What a finish that was for Fiji in our opener against Wales at the Rugby World Cup 7s in Cape Town, South Africa. Wales opened the game with a try to lead 5-0.
The national side then came back firing to end the half with a 17-5 scoreline. That 29-5 win was encouraging in the end.
The Welsh nullified our offloads in the early minutes of the first spell, and targeted our running lines. But it was a powerful show in the second spell that saw the national side settle down and tighten up their defensive shape.
Lanky forward Sevuloni Mocenacagi came on in the second spell and continued the rain of tries with a run that tore open the Welsh defensive line.
It was a thriller! It was a beautiful running line. It showed the strength of the side. It showed the attitude and confidence of our attacks. It was the way to go. It was a breathtaking display of Fijian rugby at its best.
That one run through the Welsh defence inched out a sense of appreciation of our style of rugby 7s. It raised the profile of our game and kept the fans on the edge of their seats. That was a beauty.
The challenge now is to maintain that rhythm, keep that confidence, and raise the intensity of the game moving forward.
We were passing with purpose. We kept possession! We have what it takes to beat the top sides. Whatever happens today, fans will be rubbing their hands in anticipation of a top outing.
They will be eager to see big things from the national side. National coach Ben Gollings is confident.
He knows what it takes to make things happen at this level of the sport. He knows what is required to be the best.
He knows we have the talent and the potential to do well at the highest level of the game. We know what the teams are doing to beat us.
We know what South Africa did to win that game against us at the final of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and when the New Zealand All Blacks beat us in the final of the Los Angeles 7s.
As we look ahead to the business end of the tournament in South Africa, we are buoyed by the need to be consistent. We are reminded about what the other teams are doing to beat us.
That win over Wales was special. There was confidence in that second half and a settled team.
Attention will be focused on how well we are able to stay focused and keep that momentum going into the next games. Remember, anything can happen in 7s rugby! But we have to believe in ourselves first.
Whatever happens, we say go Fiji, go.
