What a first half that was yesterday! After the loss to Wales and embarrassing 8-73 thrashing we got from England last weekend, it was exciting to watch yesterday’s first spell against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
We were on fire! It was great to see the backrow in action and the confidence in our attacks. The three tries in the first spell, to skipper and hooker Tevita Ikanivere, exciting number eight Elia Canakaivata, and winger Selesitino Ravutaumada were uplifting. They reminded us of what we are capable of! Then we crumbled in the second spell.
We faltered. It was frustrating watching our defence collapse around the fringes of the rucks. The Scots were on fire. They picked and drove on the fringes. There was intensity, great purpose, and confidence and they came off with great tries.
Flying Fijians coach Senirusi Seruvakula admitted our impact players failed to leave an impression on the game and Scotland clawed their way back into the match. So, from a 17-7 halftime lead, we succumbed 17-33 in our third round of the Nations Cup Championship.
Yesterday’s result will no doubt raise many questions. And fans have a right to ask them now as we gear up for next year’s Rugby World Cup.
The result leaves Fiji with a lot to reflect on, particularly the need for stronger finishes, patience, a strong defensive shape, control in the set pieces and greater impact from the replacements. Let’s face it. The Flying Fijians, once an easy beat, had improved steadily over the years.
Under John McKee we improved our scrums to the point where we were matching two powerful scrums in England and the Australian Wallabies prior to RWC2019.
When Vern Cotter took over and then left us high and dry, barely seven months away from RWC2023 in France, Simon Raiwalui was left with only 15 weeks to prepare our team.
Raiwalui assembled the Flying Fijians in June and coached the team to wins over Tonga, Samoa and Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup tournament.
He took them to Taveuni, right back to their roots, before pushing them up the sand dunes in Sigatoka.
Then there was the highlight of our preparations when we defeated England for the first time at the home of English rugby in Twickenham just weeks away from the RWC2023.
We succumbed to Wales in the opener in France and defeated the Australian Wallabies in a thriller that is still being talked about. We defeated Georgia and succumbed to Portugal. We reached the quarter-finals of RWC2023.
And the Mick Byrne-coached Flying Fijians defeated Scotland 29-14 at the National Stadium in Suva last year. So with all that behind us, we reflect on some facts. Our scrums held some of the best in the business.
We were steadily overcoming poor finishing which was an Achilles heel for decades. We were slowly getting into the rhythm as very strong finishers in world rugby, especially in the final quarter of matches.
We now look up to the team and our coaches to look deep within themselves, and honestly reflect on their achievements so far, lift their responses and standards, and believe in themselves. We have some of the greatest names in world rugby playing for us right now.
We will leave it there, hoping for the best, and having had our say!
