorded off the field instead with $7.8m in gate takings for the three home matches staged in England, Wales and Scotland.

As public scrutiny and criticism over Seruvakula’s appointment merged with fluctuating results of wins and losses recorded under his current tenure, the Flying Fijians conclude their international campaign for now with more lessons to take into account.

But in Tokyo on Saturday night, Lomani also remarked his teammates were “gutted” at not defending their PNC title for a fourth consecutive year.

“We’re so gutted that we couldn’t finish off the job today (Saturday) as a PNC title defender. Japan were good on the day,” he remarked.

“We played our hearts out, out there.

“We’d spoken about being disciplined, being connected and just physicality.

“I thought we brought that in the first half, and we couldn’t capitalise on playing the ball when we had it.”

And with nine eventful months already gone, the Flying Fijians look onto their next assignment of preparing for the second leg of the Nations Championship in November.